Training small-leafed climber plants

Ivy, jasmine, creeping fig and other small-leafed climbers can be trained as container topiaries, which can be kept outdoors from spring through fall and brought indoors in the winter. Read on for tips for growing these delightful container plants.

You can use either of two methods: a freestanding wire frame, such as one shaped like a wreath or heart; or a moss-filled frame to create a topiary in a geometric or animal shape.

Choose a freestanding frame twice as tall as the plant's pot.

• Insert its base firmly in the soil around the plant.
• Wind one plant stem around one wire of the frame, then repeat with the remaining stems. If a stem is stiff, tie it in place with soft green twine until it conforms.
• Pinch or snip any stems that grow out of place.

Fill a wire form with a mix of soil and sphagnum moss and mist with water to moisten.

• Plant ivy or creeping fig around the base of the form. The stems will climb up the wire and root in the stuffing.
• Peg stems into the mix with florists' pins or bobby pins and keep the soil and form moist.

The easiest way to train young trees to grow upright — or to help a plant develop a long, lean trunk so you can train it to grow as a standard — is to attach it to a single sturdy stake.

• Good materials to use as ties include old stockings or pantyhose, which are nice and stretchy, and adjustable plastic ties with buckles.
• Old inner tubes cut into strips and secured with twine or wire also make good tie material.

To espalier means to train a plant, using ties and selective pruning, to grow flat against a wall or fence. Espaliering creates good air circulation and sun penetration, which can lead to lots of blossoms and sweet fruit on sun-loving plants.

• Deciduous trees and shrubs that perform well when espaliered include dogwood, forsythia, laburnum, mock orange, cherry, redbud, rose and viburnum.
• Good evergreens for espalier include camellia, holly, lilac, pyracantha, dwarf southern magnolia, winter jasmine and yew.
• Fruits for espalier are apple, blackberry, fig, grape and lemon.
• Vines to try as espalier include bougainvillea, clematis and wisteria.

Whether you're training a plant to grow up a stake or a wall, these tips can help you add height and an element of design to your garden.