topiary
/ˈtəʊpɪəri
/noun (plural topiaries) [mass noun]
1The art or practice of clipping shrubs or trees into ornamental shapes: [as modifier]: a specialist in topiary art...
- The horticultural art of topiary dates back at least 2,000 years, to when the ancient Romans cut bushes and trees into ornamental shapes.
- Some varieties lend themselves to topiary sculpture, espalier, or bonsai training.
- In fact, topiary pruning can create health hazards for the plant, lower it's value and waste time and money.
1.1Shrubs or trees clipped into ornamental shapes: a cottage surrounded by topiary and flowers...
- Container and garden grown rosemary takes well to training into topiaries.
- There were two expensive holly topiaries planted on either side of the tall elegant columns at the front door.
- You can make and maintain 25 stunning topiaries to add elegance and beauty to your home.
Derivatives
topiarian
- The grounds are magnificent with an attractive walled garden, a topiarian maze and nature trails.
- The gardens have small topiarian trees, rose arbours, palm and lemon trees and a profusion of colourful flowers.
- Byatt's stories simmer with a sensuality and passion which, like topiarian trees in a formal garden, are pruned and trained into cultivated shapes whilst retaining the wild scent of the orchard.
topiarist
- I'd finished putting some chunky brass screws into the fence panels ripped loose by the rampaging Italian topiarists and was getting ready to fill up the birds' seed feeders.
- James had run his hair salon - Total Look in Epsom - for 20 years when he made a momentous decision four years ago: he would become a topiarist, and trim trees and bushes instead of hair.
- It's all down to the skill, imagination and personality of the topiarist in question.
Origin
Late 16th century: from French topiaire, from Latin topiarius 'ornamental gardener', from topia opera 'fancy gardening', from a diminutive of Greek topos 'place'.
Topiary is from French topiaire, from Latin topia opera ‘fancy gardening’.