Boxwood animal figures - shape a topiary rabbit

A boxwood rabbit is guaranteed to be an eye-catcher in the garden or on the terrace - and this is how you cut it into shape!

Popular boxwood animal figures

Horses, snails and bears - artful boxwood animals are popular and guaranteed to stand out in your garden.

Snail-shaped boxwood
Creating a boxwood snail requires a lot of skill

Pruning boxwood to depict animal figures as topiary is a project for advanced gardeners, however, as it takes a lot of time and requires some skill. Safe, confident handling of gardening equipment and tools is essential.

Preparation: Cutting a boxwood rabbit

Before you start creating a boxwood bunny topiary, have all the necessary materials and tools as well as the appropriate protective equipment ready. For example, safety glasses are required when working with ASA products. We also recommend that you wear protective gloves.

Material and tools for creating a boxwood rabbit are ready on the lawn
Everything you need should be prepared before pruning

Prepare your workplace to make your work easier: Spread out a blanket or tarpaulin on the table where you want to carry out the topiary. This means you can quickly collect the cuttings after the work is done and take them away. Now you can place your unpruned box on the base and start pruning.

Boxwood rabbit figure in 6 steps

Once you have your safety glasses ready and your workstation prepared, you can start on your rabbit figure. We'll show you how in 6 simple steps.

Use wire template as shaper

Neatly trimmed boxwood animals make a beautiful garden decoration. Pruning is particularly quick and easy with a ready-made boxwood template for animals, which you can buy in garden centres or online. This usually consists of a wire frame made of sturdy steel, which can also be encased in plastic.

The wire template is placed over a boxwood plant, which increasingly fills the wire frame as it grows. Regularly cut off protruding shoots to keep your rabbit in shape.

A woman watering a boxwood cut into the shape of a rabbit with a watering can

The boxwood must be watered thoroughly at the root

Care tips for boxwood animal figures

You should fertilise your boxwoodas soon as three days after shaping so that it is strong and resistant to pest infestation. Regular watering is also essential and part of the care. This applies in particular to boxwoods in pots that cannot get water from the ground. The pot should have a drain hole to prevent water from accumulating.

Incidentally,

By the way: Remember to never water the boxwood from above over the leaves, but only at the root - this will prevent fungal infestation. 

TOPIARY RABBIT: Important questions and answers

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