Generally I would cut my box around the start of June. In England the trimming of box hedging and other topiary coincide with Derby Day weekend. This is the best time of year as generally the weather is warm and the plants have put on sufficient growth to be pruned back.
Buxus sempervirens or Box hedging has been a favorite of gardeners throughout the ages as it is used to create formal parterres, to divide herb gardens, to line the sides of foot paths and is even used to make living lettering. Box is a popular option for topiary because of its small and closely knitted foliage which is perfect for forming with a topiary shears.
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- Box Balls
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- Topiary shears
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- Elephant Topiary
Other plants which respond well to the topiary shears and are suitable for making into random shapes include Privet or Ligustrum ovafolium also the Yew or Taxus bacatta. Both plants have a fine leaf and a dense canopy making them suitable for shaping and training as topiary plants
If you have recently planted a box hedge then you should begin pruning it in the first year to encourage a more dense canopy and a more formed shape. Using Topiary shears will allow you to create the most ideal and neatest shape to your plants as the topiary shears come with smaller handles and blades than a hedging shears. This allows for more precise cutting.
If you want to create your own topiary shrub I would recommend starting with a lollipop or standard as these are the easiest shapes to start with. If you wish to create something more elaborate such as an elephant or a space ship then you will need to be patient and use your topiary shears regularly over many years to achieve the desired shape. Firstly you will need to buy the plant young and set it inside a wire frame that has been made into the shape of the item you wish to construe.
Next you can train any branches to grow inward into the wire frame to make the topiary shape more dense. As the topiary plant begins to grow you can trim it back using your topiary shears, this should be done around the start of June. Each year you will continue to trim back your topiary until it has filled the wire frame.