Best plant for Topairy frame

What plant would be best for a goose topairy ? Its 19inches high by 21 inches long. I want a plant in ground. I live in zone 8

English Ivy is most often used, Hedera helix, but there are no rules. below is a link with a few suggestions including creeping fig, Ficus pumilla.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/gardening-how-to/how-to-make-your-own-topiary.htm

Hi Moon, there are other vine's that would foot the bill as well but alot of "hedera's" can easily take over a landscape in a few year's along with Vinca Major here! Do you not have the same problem there?

Rachel

Vinca major will take over the world where I live. I use it under oak and elm trees in full shade where nothing else will grow.

So will Enlish Ivy and some other Hedera's as well Jim;-) When using Vinca......I would suggest the minor version. Some like vine's that will cover everything in a short few year's though.

Rachel, I personally don't care for V major or V minor. My heart belongs to Madagascar vinca...grin. I was told that it had to be pulled up every year here because it would not overwinter and was blight prone. Some of my vincas are 4 years old and have returned reliably each year. They do of course bring their families with them.....grin but i have no problem plucking them out and sending them to compost heaven. Mine have started morphing. I started out with one color. The white centered Pacifica Red, which is actually a dark rose....I now have it and this year a solid dark magenta and a paler rosie pink joined the clan.

As for the Hedra, if it is going into a topiary, it will get regular pruning to keep its' shape. Personally, I would probably use the ficus pumilla, but it can also get a bit out of hand if not watched. I would not recommend either for open plantings unless some one had tons of area to cover and the time to rein it in. I think it will be a matter of availability and ease of use for Mckinley, which is why I sent the link. Topiarys are a lot of work....and you need something hardy and plentiful to make them look good.

I hope the link helps you find the best material for your purpose, Mckinley. Have fun

The best plants for topiary is any hardy shrub with small evergreen leaves, the most popular types are Box or Lonicera X Nitida which if left unclipped only reaches 5 - 6 feet, both types have small leaves and is great for topiary, there is also one called Baggersen's Gold which is the yellow leaf one, this one likes full sun to keep the yellow, , box and the Lonicera are best planted in the autumn with plenty of added compost as they will be pruned and clipped 2 times a year and be making new growth all the time though very slowly, to get the shrubs to become bushy, you would just nip off each growing tip on all the small branches and they will really thicken out to help you create the shape you are after, to start your topiary shape off, you would be best to begin with a wire shape staked into the ground so you can tie in the branches as they grow as it is difficult to get a good outline without this support, good luck whichever you choose, this type of display gardening can become infectious and compulsive, ha, ha, ha, Lastly, dont skimp on your plants as you wont get a good display / Shape from just one or two plants, you need several to get the bulk of the shape, you can also get books on the subject from the stores or library. good luck. WeeNel.

I vote for Ficus pumila.

Hi weeNell. McKinley is using a metal topiary frame filled with moss. Needs a ground cover type plant for that style. Your advice is excellent for shrubbery style, however.

The best plants to choose for a goose topiary are those with small, dense foliage like Shrubs such as boxwood (Buxus spp.), holly (Ilex spp.), laurel (Prunus spp.) and privet (Ligustrum spp) Boxwood is possibly the best for this purpose…
See more details on DIY topiary http://topiarytree.net/blog/2012/11/18/outdoor-topiary-polyblend-material-for-outdoor-weather

I have also done topiary shapes with Mattress Vine (Muhlenbeckia, con't remember which one, sort of shrubby, not so running) and African Boxwood (Myrsine africana), and Photinia. (Giant shapes out of Photinia, needed a ladder)

The African box gets too big.

If it is a stuffed shape, then Ficus pumila is a very good idea. There is a variegated type, too, if you want that look.

Sorry Themoon, I've lost the plot here somewhere along the way and after reading the thread again, cant find the info stating the frame would be filled with moss or ground cover plants were the order of the day otherwise my offering was really a bad joke lol.
Happy gardening days and Best Regards.
WeeNel.

Hi WeeNel, I do hope you are well and Spring is bringing some sunny days your way.

The Subject line mentioned the topiary frame, and the first post gave a size for the frame...19"x21", and that it was to be planted in ground, hopefully. The topiaries I see in local nurseries are filled with moss to help the plants stay hydrated. I was thinking in terms of the location, as the OP lives Southwest of me in the same state and general zone (which is now considered zone 9).

I found your post to be very informative, and did not think it a bad joke at all.

Happy Spring,

Moon

Hay Moon, No Problems I'm learning all the time on this site, Topiary here is a frame filled with the actual plant like Holly or Box, it gets pruned to the frame shape over several years and this plant is set in the ground pot or other container,. so to fill the frame with Moss, is all new to me, anyway I've learned a new style of garden /plant formation and will store that away until I find time to have a go myself LOL.

No we have not started the sunny days just yet, March is the month we have NORTH winds, freeze the skin off your face, last week we did have a couple of hours of sun but no heat in the sunshine.
April is rainy but we should get some nice days, I have new buds breaking on lot's of my shrubs, the Rhododendrons have nice fat flower buds and my Camellia's are flowering already. Just wish the rain would stop long enough to allow the soil to dry out as the weeds are sprouting at the rate of lightning LOL.
.
Our Winter has been very wet (flooding all over the country) but milder than usual, being on the coast is good in one way, we don't get LONG freezes,

Have a great gardening season and keep sending answers on the forums, love reading them.
Best Regards.
WeeNel.

Thought you might like to see the topiary forms, both moss filled and framework over shrubs.

http://www.patioandyard.com/gptopiary.shtml

http://www.pinterest.com/kitsykat62/garden-art-topiary/

AMAZING thank you so, I see a new gardening project starting SOOOOOON, LOL.
happy gardening and again thanks.
WeeNel.

Glad you liked the link. You are most welcome.

Moon