If the French have the same creative energy asEdward Scissorhands, Tim Burton movie hero, when it comes to sculpting their hedges or their ornamental shrubs, few are those who know the expression “topiary art”. Clearing with specialist Delphine Higonnet: “It is the art of trimming trees and shrubs into geometric, figurative, architectural or whimsical shapes and all for decorative purposes.”
Delphine Higonnet owns the Jardin des Ifs, a remarkable garden known for its huge yew igloo. Located in Gerberoy, village listed and flowered with roses in the Oise, the place is adorned with monumental plant sculptures, cut over 400 years. Cones, cubes and pyramids are some of the more classic shapes.
During the first World Days of Topiary Art, the Jardin des Ifs presents an exhibition with also “niwaki” subjects, namely trees carved into clouds in the Japanese style.
“We can have fun with topiary art, at the Jardin des Ifs, we even have a rabbit, continues the specialist. We could see its shape through the shrub, so we just made it pop out of the tangle of branches. Our rabbit allows us to show children what topiary art is. Each gardener is free to use his imagination, his research. In France, there are many topiary art gardens.”
For four days, nearly 150 gardens offer activities dedicated to this art of gardening: guided tours, pruning demonstrations, botanical advice.
The opportunity to observe the ivy garlands of the castle of Corbeil-Cerf in the Oise and the extraordinary wave-shaped hedge of the Ballue garden in Bazouges-la-Pérouse, in Île-et-Vilaine.
In Kendal, in the north of England, we explore the very famous garden of Levens Hall. “In the 17th century, it was a Frenchman, Guillaume de Baulieu, who designed it, it is said that he would have worked with Le Nôtre. But here it is a very baroque style, it’s all crazy, a bit Alice in Wonderland…”
It is also an opportunity to learn that topiary art was born with the Romans. “We know that they were very fond of figurative and architectural forms. There are plenty of things to discover, it’s joyful, creative and it appeals to everyone’s imagination.” And then don’t forget that “there are many topiary artists who ignore each other.”