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A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

A Budget Friendly Moss Topiary

Thursday, May 11, 2017


Ivy and moss topiary shapes catch my attention. I love them, but they can be very expensive. Let me show you how I created a Spring bunny topiary for a fraction of the cost of buying one from Pottery Barn. This was so easy I know you can do it, too.  




low-cost-ivy-moss-bunny-topiary



🌿 Begin with a green moss bunny shape. Mine came from a local nursery, but if you cannot find a moss-covered shape, look for paper mâche shapes at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. With just a little glue and sheet moss you can transform one into a moss topiary by gluing sheet moss onto the paper mâche shape. By covering your own shape with moss, you will save even more money. 




steps-to-create-budget-friendly-ivy-moss-topiary

🌿 I bought a small 4-inch ivy bedding plant with long vines from the same local nursery. Small 4-inch pots are one of the biggest budget savers. Plants in larger pots cost significantly more than the starter size 4" pots. Look for an ivy plant that has several long tendrils. 

🌿 Transplant the 4-inch ivy plant into a 5"-6" plastic grower's pot that will fit inside a larger ceramic pot to display your ivy topiary. I used a plastic pot left over from when its plant was transplanted into the ground. 

🌿 Nestle the bunny topiary into the center of the 5"-6" pot that now has the ivy in it. Gently wrap the long ivy tendrils around the bunny. 

🌿 Wedge a natural-color wooden Easter egg into the topiary bunny's arms for a neutral look. Or use a speckled colored egg if you prefer. 

🌿 Place the original small EMPTY 4" plastic pot upside down in the bottom of the larger ceramic pot. You may need to use a different size small upside down pot that will elevate the 5"-6" pot with the bunny inside it so it comes to the top rim of the larger display ceramic pot. 

🌿 Add pieces of flat sheet moss at the base of the ivy in the 5"-6" pot (holding the ivy and bunny) in order to cover the dirt. 




easy-to-make-ivy-topiary-centerpiece

🌿 Place the 5"-6" pot holding the ivy, sheet moss, and bunny topiary into the larger display ceramic pot. 

🌿 Water when the top inch of soil in the potted ivy feels dry to the touch. 

🌿 As the ivy tendrils continue to grow, either wrap them around the topiary form or snip them to retain the shape desired. 



display-ivy-topiary-all-summer

In just a few minutes you can create a budget friendly moss topiary for an eye-catching centerpiece that looks great all summer. Check Hobby Lobby and Michaels to see what paper mâche shapes they have other than bunny shapes. 





Then be sure to share your creation with Monday Social that begins each Sunday at 4 p.m. CT. 

We would love to see what you design. You don't have to write a blog post. Just take a photo and upload it to Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. Then copy the URL of the photo in Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram to add to the Monday Social linky party. For more detailed directions click on Monday Social under my header photo. 



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