About Seaside Topiary

In Wilmington, North Carolina, a small design studio is quietly transforming commercial landscapes into something far more theatrical than the usual shrubs and hedges. The company, Seaside Topiary, is creating towering animal sculptures made entirely from artificial boxwood greenery and steel frameworks—pieces that resemble public art as much as landscaping.

Along marinas, hotel entrances, and retail developments near the coast, passersby may now encounter an eight-foot elephant fashioned from dense green foliage, a curling seahorse sculpture rising from ornamental grasses, or even a dramatic kraken-like octopus emerging from waves of greenery. These installations are not living plants, but carefully engineered structures designed to deliver the aesthetic of topiary with minimal maintenance.

“Commercial properties want landscaping that stands out,” says the founder of Seaside Topiary. “Traditional landscaping fades into the background. Sculptural greenery becomes a landmark.”

The company specializes in building large-scale topiary sculptures using steel and rebar armatures wrapped in artificial boxwood greenery. The approach allows the structures to maintain their shape year-round while withstanding coastal weather conditions common along the North Carolina shoreline.

The result is landscaping that behaves more like architecture. Some sculptures exceed ten feet in height and are engineered to be visible from long distances, turning entrances and plazas into recognizable visual destinations.

Developers and hospitality groups are increasingly turning to sculptural landscaping as a branding element for properties, particularly in tourism-driven markets like coastal North Carolina.

Seaside Topiary’s work blends traditional garden artistry with modern materials and fabrication methods, creating sculptures that function both as decorative landscaping and as public art pieces.