Agree. Looks very plastic-y

If it's a trend, it is a very long lived one!! There is an entire neighborhood nearby that features this pitifully manipulated shrubbery. And has as long as I can remember - at least 50 years. I do believe it is a requirement stipulated by their HOA.......or they all share the same gardener :-)

And one sees similar examples with all the 'curb appeal' requests on the Landscape Design forum. Apparently some homeowners seem to think this is a requirement with any shrubs.

I object to such objet d’art...but I suppose it is a matter of “eye of the beholder”.

tj

Well, topiary has been around since probably the first Century AD.

Yeah I think this disconnection from reality is very pervasive - although it's only an indirect connection between a pork tenderloin and a lamb right? Now, a mutton tenderloin, on the other hand!

The grand topiary gardens of Europe and Asia (Niwaki) are impressive but not at all what I find interesting about horticulture. These very pale imitations are not impressive, and definitely not what is interesting about horticulture! That being said, funny this has come up though because just a few days ago I decided it would be fun to trim a yew seedling in my garden into a a densely clipped cylinder shape. A bow to formalism in an otherwise informal garden. An exception to prove the rule...perhaps. (used in the clearly absurd sense) It happens to be shading an uncommon Arum, that I'd rather not try to move and make unhappy, but I don't want the appearance of a seedling yew that looks like an accident, so trimming it seems like a logical solution.

krnuttle wrote: ...so many people are living in the virtual world of their computers.

I can certainly agree with that, and covid makes things even worse. Luckily I don't have an HOA to deal with. I see landscape maintenance crews on a daily basis, where do these people get their training?

🙈

With that type of gardening, everything could just as well be made of plastic.

Less labor, same look.

👎

Galley of Pruning Gone Bad near bottom of page.

Home - PlantAmnesty

no connection between the pork tenderloin in their sandwich and the cute little lamb they saw

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what??? .... lol ... but i get your drift ... is this a mixed meat-aphor??? .. whats next.. a pork gyros???

i wonder if the pungens was damaged ... thats called giving them the benefit of doubt.. lol ..

otherwise.. the bed is severely overplanted ... there was no comprehension that the small babes planted... would grow up ... so i suspect some amount of whats going on.. is shearing them to make them fit the space ...

i bet the bed was planted.. not long after the house was built .. but who knows ...

ken

Maybe it's just a release of pent-up pressure by chopping away at something living and getting away w/it.

I don't think there is a connection between a lamb and pork tenderloin. LOL!

But I do appreciate the Japanese art of Niwaki. It's more natural, but on a smaller scale.

Why do I have this strange feeling that the center point of this picture has little to do with aesthetics? I'm wondering if the homeowner cut away the center of that evergreen just because it was blocking their side window view of something and they didn't want to hassle with taking the whole tree down. Least amount of work to solve the perceived problem maybe....?

I just think “ poor tree “.