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Modern Gardens - October

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For<br />

under<br />

£70<br />

Plant a<br />

TOPIARY<br />

CORNER<br />

Every month we give you easy<br />

ideas for creating a special<br />

corner in your garden<br />

Plant list<br />

One sure-fire way to keep interest<br />

in your garden through winter<br />

is to add some evergreen<br />

topiary. Balls of box or yew<br />

create sculptural elements, transforming a<br />

corner into a year-round focal point. Choose<br />

plants of different heights to create a tiered<br />

arrangement, so the balls of foliage float like<br />

clouds. Large topiary plants are expensive,<br />

so be budget savvy by buying smaller<br />

plants and growing them to the right size,<br />

clipping them into a lollipop shape as you<br />

go. From a small plug plant, achieving a large<br />

piece of topiary will take a few years, so for<br />

instant impact you can invest in larger plants<br />

from a local garden centre. The eventual<br />

sharply defined outlines can be softened<br />

with swathes of flowing grass around the<br />

base. These plants will do well in a shady<br />

corner with drier soil, perfect for a spot<br />

overshadowed by taller trees.<br />

3 X BOX £8.99 EACH<br />

This classic topiary plant can be clipped two<br />

or three times in summer to keep a neat<br />

outline. They are ideal for ball or pyramid<br />

shapes. Height and spread 30cm<br />

(trimmed) best4hedging.co.uk<br />

5 X YEW £24.99<br />

These conifers grow into huge trees if left alone,<br />

but annual clipping keeps them compact. They<br />

can be trained into almost any shape including<br />

tall lollipops as above. Height 1m and spread<br />

35cm (trimmed) jparkers.co.uk<br />

3 X JAPANESE FOREST GRASS<br />

‘AUREOLA’ £5.99 EACH<br />

This lime-green grass gradually dies back in<br />

winter but its colours get brighter as it does. It<br />

loves shade. Height 35cm Spread 45cm<br />

ballyrobertgardens.com<br />

74 MODERN GARDENS OCTOBER 2017

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