Ah, topiary. The noble art of bending nature to your will.
Eventually.
Some time ago I got it into my head that I would culitivate a little topiary on the patio. I bought a few spriggy box hedges and some topiary frames – hinged cages in all sorts of different shapes that clip over the hedge – and sat back in eager anticipation of a beautifully sculpted and trimmed work of evergreen art.
It turns out these things take a little longer than you might think. Two years on and my magnificent topiary swan has a bit of growing to do before it’s easily recognised as poultry. Few observers would claim it has grown out of its ugly duckling phase just yet.
Hope springs eternal though, and I am confident this year things will be different. Already there are signs of new growth, and a few months of decent sun and I will surely have my swan.
And once I’ve mastered the waterfowl, onto the next challenge…
The drooling vegetable 