Where you put an artificial topiary decides how long it lasts. Two identical pieces bought on the same day can look completely different four years later. Sunlight ages the foliage, wind decides whether it stays upright, and reflected heat off a wall or a paved surface does more damage than most people credit.
A sheltered entrance, the easiest outdoor position there is.
Read the sun first
Hours of direct sun is the number that matters. It is not the same as which way the garden faces, so work out roughly how long the sun falls on the exact spot rather than on the property.
Under four hours: a forgiving position. A mid-grade piece will hold up for years, and this is where it makes sense to economise.
Four to eight hours: the normal case, and where the UV specification earns its money.
Eight hours plus, unshaded: the hard case. Southern and south-western exposures, open terraces, roof gardens. Buy the best UV rating available and expect it to be the limiting factor.
The UV guide explains what UV-rated means, and how protection through the material differs from a surface coating.
Reflected heat ages a piece faster than open ground
A piece against a light-coloured wall, or standing on pale paving, gets the direct sun and a second dose reflected back at it. The same applies beside glass.
A topiary in a bright courtyard can age faster than one in an open field with the same nominal sun hours. So if the position bounces light, treat it as a harsher exposure than the compass suggests.
$98. A 10 in outdoor ball.
Quoted. Polyblend cypress, 6 to 12 ft.
Quoted. Twelve feet, quoted with freight.
Wind fails a topiary in two ways
A dense head on a stem is a lever. Either the piece goes over, or the stem breaks at the pot line.
Corners of buildings, gaps between structures and the tops of steps catch people out, because wind accelerates through them. A piece that is fine in the middle of a terrace can go over repeatedly six feet away at the corner.
Weight the container with sand or gravel rather than shipping filler. Pot it properly rather than leaving the nursery pot inside a decorative one. Secure anything tall or anything on a pillar. Potting one properly covers the method.
Cold is rarely the problem
The materials are stable through normal winter temperatures, so the pieces do not need bringing in.
Water sitting in a container can freeze and split the pot. Make sure there is drainage even though nothing is growing.
Snow load on a dense flat-topped piece can distort it. Knock the worst off rather than leaving a hedge panel or a wide ball carrying weight for a week.
Buy the top UV grade only for the exposed spots
Buy the best UV rating for the exposed positions and a lower grade for the sheltered ones. A piece under a porch roof and a piece on an open south terrace are not having the same experience, so paying top rate for the porch is waste.
Buy for the position rather than the room. A shaded north-facing entrance is an easy position even in a hot climate, and an unshaded balcony is a hard one even in a mild one.
The outdoor range we carry sits on the outdoor category. Read how to tell good from bad to judge quality, and why Polyblend for outdoor topiary for details of the material.
Questions we get asked
How long does artificial topiary last outdoors?
Hours of direct sun decide it, more than anything else. The same piece can hold for years in a shaded position and look tired in a season on an unshaded southern terrace.
Does reflected light matter?
Yes, and it is usually ignored. A piece against a pale wall or on light paving takes the direct sun plus a second dose bounced back, so treat that position as harsher than the compass suggests.
Do I need to bring them in for winter?
No. Cold is rarely the problem. Make sure the container drains so trapped water cannot freeze and split it, and knock heavy snow off wide flat-topped pieces rather than leaving them loaded.
Where does wind cause trouble?
Building corners, gaps between structures and the tops of steps, where wind accelerates. A piece that is stable in the middle of a terrace can go over repeatedly a few feet away.
Should I buy the top UV grade everywhere?
No. Buy the best rating for the exposed positions and a lower grade for sheltered ones, because sunlight is what ages the foliage. Paying top rate for a sheltered spot is money wasted.
