Have a ball

Clipped spheres and bun-shaped plants are a versatile design element in the garden. Here, Helen Young explains how to use them and which plants to choose.

- Helen Young

Shrubs clipped into spheres or buns can be seen in all types of gardens. In classic-style gardens, topiary – often Buxus – has long been used to enhance a geometric layout. Formal gardens might have clipped balls in rows, punctuating the corners of a rectangular bed, or planted in beautiful urns. Contemporary designs take a very different approach, with clipped plants of various sizes grouped informally. designers use a wider range of species in modern gardens – to highlight contrasts of silvery foliage with crisp green, for example, or to create an interplay of textures. The groups might be positioned closely to meld into cloud-like forms. Or they might be set at intervals, interspersed with sculptural spheres in wire or stone.

Mixing the strong forms of clipped balls with soft, loose plantings is especially effective. examples are ornamental grasses that provide movement and texture, and airy, flowering perennials such as whirling butterflies (Gaura).

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