Topiary & Ornamental Hedging in Copthorne

Topiary in Copthorne

Clipped shapes and formal hedging kept sharp in Copthorne gardens, old and new.

Topiary in Copthorne might be a yew shape that’s been clipped for decades outside a red brick cottage near the green. In a newer garden it might be a pair of bays in pots by the front door. Either way it needs the same thing: a patient hand, the right timing and a trim before the shape starts to blur.

We clip fine shapes by hand with shears and keep powered trimmers for larger formal hedging. Every clipping is swept up and taken away, so the lawn and paths are left clean. And if a plant is struggling, we’ll tell you what we think is going on.

Box moth, box blight and what to grow instead

Box has had a rough time across the South East. Box tree caterpillar can strip a plant in a few weeks of summer, and box blight thrives in damp, still air, the kind gardens backing onto woodland tend to get. We’ll be honest if your box is on its way out. If it’s beyond saving, yew, Japanese holly and small-leaved privet all clip well and are fine on slightly acid soil. Yew is slower, but nothing makes better long-term topiary.

Topiary pruning through the year

Most box and yew shapes need one main clip in late summer, once nesting is over and the new growth has firmed up. Quicker growers like privet and Lonicera nitida want two or three trims a season to hold a crisp line. We clip on a dull, dry day, never in hot sun, or the cut leaves scorch. Topiary balls get checked from several angles as we work round them. A good ball is about patience, not speed, and that’s the part people tend to rush.

Topiary in Copthorne: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

Can you restore an overgrown topiary shape?

Often, yes. Yew takes a hard cut well and will sprout from old wood. Box is slower and less forgiving. We’ll bring the shape back over a couple of seasons rather than all at once.

How many trims a year will my topiary need?

Box and yew usually once a year, in late summer. Privet and Lonicera need two or three trims. We’ll set a schedule that suits your particular plants.

Can you start new shapes from young plants?

Yes. We can begin training young plants into balls, cones or pyramids and keep them going year after year. It takes a few seasons to get a really crisp shape, so think of it as a long game.