Topiary is the art of cutting living trees and shrubs into special shapes. Classic topiary is about shaping plants into cones, cylinders, pyramids or spheres. More modern topiary is about cutting plants into living statues of animals or other shapes. Evergreen plants with small, dense, evenly coloured leaves are ideal for topiary, like Holly, myrtle, yew, privet and box. Popular in landscaped gardens and courtyards today, topiary goes back over 2,000 years, coming from the Latin word "toparius", meaning “landscape gardener”. Popular in the 1500s in Italy, over the next 200 years, topiary spread to the gardens of the rich and wealthy across Europe, with large formal gardens, and paths edged with neat hedges and in some areas, gardeners created fantasy areas filled with topiary animals - Later on, people started to experiment with mazes and walkways. Topiary is an art form that has been rediscovered by gardeners in the last decade, and it's now very fashionable to use buxus cones and cubes, spiralled conifers, or lilly pillys clipped into balls on sticks as focal points in the garden or to create a dramatic effect in a courtyard. While you might not turn your backyard into a topiary maze or create grand sculptures of topiary art, you'll find that adding a touch of topiary design to your garden will transform it into something magical. From simple geometric to fanciful animal topiary, topiary is gardening at a whole new level.
The Enchanted Maze Garden is an award winning natural attraction nestled in the beautiful hinterland of Arthurs Seat in Victoria. From humble beginnings, the Enchanted Maze has grown into a wonderland of mazes, gardens, art and adventure that is designed to enliven the senses and challenge the mind. These gardens are the most stunning innovative gardens in Australia. Around each corner there is another perfectly maintained feature garden, all built around unique artistic pieces and clever topiary. The artists at the garden spend a lot of time getting things just right and see the creation of a quality experience as their own living and breathing work of art. Because they also believe that being playful and having fun is important to people of all ages, they consider The Enchanted Maze Gardens to be a friendly place that’s both an inspiration for adults and a sensation for kids! It’s a place where you can loose yourself in the colours of garden design or marvel at the formal structures of hedge topiary. You can be transported by giant sculpture, and get tangled in a maze.
Mike Green - After spending many years exhibiting both in Australia and abroad, Mike and his wife Janet have taken up positions at The Enchanted Maze as artists in residence as well as creative directors of garden design. While Janet advises and tends to the ever changing palette of garden blooms, Mike has turned his creative energy to topiary & sculpture. Along the 75 hedge border at the entrance to the gardens you will see examples of Mike’s topiary work. He has created a themed hedge sculpture that has recently been lodged with the Guinness Book of Records as the longest relief sculpture in the world. More topiary creations, including a pod of leaping dolphins are subtly featured throughout the park. Mike’s newest installation is an enormous natural sculpture made from tree branches sourced from within the gardens.
www.enchantedmaze.com.au
