plantamerica
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Fingers, wooden spoon, nutcracker picks, long narrow-handled spoon such as a sundae spoon, or pencil, fern picks.
For your first attempt select a sculpture of medium size & open construction.
Organize Yourself
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Keep Things Organized. |
Steps:
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Select plant material that is spreading in habit and roots from stems (i.e. ivy, scotch moss or rockery plants)
- If using more than one variety of plant in the same animal, be sure to select compatible plants (sun vs shade or wet vs dry)
- Choose drought tolerant plants for the animals extremities (i.e. ears, horns) since they will dry out fastest.
- Choose small pots of plants or, larger selections may be cut into plugs (containing roots) about 1″ thick and as wide as the openings between the wires.
Getting Started
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Have a plan of attack and things will go much smoother. |
- Soak the moss in water.
- Open wire sculptures into its two (2) halves.
- Squeeze out excess moisture in moss.
- Stuff ears, feet, tail & nose with small amounts of moss at a time using fingers or suggested tools to pack firmly.
- Decide if you are going to decorate/plant the face
- Place your first plug (it may be necessary to shake off excess soil) into the face area without pressing against the wires.
- Gently pull the longer stems of plant material through the wires.
- Gradually push the root ball against the wire, continuing to pull plant stems through.
- Gently stuff some moss against the root ball, sides and base, to hold the plant in place.
- Restrict plant material to the sides and top of your piece: continue to add moss and plant plugs in the first half of the wire frame.
- Repeat steps 1-10 for the second half.
- Join the two halves together using the plastic connectors provided, usually at the top, bottom and sides. At first, pull together until all parts join together. The nut picker is great for pulling the end of the plastic wire back through the frame. Tighten, cut off excess plastic.
- Trim excess moss with scissors.
- Gently place plant stems over frame, hold in place using wire fern picks or if not available, cut and bend #20 wire into picks.
- Soak complete frame in a bucket of diluted starter fertilizer or, if too large, water with fertilizer.
- Keep in a shaded area for several days out of the wind until plants settle in.
- When all is well, display in garden in sun or shade as required by plants selected.
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Your topiary is only limited by your imagination. |
- Check plant for water daily as you would a hanging basket. Keep in mind extremities dry out quickly.
- Fertilize every other week with a balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20 or to suit your plant requirements.
- Occasionally, the moss will need re-trimming with scissors.
- Using fern picks, continue to train the plant stems to the shape of the frame, pinching for branching as desired.
| Over-Wintering Hardy Planted Frames |
- Water well before frost.
- Move to a protected location or unheated garage away from drying winds.
- If mice are likely to be a problem, spray with rodent repellent.
- Place near a window for diffused light and water about once a month.