ANIMALS TO PLANT IN THE GARDEN

By Dennis Rodkin.
Published: Sunday, August 8, 1999
Section: HOME & GARDEN Page: 5
Chicago Tribune

A moss-filled, ivy-draped topiary of a bunny sitting cross-legged or a knee-high deer can strike a rare balance of whimsy and elegance in the garden. While a topiary may seem like something you would have to buy in an overpriced garden boutique, it's actually a simple one-afternoon project virtually anyone can do.

"Every time I teach people to make topiaries, they're skeptical at first," says Karen Thomson, a West Chicago entrepreneur who sells topiary frames and supplies via mail order. "But they always surprise themselves."

The frames she sells make the work easy. They're wire outlines of animal or geometric figures-everything from a simple sphere to an upright alligator. All you do is stuff dampened long-fibered sphagnum moss into the frame, using lengths of fishing line to hold it and plant it. In less than an hour, you've created a great-looking garden accent for less than $75.

We asked Thomson to show us how, step by step.

1.  Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.  Work outside, if possible.  Fill a large bucket halfway with lukewarm water and the rest of the way with moss.  Soak the moss for about 10 minutes until it is saturated.  Put the topiary frame on a table and have scissors and 12-pound clear fishing line handy.
2.  Wring out a clump of moss until it is damp but not dripping and stuff it into the frame, beginning at a small part such as an ear or foot.  Don't skimp.  "Stuff if full,"  Thomson says.  "You don't want the finished animal to look skinny."  But don't obscure the shape.  Once a part is stuffed, tie the fishing line to the wire, wrap it tightly around the frame to hold the moss and tie it off.  Continue until the frame is full and ready for planting.
3.  Thomson advises using plants in 2 1/2-inch pots because their root balls are small.  You may use ivy, herbs, trailing ground covers or small annuals such as pansies.  Plant them in the bulkiest part of the shape.  Using scissors, dig a small hole in the moss, stick in the root ball and fill around it with extra moss.  Pin long tendrils gently to the moss with U-shaped pins or pieces of bent wire.

  

Thomson's tips
bullet"I like to use herbs, because they're forgiving and can take dry conditions. One that looks great is woolly thyme, and I also like pennyroyal creeping across the back of a topiary." A very good plant is alyssum. "It has a nice fluffy look to it. It's great for a bunny's tail."
bullet"Some people want to cover the whole topiary with plants, but I think it looks better with just partial coverage, because you can see the shape better."
bulletThese small-scale topiaries work best close-up, like at an entryway or on a step "where people can see them and get a little laugh."
bullet"A topiary is a good way to liven up a shady part of the garden. You can put a little critter or two in there and make it feel like a woodsy home for them."
bulletThe finished topiary can survive in full sun but will demand daily watering in summer. Those in shade will need watering once or twice a week. "Misting it isn't enough," Thomson says. "You have to dunk it all the way in a tub of water or soak it with the hose."

SUPPLIES

Thomson's 85 frames cost $25 to $295; most are $50 or less. (The bunny frame shown here is $30; the water bird is $295.) A 1.5-cubic-foot bag of long-fibered sphagnum moss, enough for two topiaries, is $15. (Peat moss, which costs less, is not a feasible substitute.) To order a catalog, call Thomson Topiaries, 847-304-0830 , or write: Thomson Topiaries, 580 Crooked Lane, Barrington, IL 60010, or visit Thomson's Web site at www.thomsontopiaries.com. Frames and sphagnum moss also can be found at craft and garden-supply stores.

 
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