April Is Happy World Landscape Architecture Month

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I have seen people trim their hedges into some fantastic architecture during the summer months. Some forms I've noticed were a boat, duck, and dog shapes. This hedge trimming is also known as topiary sculpture. Perhaps you have seen hedges trimmed similarly? According to Wikipedia, "topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, whether geometric or fanciful. The term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. As an art form it is a type of living sculpture." BRIEF HISTORY OF TOPIARY European topiary dates from Roman times. Credit Gaius Matius Calvinus (1st century BC), who was a citizen of ancient Rome and notable as a friend of Julius Caesar with introducing the first topiary to Roman gardens. The clipping and shaping of shrubs and trees in China and Japan have also practised this landscape architecture with equal diligence. The goal is to achieve an artful expression of the "natural" form of the plant to the viewer. You can see this type of art form in the Chinese penjing and Japanese bonsai. In the U.S. portable style topiary was introduced to Disneyland around 1962. Walt Disney helped bring this new medium into prominence by recreating his cartoon characters throughout his theme park in the form of landscape shrubbery. There are many examples of landscape topiary around the world. Why not celebrate its artistic beauty with a special Month. Have you had the opportunity to view such creative landscape architecture? Source- Wikipedia Photo- Pinterest.com