In parks and gardens, topiary art is finding its form (and colors) again

Cones, balls, pyramids, and other geometric—and sometimes animal—shapes tower over rows of boxwood or yew trees. At the foot of the many châteaux in France, such as Bournazel (Aveyron) or Villandry (Indre-et-Loire), topiary art punctuates the landscaped appearance of the so-called French-style parterres. And for good reason: this landscaping tradition, which dates back to Antiquity and was also expressed in Asia (China and Japan), reached its peak in the 17th century, where it became the emblem of French classicism, in the avenues designed by André Le Nôtre at Vaux-le-Vicomte (Seine-et-Marne), then at Versailles (Yvelines).

Since then, the model, initially challenged by the English "natural" style of the following century and the turmoil of history, has taken a hit in the branches. Not to mention the introduction in our regions in the early 2000s of the box tree moth, an invasive Asian insect whose caterpillars love and devour the leaves of the shrub –,