Training Plants into Standards

I mentioned last week that I like the tidiness of yew clipped yew shrubs, even if they’re shaped like meatballs or cupcakes. I saw some lantana plants trained into standards recently and I have to admit, I am envious of people who can make their plants behave that well. The tops of these “trees” were a bit natural, but the stems were being coaxed into woody trunks. I was thinking that might be a fun project to get started on this winter, while I’m indoors.

I have a bay tree that’s more of a shrub at this point and an upright rosemary that for some reason wants to be a weeper. So I thought I’d try looking for something interesting with a relatively straight stem that I could get started on this winter. Amy Jeanroy, About’s Guide to Herb Gardens, has some simple steps for creating an herb standard. I figure, what have I got to lose? If all goes well, I might even try bonsai again.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.