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Topiary Gardens

Want to try your hand at making a topiary? Great! Here's a table-top "butterfly" that won’t ever fly away!

What You Need:

Small-leafed indoor ivy plant
A flower pot with a hole in the bottom large enough to contain your plant
Potting soil
One bamboo stake about 3 feet long
Twist ties
Floral wire

What You Do:

Plant the ivy in the pot. (If you want, ask an adult to help you.) Water it.
Next, insert the bamboo stake in the middle of the plant until it reaches the bottom of the container. Pat the soil around it to make sure it’s firmly in place.
Shape the floral wire into the outline of a butterfly's body, wings, and antennae.
Attach the wire butterfly to the pole with twist ties.
Wind the ivy up and around the butterfly.
Place your container in a bright spot, out of the direct sun, and be sure to water it regularly. Over time, you can keep winding your ivy around the wire so it keeps its butterfly shape. If need be, you can trim some of it, too.

Craft by Robin Walker

Photo by Susan McElhinney

TOPIARY GARDENS

We've listed a few of the more well-known topiary gardens or places that have topiary. You might want to check historic homes, theme parks, and public gardens near you for more.

California