Topiary talk

Who said hedges couldn’t be used for lyrical means? Topiary poet Toby considers some unique talking points

- Toby Buckland

GARDENS have long been used to communicate a message. The Biblical King Nebuchadnezzar rustled up the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the wonders of the ancient world, to express his love for wife Amytis. She grew up in the mountains, and the complex ziggurat of terraces were made to make her feel at home.

Later, well-heeled Romans used their estates, that stretched as far as the eye could see, to convey power – as did Louis XIV with the vast geometric gardens of Versailles, showing that he had control over nature.

Since lockdown, ‘garden messaging’ has never been more popular, with ‘Save the NHS’ signs and painted wooden rainbows a common sight. And now, hot on their heels, a new form of horticultural communication is growing, quite literally, back into fashion: topiary.