The ancient Egyptians are often credited with being the first people to master the skills of topiary, and paintings and frescoes have been found which clearly depict the use of clipped trees in formal garden settings long before the Romans spread the art more widely. Undoubtedly, the sybolism of the four-sided pyramid would have ensured that this shape of topiary would have been strongly represented along the banks of the Nile many thousands of years ago, and it remains popular to this day.

The gardener is helped in his desire to achieve the pyramid shape by the very way in which a tree - especially a conifer - grows in the wild. From the conical shape it is a logical step to flatten off the sides, and four faces achieves this divergence from the norm more effectively than three. As with the cube, fresh new shoots throughout the growing period will demand regular clipping if the sharply-defined edges are to be maintained, but the rewards will be evident for all to see.

Plant Species

Working with nature makes the task easier, so choosing a plant species that tends towards a conical shape will ensure that the pyramid is most effectively filled - and more readily maintained. Yew is our preferred species.