Michael P. Gibson

Contemporary Topiary Artist, Educator, and Creator of the Gibson Method

Advancing contemporary topiary as living sculpture and therapeutic practice.

Bio

Michael P. Gibson is a topiary artist, educator, and creator of the Gibson Method, a sculptural approach to shaping living plants that blends geometry, symbolism, and storytelling to transform trees and shrubs into living sculpture. With more than 30 years of experience with topiary, Gibson has created over 700 living sculptures across the United States since 2014, when he began formally documenting his work. Through this body of work, he has helped to expand topiary beyond ornamental gardening into a contemporary form of artistic expression and therapeutic practice.

Since 2021, Gibson has delivered more than 70 lectures, demonstrations, and workshops in over 20 states, presenting the Gibson Method at botanical gardens, museums, universities, and cultural institutions across the United States.

He has been featured on HGTV’s Clipped alongside Martha Stewart, served as Artist-in-Residence at the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, and received national recognition including the APGA Garden Scholar Award and the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Sowing Excellence Award.

Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, and now based in Columbia, South Carolina, Gibson continues to advance contemporary topiary through his artistic work, national lectures, and Topiary Therapy workshops that connect art, nature, and wellness while inspiring a new generation of topiary artists.

Selected Recognition