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I've had another thought about small trees. For a more formal look you should consider the classic topiary trees - a short list would include yews, box, beech, limes and holm oaks. All of them are terribly amenable and happy to be chopped and pruned

Topiary in the garden needn't be expensive. You can easily grow and train your own plant sculpture from scratch. The process takes a few years, but you'll have all the satisfaction of seeing your creation take shape, at a fraction of the price

or single-handed shears to cut young topiary or intricate forms. Cut back the young current season's shoots when they have reached 8-10cm long. Cut back to 2 leaves from the base. Avoid cutting into the previous year's older growth.For box hedges and edgings

two years for your ball shape to fully develop.Find out how to create more topiary shapes, in Alan Titchmarsh's feature in the November 2011 issue of Gardeners' World Magazine, on sale now. Alan explains how to make a range of shapes, including cones

Fit automatic openers to greenhouse ventsPlant tomatoes in growing bags or large potsBring pots of strawberries into the greenhouseGreenhouse20 minutes for each plantLearn how to style your topiary

topiaryPlanting up a Christmas pot of boxBrowse a variety of evergreen shrubsView plants for autumn colour

Plant gladioli in groups to depth of 10-15cm, planting onto gravel if you have heavy soilComplete outside sowings of hardy annual flowers Lightly clip box edging and topiary to neaten them upSpray new leaves on disease-prone roses with fungicide

Plant out dahlias into well-prepared soil that's been enriched with manureCut down pulmonarias to just above soil level after flowering to encourage new foliageClip box hedging and topiary to keep it neatRegularly tie tall stems of delphiniums

colourant solution if you want blue flowersUse a circuit breaker (RCD) when using electric toolsScoop floating weed from ponds with a netTrim hedges and topiaryTop up bird baths regularly

Treat lawn weedsRemove suckers growing around or on stems of roses, trees and shrubsTrim box topiary and hedging