Topiary has been used in gardens for centuries, and is enjoying a revival all over the world. From a modest pair of clipped standards in containers outside the front door of a town house to the dramatic parterres of the great French chateaux, this fabulous book explores all forms of plant training, clipping, and shaping. A few well-chosen pieces of topiary can transform the nature and ambience of your outdoor space. Jenny Hendy explores how topiary can be incorporated successfully into a wealth of different garden styles, whether this be traditional, formal, informal, country-house, Japanese, courtyard, or contemporary. She examines just how versatile topiary can be in garden design, whether it simply outlines a boundary or emphasizes an architectural feature. The intriguing world of sculptural topiary is also explored, from traditional clipped creatures and figurative forms to contemporary plant shaping, such as land art, turf sculpting, and organic forms. An extensive plant directory lists the best topiary plants as well as the different kinds of training to which they are suited. With its spectacular photography and authoritative text, A Practical Guide to Topiary is a celebration of the growing popularity of this living art form, as well as a guide for both experienced and new topiarists.