How to Make a Real Topiary Tree for My Mantle

The Pruned Topiary

• 1

  Select a dwarf evergreen tree such as dwarf juniper, dwarf Alberta spruce or boxwood that you can prune into shape. Purchase some compost and pruning shears if you don't already have some.

• 2

  Pot the plant into a container using the compost. Use a pot that will fit on your mantle comfortably. Square pots are nice for a topiary tree design and will complement it well.

• 3

  Place some sphagnum moss on top of the compost in the container. Cover the surface completely with the moss.

• 4

  Clip the plant into the desired shape if it is not already shaped. Do this lightly at first, removing just the tips of new shoots and around the base.

• 5

  Plant trailing plants such as an ivy or thyme in the pot for variety.

The Topiary Frame

• 6

  Buy a wire topiary frame from your garden center or, if you are handy, make your own wire frame in the shape you want your topiary to fill. Make sure it is the right size for your mantle.

• 7

  Select what plants you would like to grow around the frame. Plants such as English ivy, grape ivy, strawberry begonia or jasmine are all good choices. Buy a pot for the plant.

• 8

  Set up your topiary frame in the plant pot with the compost and cover the frame with sphagnum moss. Tie the moss with raffia tape.

• 9

  Plant climbing plants and gently train them around the shape. It should cling easily onto the moss on the frame. In time, it will grow and cover the frame. You will need to train it onto the frame as it grows. Cover the surface of the compost in the container with moss.

• 10

  Water well, keeping the compost moist. Mist the moss with a spray bottle.