When I think of topiary, I think of Disneyland and whimsical cartoon characters reproduced as perfectly clipped plants.

In fact, Walt Disney did much to acquaint many of us with topiary, an ancient art from a time when a skilled Roman landscape gardener was called a “topiarius,” a creator of places.

Topiary is the art of creating sculptures from clipped and pruned trees and shrubs. Plants traditionally used for topiary were those common to Mediterranean climates, such as cultivars of bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), holly (Ilex species), yew (Taxus species) and privet (Ligustrum species). All of those species boast dense foliage and either grow in a columnar form or have a bushy, compact growth habit and can be easily trimmed. All are evergreen.

In 1962, Disney introduced “American Portable-style Topiary” into his magical kingdom. Instead of training and clipping ground-rooted shrubs and trees into shapes and labyrinth walls, in the European tradition, Walt Disney envisioned topiary not bound by roots nor limited to the size of the plant. Instead, topiary could be designed in one location and moved, planted or not, to a new home. 

The two types of this new style of topiary are still widely used today. In one, wire shapes were molded to recreate the “bones” of a recognizable character, then the frame was stuffed with sphagnum moss and watered well. Plant cuttings were inserted into the sphagnum base and, as they filled in, were pinned and clipped and trimmed to the shape of a beloved cartoon icon. 

Another method was to place a frame of a cartoon character or animal over a bush and use the frame as a permanent pruning guide.  Over the years, these living sculptures have become increasingly popular and have evolved into everything from living walls and roofs to evergreen corporate logos.

Topiary is much appreciated in the Far East. Japanese topiaries often represent clouds, achieved by clipping shrubs into more rounded shapes. And, of course, the Japanese are renowned for bonsai, their special version of topiary.

Wire shapes for topiary are available in craft stores, in nurseries and online. Bunny shapes for spring displays or cone-shaped tree forms for holiday decorations are easy to find, as are many more unusual designs. I have seen forms for everything from flamingos to deer. Anyone handy with steel wire, clippers and welding irons can probably think up more designs, but I will leave that to the experts.

To plant your own simple topiary for a table decoration or outside display, stuff the form of your choice with sphagnum moss soaked in water until saturated. Make holes in the moss large enough to receive rooted cuttings of the plants you choose. Consider ivy (Hedera) or creeping ficus (Ficus pumila).

Using floral pins, pin the growing vine to the topiary form.  As your plants grow, continue to pin the plant to the form, filling in the spaces.

Like any plant, your topiary will need food, water and light.  Water every few days, feed lightly once a week, and check to make sure the moss does not dry out. You can also water your topiary by soaking it once a week just until it is saturated.

If any or all your plants die, your form can be replanted all over again.

As I learned about topiary, I was amazed at how universal the art is. You can find topiary treasures everywhere from Drummond Castle Gardens in Perthshire, Scotland, to the Royal Palace at Bang Pa-In in Thailand, and the Parque Francisco Alvarado in Zarcero, Costa Rica.

England is awash in grand manors and gardens with topiary displays. China has Mosaiculture 2006, and many famous monasteries and churches with spectacular evergreen mazes that were used for meditation and are truly worth a visit. I am looking forward to going to Disneyland again and visiting my favorite topiary anywhere. His name is Dumbo.

 Napa County Master Gardeners (http://cenapa.ucdavis.edu)  answer questions Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa, 253-4221, or 877-279-3065.