2010 Topiary Weekend at The Garden Museum
In conjunction with the Garden Museum to coincide with the end of the exhibition celebrating Christopher Lloyd and Great Dixter EBTS UK staged a Topiary Weekend at the Museum on Saturday and Sunday 11th/12th September 2010.
At the centre of the weekend were displays of topiary by Jenny Alban Davies from River Garden Nursery and James Crebbin-Bailey of Topiary Arts, as well as books on topiary by Zoe Meyer, topiary equipment and publications by EBTS.
A programme of demonstrations and lectures took place each day. On Saturday David Joyce, garden historian and writer and Charlotte Molesworth, garden designer and topiarist, presented their illustrated ‘conversation’ on the history, styles and techniques of topiary, previously given at the V and A. This proved an interesting, entertaining and popular item with many questions from the audience.
Jenny Alban Davies staged a practical demonstration on how to cut basic shapes, a spiral and birds. After lunch Andrew Tolman, senior gardener at Highgrove, gave an illustrated talk on the topiary at HRH Prince Charles’ garden, showing the techniques and equipment used to produce spectacular and immaculate results.
On Sunday David and Charlotte repeated their conversation, James Crebbin-Bailey gave an illustrated talk on his work as a practical topiarist, followed by a practical demonstration; Zoe Meyer garden writer and publisher, gave us a talk on her personal interest in topiary and the creation of a parterre in her own garden, and in the enforced absence of Jake Hobson through injury, Andrew Tolman, to the delight of the audience, repeated his talk of the previous day.
In between members of EBTS talked to and gave advice to the more than 200 visitors to the weekend.
