Allen Smith: Vines can offer a unique and whimsical look like few other plants. And what’s interesting to me is that you can take a common everyday plant like English Ivy and transform it into some fantastic shapes for our homes and garden that’s exactly what they do here at Schubert’s nursery in Salinas, California. Just walk into the process in creating topiary.

Mike: Well we propagate all our own cuttings to get it in on plants and so from that point which takes between six weeks and two months then moved into another green house where it is spaced and it’s allowed to grow and once it has reached the proper size we’ll train it into a wire frame whatever one that is and generally speaking the ivy then needs to get fixed two to three more times before the plant is ready to sell.

Allen Smith: Well Mike I’m sure that this topiary is very popular at Christmas.

Mike: Yes it is our busiest time of the year and I would like to say that it was a complete mad house around here but we’re so well organized that we managed to keep everything under control.

Allen Smith: Well not everyone can say about Christmas I will tell you, these are wonderful.

Mike: Yes, this are very popular item, it’s a new one for us and it did very well last Christmas and it does well during the rest of the year because it can be use for many.

Allen Smith: Sure.

Mike: Many locations.

Allen Smith: But it has that classic Christmas tree shade.

Mike: Right.

Allen Smith: I like this tree shape topiary so much I brought some home to decorate for the holidays. The best thing about these living topiaries is that they can last from season to season. From the garden, I’m Allen Smith.

Now I’d you’d like more information on this topic or other information just check out my website P.AllenSmith.com.