Sold in a five inch pot, this fresh topiary plant can fit easily onto an office desk or a night table. Its convenient size makes it perfect for someone who is just beginning their hobby of caring for live topiary plants. With an easy to care for style and a beautiful design, this topiary plant is a perfect selection for beginners. The ivy topiary swirl offers an excellent beginning style, and it can be modified to suit most shapes. 

To care for this plant, owners should make sure that it is placed within a fairly warm area. The topiary does not tolerate temperature extremes, so it should not be kept outside during the freezing months of winter. It works best with plenty of indirect light, so it fits well into the corner of a porch, greenhouse or room. For the live topiary plants to look their best, they should only be watered after the soil has already had a chance to dry. Generally, gardeners should wait until the top inch of the soil has dried before they try watering it again. 

The Beginning of the Topiary:

Amazingly, fresh topiary plants have a history that stretches back to the Romans. In Pliny's Natural History, the topiary plant was first mentioned. At the time, it was popularly included in many of the wealthiest homes of ancient Romans. Each topiary was delicately shaped into immaculate figures of animals, Romans, shapes and inscriptions. On the interior of the Roman home, topiary plants were used to create breath-taking indoor gardens. After a day at the Colosseum, the Roman senators may have spent some time unwinding amid the fragrant foliage. 

The European Revival:

Once topiary plants declined in popularity, they almost disappeared from Western civilization until the 16th century. During this time, the elite of Europe started to train live topiary plants in their gardens, homes and parterres. The trend caught on, and even simple cottage dwellers began to grow the plants. In Versailles, basic hedges were created of topiaries that provided shade for the homeowner. 

After experiencing this revival, topiaries fell out of favor until the 1700s. As the Jacobean architectural styles flourished, the English elite quickly warmed to the idea of training a topiary plant. With topiary trees, wealthy Englishmen could create an outdoor room of hedges for garden parties or evening rambles around the grounds. 

In recent years, modern topiary creations have been featured at various locations like castles, Disneyland and the Olympics. Other than the more famous topiary examples, average households have started to enjoy the thrilling beauty of the topiary plant. With its storied history and timeless elegance, the modern topiary tree remains a favorite addition to many homes. 

Care Instructions: Let soil approach dryness between watering. Do not let roots sit in water.. Exposure: Bright, indirect light., Indoor Temp: 40 - 80?F, Weight: 1.25 lb, Pot Size: 5 inches, Height:1.25 lb