TOPIARY DOMES AND BALLS
Topiary balls and domes are the simplest of topiary plants and easy to integrate into gardens and existing planting schemes. They add formality, structure, contrast and a touch of class into traditional or contemporary schemes. These are also among the easiest of topiary shapes to maintain, needing just a simple trim each year. Repeat these superb topiary plants along a path; use as contrast in borders of relaxed planting; or in simple pairs, perhaps either side of a doorway.
The tightest topiary balls and domes will be of evergreen yew or box; these remain visually solid year-round and look especially wonderful in winter dusted and sparkling with frost. Deciduous topiary plants provide more dynamic performance through the seasons, becoming less solid as their leaves fall. Topiary balls work brilliantly in large containers, as long as they are kept well-watered – try in pairs or mix a range of different sized plants for an interesting effect. Domes have an upturned pudding basin shape and are broader at the bottom; they are a good choice for less formal schemes, perhaps in asymmetrical planting, and with age can happily acquire a comfortable organic shape without looking untidy.
