Pacific topiary makes gardens fun

By Marj Moore 27 March 2017, 12:00AM

Are you tired of the uniformity of your garden hedges and trees?

Do you like to stand out from the crowd and set trends rather than follow them?

Are you looking to add some eye-catching pizzazz to your green environment?

Topiary may be the answer to bring the fun factor back to your garden. 

If so, call on the creative skills of artist Jerry Uelese, 7715751 and his team from Nuu, who will not only mow your lawns but will add your own signature, distinctive  look to your trees and hedges.

Animals? People? Everyday objects? Or perhaps an on-trend, Moana? 

No problem.

Jerry and his magic secateurs can do it all. 

While he is not big on talking about this talent he has and he prefers to let his work do the talking for him, the finished art work is hard to miss. Drive around and you will see samples of his work at Lotopa, Vailele, Lefaga and Vaivase.

The home of Reverend Siaosi of the Apia  Protestant church in Apia has an interesting  range of sculptures along the perimeter of his property.  

Topiary is the art or practice of clipping shrubs or trees into ornamental shapes. As an art form it is a type of living sculpture and while conventional topiary is done on plants that are evergreen, mostly woody and have small leaves or needles, Jerry is willing to have a go at most plants. 

While the art of topiary goes back many years and many examples can be found in Europ and Asia, American portable style topiary was introduced to Disneyland around 1962. 

Walt Disney helped bring this new medium into being - wishing to recreate his cartoon characters throughout his theme park in the form of landscape shrubbery.

This style of topiary is based on a suitably shaped steel wire frame through which the plants eventually extend as they grow.

The frame, which remains as a permanent trimming guide, may be either stuffed with sphagnum moss and then planted, or placed around shrubbery. The sculpture slowly transforms into a permanent topiary as the plants fill in the frame.

So instead of chopping down that weird-shaped shrub, call up Jerry and give it a new lease of life. 

By Marj Moore 27 March 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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