October, 1910 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



387 



A corner of the garden at Levens Hall showing fine examples of Topiary art 



Topiary Art 



By A. Jennings Brown 



URING the last few years there has been 

 a remarkable revival of what had at one 

 time promised to become a lost horticul- 

 tural art; this is the old-time "topiary 

 art," which consisted in the training and 

 the clipping of trees into fantastical shape. 

 The process of training is both laborious 

 and tedious, and the preservation of the shape, once it has 

 been successfuly obtained, requires no little dexterity 

 in the handling of tools and skillful judgment in their use. 

 The advocates of the "natural" school of gardeners 

 have condemned in no unmeasured terms, the process of 

 distorting the trees. On the other hand, these quaint de- 

 signs in a garden surrounding a medieval or an eighteenth 

 century residence are most appropriate. The craft is an 

 old one, since in the days of Queen Elizabeth the custom 

 of clipping new hedges into formal shapes was very preva- 

 lent. When William and Mary succeeded to the English 

 throne they introduced many of the old world peculiarities 

 of Holland. Hedges were cut and trimmed in a wide 

 variety of quaint designs which ranged from animals down 

 to more commonplace things. Trees were specially planted 

 for the express object of being trained and clipped into some 

 uncommon shape. The result is that in various parts of 

 Great Britain one may see isolated instances where gnarled 

 and weather-beaten box and yew trees have been trans- 

 formed into such patterns as peacocks and geometrical 

 designs. Some of the most notable collections of trees 

 are at Easton Hall, Elvaston Castle, and, particularly, at 

 Levens Hall, Westmoreland, which we illustrate. These 

 are the most important exhibitions of topiary work, not 



only in England, but in the world. The development of a 

 garden containing these strange dwarfing and transforma- 

 tion of nature's handiwork is by no means an expensive 

 hobby; but the process of evolution is a very slow one. 

 Some of these trees are two and three hundred years old, 

 so that those who plant and rough hew box and yew trees 

 can hardly expect to see perfect results of their handiwork 

 during their lifetime. Before taking in hand, the trees are 

 allowed to reach a growth of five or six feet. Great at- 

 tention is paid to the formation of the branches in order 

 that the design may be assured and that the foliage may 

 become sufficiently bushy. Careful watching and constant 

 clipping must be given to transplanted trees which have 

 already been started in their curious growth. Consider- 

 able skill is required in this process in order that too much 

 of the foliage may not be cut away, thus damaging the 

 original design. As the topiary art has been allowed to 

 practically die out, it is difficult to secure the services of 

 skilled clippers. After a tree has been given its formation, 

 the design can be revised successfully by a competent gar- 

 dener. In such gardens as are illustrated herewith the 

 topiary worker is a necessity, for on him depends the pres- 

 ervation of the smooth outer surface. This almost endless 

 treatment is absolutely essential, as once a hedge or a tree 

 is permitted to become ragged, it is extremely difficult to 

 restore it to its symmetrical shape. The type of tree best 

 suited to the art of the topiary worker varies according to 

 the results which it is desired to obtain. For birds, ani- 

 mals, cups and saucers, vases and objects of intricate de- 

 signs, box and yew are the two varieties best adapted to 

 the craft. For simple geometrical shapes, such as cones 



