Looking for information on a topiary exhibited at the Philadelphia Flower Show in the 1990s
I am trying to remember the details about an amazing topiary that a man exhibited at the Flower Show for many years, in the 1990s, and my guess is that a story about it appeared in The Green Scene. Can you suggest where I might find information about it?
Answer
While our entire run of Green Scene is available online, it's easier to search if we have the grower's name. I consulted with Shows team database administrator Elsa Effran, known for her Miss Marple-like skills in tracking down Horticourt winners. Sure enough, Elsa remembered the exhibitor, Gerald Robbins, and the topiary, known as "Myrtle" ( Myrtus communis 'Microphylla') which he started growing in the late 1980s and exhibited throughout the 1990s, garnering many prestigious awards. By the end of the decade, this creation was a 7-foot 3-tiered hedge topped by a globe, all consisting of just one plant. Read the Green Scene article about this amazing topiary in the January 1999 issue of Green Scene.