Custom topiary is a sculpture built to order from your brief: an animal, a letter, a logo or any shape you can show us in a photo or a sketch. You send a reference and a height, approve a drawing, pay a deposit, and the finished piece arrives by freight ready to display. Pieces in our custom made topiary range run from about 2 feet to 40 feet.
This page covers what can be made, which covering suits which spot, what a custom piece costs and how the order runs from your side. For the full step by step, read how a topiary commission works.
What custom topiary can be
Almost any shape that stands on its own can be built. Most requests are animals: a family dog, a school mascot, a bear for a lodge, a dinosaur for a park. Others are letters and hearts for weddings, logos for a lobby, and objects such as a bottle, a shoe or a rocket.
The custom range shows what has already been built. It includes a rearing tiger with three cubs at 9 feet, an owl in mixed foliage colors at 11 feet, giraffes at 14 feet and a 40 foot peacock. Treat it as a starting point. If your idea is close to a piece in the range, say so, because it saves time at the drawing stage.
Letters, monograms and logos
Monogram letters are the most popular custom piece for weddings and events. Each one is a capital letter bent from steel rod, sold bare for a florist to dress or packed with sphagnum moss. It sits on a pole that adjusts from 72 to 90 inches, on a steel base with casters, and the letter lifts off so one stand can carry a different initial next time. Every letter from A to Z is in the monogram letter range, in five lettering styles.
A company logo works the same way, as long as it has a clear outline. Very thin lines and small lettering do not read in moss or foliage, so the drawing may simplify them. You see that change on the drawing before you approve it.
Choosing the covering
The covering is chosen for where the piece will stand. It decides the upkeep, how the piece looks up close and how long it lasts outdoors.
| Covering | Best for | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| Sphagnum moss | Gardens, weddings, close viewing | Water when dry; plant into it or refresh the moss |
| Artificial boxwood | Formal settings, lobbies, sunny sites with a UV-rated grade | Rinse off dust |
| Artificial turf | Parks, attractions, public sites | Rinse now and then |
| Preserved foliage | Indoors, away from sun and damp | Dust now and then |
Moss looks the most natural at arm’s length, but it needs watering. Artificial foliage and turf need almost nothing. If you are not sure, tell us where the piece will stand and our team will suggest a covering. Turf, moss or boxwood compares the three in more detail.
Sizes, and what changes as a piece gets bigger
Height drives most of the practical questions, so give us one early. Tell us the width the piece can take up as well, because a walking animal needs far more floor than a sitting one of the same height.
- Under about 3 feet: a garden or tabletop piece. It stands on its own and travels easily.
- 3 to 9 feet: where most custom pieces land. It needs a level base and a delivery plan, and outdoors it usually needs anchoring.
- Above 9 feet: a project. Expect a route check to the site, a footing and a lift on the day.
Custom steel topiary frames
You can also order the frame on its own and plant it yourself. Our custom frames are bent and welded from steel rod, galvanized as standard, with powder coating in a color of your choice as an option. People buy them to train ivy, creeping fig or boxwood over the shape, or to pack with moss at home.
Hedge frames can be made to any size. For stock shapes, start with the wire frame animals, and read what to look for in a wire topiary frame before you buy one.
How ordering a custom piece works
The order has five steps, and you make the decisions at the first two.
- The brief. Send a photo or a sketch, the height, where the piece will stand and any deadline. The reference does not need to be good. It needs to show the pose and the character you want.
- The drawing. Your brief becomes a drawing with the main dimensions. You check the height, the width and the pose and ask for changes. Changes cost nothing at this stage.
- The deposit. Once you approve the drawing and the quote, a deposit starts the build.
- The build. Your piece is built to the approved drawing and finished in the covering you chose.
- Delivery. The piece travels by freight, and the quote includes delivery. Large pieces anchor to a footing on site. Read what freight delivery involves before the day.
Our team replies within hours, usually the same day. Use the quote form on any custom product page or the contact page.
What custom topiary costs and how long it takes
Every custom piece is quoted, because two animals of the same height can differ a lot in price. Surface area, the pose, thin parts such as tails, horns and wings, and the covering all move the number. Send a height and a reference and you get one price back with the delivery included. What topiary costs shows where custom work sits against ready-made pieces.
Custom pieces take weeks, not days, and the wait depends on how many orders are ahead of yours. Ask for a current lead time before you promise a date. For a Christmas display, start the conversation in late summer.
Where custom pieces end up
Hotels, parks, shops, trade shows, weddings and private gardens. A business usually wants a piece people stop to photograph. A homeowner usually wants a pet, an initial or a favorite animal. See the portfolio, and the pages for hotels and resorts, events and cities and public art.
A tired piece you already own may not need replacing. The steel frame usually outlasts its covering, so re-covering is often cheaper. The refurbishment service shows how that is quoted.
Quick answers
Can you make a topiary of my dog?
Yes. Send a few clear photos from the side and the front and the height you want. The breed shows in the proportions, the ears and the tail, and those are settled on the drawing you approve.
What is the smallest and the largest custom topiary?
The custom range runs from about 2 feet to 40 feet. Small pieces stand on their own. Anything above about 9 feet needs a footing and a lift on the day.
Do you sell custom steel frames without moss?
Yes. Frames are welded from steel rod and galvanized, with powder coating as an option. You can plant them, train a vine over them or pack them with moss yourself.
How much does a custom topiary cost?
Each piece is quoted with delivery included. The price depends on the size, the pose and the covering, so send a reference and a height for a single figure.
