Topiary Garden

TRANSCRIPT
Topiary Garden

NARRATOR:
Not many gardens take six months to cut. But this garden at Levens Hall in Cumbria is not like most gardens. It is the oldest topiary garden in the world. Topiary means cutting trees or bushes into special shapes. This garden was first made in 1694. That’s more than 300 years ago!
In the 1690s, topiary was very popular. Later, people’s tastes changed, and many topiary gardens disappeared. But here at Levens Hall, the tradition stayed. Today, there are more than 100 sculptures made from plants. They are all different shapes and sizes.

VOX POP 1:
“It really looks like a top hat.”

VOX POP 2:
“I would just love to have a garden like this. As long as I had somebody to keep it for me.”

NARRATOR:
It’s not easy to take care of this garden.

UPSOUND:
“Pam, how about those chess pieces? They're in need of a trim.”

NARRATOR:
The gardeners will be working for the next six months.

UPSOUND:
“Let's go to it. Thanks very much.”

NARRATOR:
It takes skill and a lot of care. They will work from the bottom to the top, keeping every shape looking perfect year after year.