- Photos posted on my blog are mine unless stated otherwise. BH

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Topiary

I like topiaries , but the ones I bring  in the house do not last.
As I was trimming my boxwood's as I usually do several times  year, I thought about making one.
I saved the clippings to use  for a faux topiary I knew it would last for a time.    I  had a stalk that was cut from a boxwood shrub months back  that was dry.
Got a pot from the garden. Had a nice aged look from sitting in the elements - gave it a wash.

  I think usually plaster or some type of cement based product is used to hold items in the pots but I didn't have any, so I used very hard Styrofoam and cut to fit the pot. Generous amount of  hot glue put into the bottom of pot.
Made a hole with the wood stalk in the bottom  Styrofoam-  put a glob of glue in  - then placed the stalk.

Shaped Styrofoam for the top, added glue in  impression made with the stalk, then place that in.
 The box wood greenery that was pierced in the foam was still green, it dried naturally there.

  After about a year it started to turn the color of wheat, so I sprayed some green spray paint on the leaves.  
The base of topiary is decorated with Spanish moss from dollar store.

 The butterfly is one Annette sent me in a flower arrangement - it now hovers around the topiary.   At Christmas a red bird usually sits on top.
Couple years old but holding up well.


Another idea comes to mind.   Will clip some box soon for that.
Betsy

2 comments:

  1. Well, how cool is that?? I love your idea, very creative! I guess I would have thought the leaves would have dropped, but it looks fantastic. I wish I could train a shrub to do that outside, too.

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  2. Hi Betsy! Well how clever is that? It turned out really cute and to have sprayed it green to keep it longer worked out great! It really looks nice. Gina

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