Top Tips For Shaping Your Garden Topiary & Hedge Like A Pro

Here you will learn everything you need to know about getting started with topiary and hedge maintenance with Southern Cross Garden's expert, Craig Ratcliffe. With over a decade of hands-on experience in the industry, join us as he shares some of his favourite insider tips and tricks to help you on your way.

Topiary With Craig from Southern Cross Gardens

Before jumping into the beautiful world of topiary, we'd like to introduce expert Craig Ratcliffe from Southern Cross Gardens. For 15-plus years, Craig has been developing and perfecting his skills, which has evolved into him becoming a hedge artist - a.k.a, a professional topiarist. Initially starting out with a generalised lawn and garden maintenance business, things started to change for Craig when word of mouth spread about his great hedge and shrub care work.

From working in high-end gardens to commercial spaces, we've teamed up with Craig for this topiary guide, where he shares his top tips to help you get started with your first creation.

"Over the last couple of years, I've started getting more and more into topiary. When you do one, it just snowballs from there, and pretty much all I do now is hedging and topiary - I like it that much."

Topiary Trimming and Maintenance

When it comes to topiary, trimming and maintenance are essential. Whether trying your hand at an average trim or aiming for a more professional one, consistency is key!

According to Craig, "Regular trimming is so important if you want nice, thick growth. If you've got a ball, or whatever shape it is, and you're trimming it only a few times a year, you're going to get this really patchy look." He continues by saying, "The more that you trim, the more growth you get. If you cut one stem, two or three will grow from that one cut. So the more that you do that from a young plant, the thicker the plant is going to be."

But what about if you want something new and you're considering buying a pre-shaped topiary? Well, there's no shame in that. But remember that it will not stay in that shape without regular care. "If you don't want to trim that often and just want to do it a few times a year, you're not going to get that really tight look. But you can buy pre-shaped topiaries and just maintain them."

Sharp Tools for Better Topiary

No matter the types of tools you use, making sure you have well-maintained equipment is essential. Sharp and clean tools will ensure a nice clean cut and lower the risk of spreading diseases from plant to plant. Craig also says, that when your equipment is sharp, you get a much nicer finish as the tools will cut and slice rather than tear and rip.

When working a topiary, Craig says, it's best to take off the first 90% with the powered tool and leave the rest up to the shears. "I find I can finesse the shape better with hand shears." However, when it comes to box-shaped hedges, he doesn't tend to use shears, reserving them for topiary work because of the precision.

Some of the tools you'll need to get started, include:

• Secateurs or topiary shears
• A hedge trimmer
• Telescopic trimmer for tall and wide hedges
• A ladder
• PPE

How to maintain your tools like a pro

Craig likes to keep his tool maintenance simple yet effective by using a wire brush, foam cleaner and a little bit of elbow grease. "If there's a lot of sap build-up, spray on a foam cleaner and give the blades a scrub with the wire brush, and then hose it off." Then to dry them, "Blow all the water residue off with a blower and then use something like WD 40, which will sort out any of the water residue left over that the blower didn't get."

To help prevent any rust from forming on his shears and blades, Craig sprays WD40 on them before putting them away - When your hedger is off, it is best to leave the blades separated so as to prevent rust. He does this regardless of whether the hedge was wet or dry, ensuring they are clean and ready to perform their best with every use. However, if you prefer to avoid using WD40 in and around the garden, other oils such as canola oil and coconut oil are great alternatives as well, as being natural there is less chance of potentially affecting the plants.

Using Appropriate PPE

Craig highlights the importance of wearing appropriate PPE to protect yourself, with gloves, earmuffs, eye protection and work boots as must-have personal protective equipment. 

Gloves are an essential form of protection whether you're trimming hedges in your own back garden, or you're a professional gardener like Craig. Finding well fitting, comfortable gloves will help to protect you against any cuts, scratches or puncture wounds. Many shrubs and bushes can also release saps that are found to be irritating to the skin, so it is a good idea to cover up.

Hearing protection is toward the top of his list, which Craig has foregone in the past, saying - "Even though battery tools are a lot quieter, the constant hum of the motor can sometimes give me a bit of a headache. But it's not that bad. When I did that with the petrol gear, my head was ringing." As someone who enjoys listening to music while he works, he chooses Bluetooth Earmuffs, which allow him to stream music from his phone.

Eye protection is something anyone using cutting tools needs. "I've done trimming, and I had my safety glasses on. Then you hear this crack, and it's a big piece of wood or something in the hedge that goes straight to your face. It just happens that way. it never goes over your head, it always hits you right in the face..." The blades are moving at such a high pace that when something goes flying. It goes flying! Protecting your eyes is a must.

Safety Boots are something that Craig has personally benefited from - saving him from a trip to the emergency room. "I was getting fatigued... it was hot. It was at the end of the day, and I was getting lazy… Accidentally bumped the blade, and into the top of the boot it went. If I didn't have the steel toe cap, I might have gone into the foot."

The Best Times for a Trim

Craig shares a few tips that beginners and homeowners can follow when it comes to the best times to trim hedges and do topiary. One of the most important things to be aware of is the weather, not only on the day, but for the days after as well. High heat days can burn plants, causing them to lose excess moisture through the cuts. Frost can damage plants, sending them into shock. Too much rain and humidity can increase the risk of fungal infections.

"If you're a home gardener, then an overcast day is probably best. Once you make your cut, you're opening the leaf up and making it vulnerable."

But what about those days when you don't have the luxury of time? Is it still possible to trim and shape when it's overly hot or if frost is due? According to Craig, The answer is yes. And he shares a handy tip for you if you find yourself in his situation; "You can cover it with a sheet if it's going to be really hot. And even if there's a risk of frost the next night, just cover it with a sheet so you don't get that direct frost onto the plant."

Easy Shapes and Top Tips

Looking to start testing your skills? When starting out, it's best to keep things simple. Learning to master more basic shapes such as a rectangle hedge or a round ball will then give you the confidence and the technique needed to move on to the more challenging designs. A square hedge is a great starting place to get comfortable with the tools needed. Once you've mastered that, you'll be able to remove the corners and start working on spheres. When spheres feel like a breeze, you’ll have the skills in place to take your garden design to the next level.

The Perfect Rectangle Hedge

1. Begin by slightly tilting the hedge trimmer blades in the direction you’re trimming. This helps to maintain the desired shape of your hedge.
2. When creating a rectangular hedge, trim the sides first rather than the top.
3. Starting at the top side of the hedge, work your way down using a smooth sweeping motion. Then blend the bottom to match.
4. Repeat on both sides of your hedge.
5. Next, begin to trim the top surface of your hedge, keeping your angle level and even across the top.
6. To avoid uneven or rounded edges, be careful not to roll off the sides. Keep your arm steady and the cut level, and you’ll achieve beautiful 45-degree angles.
7. Finish up by nourishing your hedge with some good quality fertiliser and water it to allow the nutrients to soak in.

Pro Tips from Craig for the Perfect Edges:

1. When cutting the side of a hedge, start with the top few inches setting a marker of your desired depth. Doing this will give you a starting line that helps create a straighter cut.
2. Next, blend the bottom to suit the top cut you have already made.
3. Look at a 45 degree angle to where you are cutting. Looking straight down can cause you to cut in too hard at the base, while falling off at the top which causes an upside down pyramid look rather than a straight vertical wall.
4. Ensure you follow through and do not roll your trimmer off at the edges; this will help you maintain those nice corners and lines - keeping it all looking crisp!
5. If you only trim a few times a year, don’t go for the final cut straight away. Start around 80% of your desired trim on your first cut allowing a few more passes to finish where you want to be.

Topiary Balls

To shape the perfect Topiary Ball, start at the bottom and work your way clockwise & anticlockwise upwards until you reach the top.

1. To shape the perfect Topiary Ball, start at the bottom and work your way clockwise & anticlockwise upwards until you reach the top.
2. Try to avoid standing in the same place for too long, as you will increase the likelihood of unintentionally cutting a flat spot on the ball.
3. Step back to evaluate the shape of the Topiary at regular intervals, checking from various different angles to ensure you’re trimming in an even, circular shape.
4. Give the Topiary a gentle wobble to shake any excess foliage loose.
5. Finish off with a pair of shears to round off the top and sides of the Topiary and then cut around the bottom, so it tapers towards the base.
6. Fertilise and water generously and then trim regularly to keep the shape tight and tidy.

Pro Tip from Craig: A little trick with a topiary ball is to get a tennis ball or use any spherical object you have really. Hold it at arm's length, then walk backwards until the topiary ball meets the tennis ball. This will let you see how perfect your sphere is and where you will need to focus your efforts.

• If you are trimming more than one plant, be sure to clean your blades in between each. Not only will it help create cleaner cuts, but this will also help prevent the spread of disease.
• Give your hedges and shrubs a good quality feed at least once a year.
• Mulch around your plants and then water them generously to help the nutrients soak in. Reduce watering during winter.
• Aim to do your trimming and shaping on cloudy and overcast days to prevent shock, damage or dehydration. If you must trim on hot days, cover them with a sheet before and after.
• Lay down a ground sheet to minimise clean-up and give your topiary a gentle shake once done to dislodge any debris.

High-Quality Hedges With Husqvarna

Whether you're new to hedge trimming or looking to improve your skills, topiary is a fun and rewarding activity that anyone can enjoy. Experience a little bit of zen as you lose yourself in the hedgerows with nothing but the sound of your secateurs and the nearby birds. Trim, snip and sculpt works of art out of overgrown shrubs, adding a touch of character to your garden.

Take your topiary to the next level with durable, quality trimmers and accessories from Husqvarna. From battery power to petrol, in a variety of sizes, weights and power outputs, take back control of unruly hedges like a pro!

Click through to Craig Ratcliffe's Instagram account to check out his amazing work and latest projects.