What about some wire around a solid ball form (like a bowling ball or something similar depending on what size you want) ... I'd use 10-14 guage wire, which is pretty sturdy, and about 6 to 8 pieces of wire curved around the whole ball form and then secure with a finer wire and use a stick or twig to secure the ball to the stem ???

K

stake your stem,and remove branching to the desired hieght.
this is the best time of year to start.
a globe is the easiest shape to prune. start by shearing
it lightly, when it starts to grow in you can cut it a little harder. remember to shear it from all sides to attain the perfect ball

Unless they're for a specific purpose, why don't you try making something more interesting? Balls are way over-rated if you ask me. I know that they are a nice beginning project, but I wish more people would push it a bit beyond, if you know what I mean. So much time and effort goes into a topiary, it might as well be unique!

Sorry for the rant, but I do custom topiary work and it just seems that everybody wants the same thing. I once shaped topiaries into balls for a tree farm, until it just about drove me crazy..

Perhaps I did one too many.

- Laurel

yeah but the ball is like a little black dress, it always works in a room :P