Britain's top amateur topiarist has revealed his five tips on how to look after your hedges this autumn.

Dr Paul Everden, 66, had no garden at all when he first moved into his 17th century farmhouse but has now turned it into a topiary haven.

The Grade-II listed Old Manor Farmhouse, near Swanton Hill in Norfolk, is home to a stunning topiary display of geometric shapes cut with precision.

Topiary is the practice of training evergreen plants by clipping them into shapes with Dr Everden describing his as 'cloud-like'.

The best time to start a topiary is in the spring after the first frost but autumn-time can also allow the plant to settle before pruning begins.

Dr Everden, who lives with his wife Sian, was crowned winner of the Home Gardener Category UK at the Henchman Topiary Awards earlier this year.

Dr Everden said: "When I first started topiary, I didn't know what I was doing."

"Both myself and my wife Sian had no gardening experience before and as a result, we learnt as we went along."

"It requires stringing very accurate lines for the patterns and the appeal was that accuracy of planting and cutting."

"When you look down at it from above, you see a clear geometric pattern on the ground."

"It is a garden that survives all four seasons - autumn, winter, spring and summer."

Dr Everden, whose garden is also home to a wild flower meadow and potager, has been growing topiary for more than 30 years.

Every two years he precisely measures the accuracy and the hedges are cut back twice a year.

It takes Dr Everden around 10 full days to cut everything down to size for the summer.

Dr Everden said: "We moved into the property which was being renovated and the garden didn't have very much in it at all."

"We had a clean sheet to work with."

"We had three under three and quite an active little family."

"The garden is playful in design because it was a wonderful exploring garden for the children."

"They'd see those imaginary openings through the hedges."

"As they've grown up, they've been living, playing and working in the garden."

Dr Everden also hosts visitors to the garden for the National Garden Scheme, raising money for medical charities.

Earlier this year, he was crowned the winner of the Home Gardener Category UK at the Henchman Topiary Awards.

Dr Everden said: "We went down to RHS Chelsea and I saw these wonderful ladders by a company called Henchman."

"Some of the cutting I do is quite high and I had a pair of rickety steps."

"The man asked me what I would want the steps for and I showed him a couple of photos."

"He suggested I enter the competition because I'd win a ladder."

"So I entered and I won. It was lovely on all fronts."

"I got my ladder and at a time when the profile of topiary needs to be raised." "

Dr Everden's Five Top Tips on Topiary

1. Whatever plant you're growing in your garden, if it's happy and healthy, you'll probably be successful in the growth of that plant.

2. Patience. Box notoriously grows very slowly so plant it and forget about it. Little tiny plants will make much bigger root systems than the bigger plants.

3. In terms of cutting, you do need to have a very sharp tool, whether it is electric or hand. Make sure the blades are properly sharpened.

4. Keep your blades clean. Hygiene is vital as fungi can cling. I do a metre or a metre and a half of cutting, then, I clean them.

5. If you've got a big electric power cutter, look where you don't want to cut. Otherwise the blade will go through a very important bit of structure.