SERIES 31 | Episode 37
Tino visits the ‘Town of Topiary’ in the north west of Tasmania to find out how a passionate community has turned their town into a growing sensation!
Railton is 81 kilometres west of Launceston and is home to almost 1000 residents. One resident is Neil Hurley, who runs a shop dedicated to thousands of collectable tins. An ideas man, he thought the town needed something more to draw people in. And what began as a one-plant gimmick to lure passers-by to the small town, has now progressed to a town-wide obsession, with 170 different topiaries! From sharks and octopus to trains, cars and people, it’s become regular practice for locals to have a topiary of any shape or size of their front lawn.
Neil might be the visionary here, but it has been a team effort to make the project come to life. Neil’s wife Erin along with neighbours Rodney and Wendy McCarthy are core members of the local topiary team. Together they propagate plants, build frames, and maintain with regular pruning.
The topiaries are made from a metal frame, shaped to the object or animal, and the plant of choice – in this case it’s Box Honeysuckle (Lonicera ligustrina var. yunnanensis). Once the plant is established, it’s just a matter of training the branchers through the frame. It’s a quick growing plant with small leaves that make a great hedge when trimmed regularly.
It’s not often that you see a whole community working on a town-wide gardening project. It’s a beautiful thing to witness, and well worth the trip!
Featured Plant | |
|---|---|
| BOX HONEYSUCKLE | Lonicera ligustrina var. yunnanensis |
Pirinilaplu Country | Railton, TAS