Ever wondered how to shape your evergreens? Experts share their tips
Topiary offers a unique way for plants to shape our gardens.
Shaping plants into balls, pyramids and even birds doesn't have to be as complicated as it might seem, so you don't just have to admire topiary in the gardens of stately homes and horticultural shows.
A new photographic exhibition, On The Hedge, opening at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, charts our relationship with hedges and topiary, from their role in shaping our landscapes and homes, to their environmental benefits.
'From a design point of view, topiary is really important, even if it's just a simple basic structure. A cube, or a cone, or even just a ball of some sort gives really good structure through the winter when a lot of gardens go quiet,' says RHS horticultural advisor, Nick Turrell.
'If your shape – it could be a simple cone or a cube – is repeated through a garden, the eye will immediately pick up on that repetition. In summer, it might just sit in the background but it still provides an important structural framework.
'Then in the winter it looks amazing because the frost sits on it.'
'Yes – it could be knee high, a cube or a dome and you could grow them in a border, like an exclamation mark among all the froth of the flowers. I've done it even in tiny little postage stamp-sized gardens, when you have two or three in the border which adds a good bit of solidity,' says Turrell.
If you've only got room for a pot, put your evergreen in as big a pot as you can, which won't dry out as quickly as smaller containers, but be aware that it will require more TLC than if you plant it in a border, he advises.
'It will require a bit more attention. Any plant, whether it's clipped or not, is totally dependent on you for food and water. It will need feeding through the summer, ideally every three weeks.
'After the first season the potting compost will have run out of nutrients so it's down to you to feed it.'
If the compost needs changing, the chances are you'll need to repot your topiary into a bigger pot. If you don't have room for that, it will need regular feeding and will benefit from mulching with some well-rotted manure in the autumn, he suggests.
Box blight and box tree caterpillar are still a real problem, so find an alternative, he suggests.
His top three choices are yew, small-leaved privet and Wilson's honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida).
'With yew, you can have it whatever size you like, it always comes back and it has tiny needles, which lends itself to close clipping.'
The small-leaved privet doesn't grow too tall – reaching around 1.5m if you let it – and is quite happy to be clipped, he says.
Wilson's honeysuckle is strong-growing, with tiny leaves. You can grow it in a pot and if you occasionally forget to water it, it can bounce back, he says.
Look at the size of the leaves of whichever plant you choose, because the bigger the leaf the worse it is to topiarise, he adds.
'You can end up cutting through a broad leaf halfway through when you are clipping it and then the ends can start fraying and going a bit brown, which doesn't look good.'
Don't plant, for instance, three of the same species next to each other hoping that they will be dense enough to give you a shape more quickly, because they will eventually end up fighting for space and light, he advises.
'If you're looking for a cone or a ball which is say, a metre high, you can buy them ready-made but they are expensive. If you buy a yew just as a plant, which is 60cm tall, it won't cost as much and as long as you are patient and feed and water it you can start trimming it once it reaches the size you want it to be.
'They will grow fairly quickly. Within 18 months – two seasons – you should start to see the beginnings of the shape, if it's not too intricate, like a cockerel.'
'Keep it simple. A good pair of sharp shears or even some little handheld long-nosed snips are perfect. Don't worry about electric hedge trimmers – it's the difference between using an electric shaver and a razor blade. You get a much better finish with a sharp pair of shears or long-nosed snips.
'Using those tools also encourages you to look carefully at what you are doing, whereas electric hedging shears are a bit slapdash.'
Put a frame over the plant – you can buy shaped frames at garden centres and topiary specialists. Anything that grows outside the frame can be clipped to get the shape you want.
Position the frame over the top of the plant after you've planted it. They are like a plant support. Once the plant has grown and you have achieved your desired shape, you can remove the frame, or leave it in place as a marker, especially if it is an intricate shape, he suggests.
Beginners might start with easy cones or cubes, but you can progress to cloud shapes, birds and animals.
There's no hard and fast rule about when to trim but it would normally be in spring or autumn, depending on how fast it grows, he says.
Step back every few snips when you are trimming, to check on the shape and the perspective.
'If you cut off too much in one section, you'll probably need to cut the whole lot down to that size,' he suggests. 'It's not the end of the world, it just delays the ultimate size that you want.'
If you buy a plant which is already shaped, take a picture of it at the outset, so that if it starts growing fast, you can see what shape it looked like at the start.
If you want your topiary to inhabit your flower borders, don't be afraid of planting your colour close to the topiary, which will create a contrast between a crisp, shaped evergreen and a froth of flowers, he says.
If you want your topiary to be a stand-alone showstopper in, say, a lawn, don't plant anything nearby which will take away its prima donna status, he suggests.
On The Hedge runs at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey from Jun 13 to Sep 28.
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Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Juneteenth History: How the Holiday Started and Evolved Over Time
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Juneteenth, the nation's most recent federal holiday, is celebrated by Americans on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States and has a history going back to the 1860s. Why It Matters Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 after President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation into law to officially make it a holiday. However, it has been celebrated by the African American community for more than 150 years and has been a holiday in Texas for decades. What To Know President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring that "all persons held as slaves" within Confederate states "are, and henceforward shall be free." But many remained enslaved for years to come. The proclamation applied only to states in rebellion against the Union, and it would take a Civil War for that freedom to come to fruition in Confederate states. Juneteenth marks the date when Union soldiers arrived to Galveston, Texas, to officially declare slaves in the state as being free. General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, freeing the state's slaves. "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor," the order reads. June 19 emerged as a celebratory day for African Americans in Texas, as Juneteenth celebrations followed the next year and have continued to this day, though the holiday has seen some changes over the years. Leslie Wilson, associate dean of Montclair University's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, told Newsweek that the Emancipation Proclamation was a "tool" Lincoln used, essentially telling Confederate states slaves would be freed if they do not stop fighting the Union. Most southern states did not pay attention to the order. As Union troops took control of each state, they would declare slavery as over under the proclamation. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva That means each southern state has its own Emancipation Day when slavery ended, but Juneteenth is celebrated because it was the last of those days, Wilson said. Other states did not popularize their Emancipation Day as Texans, who held large celebrations that spread across the country over the next century. People in Texas celebrated with large picnics and dressed up for the events, serving foods like Red Velvet Cake—a symbol of resilience—Wilson said. Daryl Heller, director of the Civil Rights Heritage Center at Indiana University, told Newsweek it is important to celebrate Juneteenth as the nation has still not "fully grappled with how significant slavery is" to its history. "Juneteenth is a reminder that the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 did not free all the slaves, all the people who were enslaved, and even the end of the Civil didn't guarantee freedom for everyone," he said. Even Juneteenth did not mark the end of slavery in every state. That would come on December 6, 1865, when the 13th Amendment passed, he said. Years of reconstruction would follow as former slaves and their families worked to reunite, establish political power in the United States and build new lives. But it would still be another century before Black Americans were guaranteed full rights and treated as equal citizens under the U.S. Constitution. Heller said people can have meaningful dialogues and "real discussions about the history of this country" this year to celebrate Juneteenth. "Looking under the surface and going deeper to try to understand not just the day itself, but what produced the day and what was the aftermath of it, I think is a really, really important part of the celebration itself," he said. Juneteenth is about "Black resilience," Wilson said. "Black people across the nation will celebrate it whether or not it is a federal or state holiday. African American history has already demonstrated the strength of the holiday and the conviction of its followers. People like Opal Lee did a great deal to expand knowledge of Juneteenth and to convey its importance to black and white communities," he said. Juneteenth Celebrations Extend Across the U.S. Juneteenth grew from a local Texas holiday to a "western regional holiday" by 1910, he said. By the early 1960s, the celebration became popular in cities like New Orleans, Tulsa, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver. Communities on the East Coast began to have a "deeper connection" with the holiday during the Civil Rights and Black Power Movement, Wilson said. Different understandings had emerged about the end of slavery. In the North, many were taught that it ended with the Emancipation Proclamation, but those in the South learned slavery only ended when slaves were freed state-by-state by Union troops, he said. "When people from Texas starting moving acrsos the country in the late 1800s and into the 1900s, they were celebrating Juneteenth because it had been memorialized in their minds. People in different states said, 'Oh, I never know about this.' They would say 'How did you not know about this,' and it became very popular," he said. On the East Coast, some were initially skeptical after learning in school that slaves were freed after the Emancipation Proclamation, he said. "In the 20th century, as more and more people moved across the country and bringing their cultures and their customs with them, then Juneteenth became more popular outside of Texas, and it had become more popular in urban centers where African-Americans had migrated," he said. Juneteenth celebrations became "acts of resistance" during the Jim Crow era, Portia Hopkins, a historian at Rice University, told Newsweek. Those gatherings sustained "cultural memory when Black freedom remained under siege," she said. They were organized locally and situated within Black community centers and churches. Wilson said the understanding of Juneteenth was "widespread throughout the nation in African American communities" by the time it became a state holiday in Texas in 1980. "It took another 20 years for white America to begin its recognition of Juneteenth and another 10 after that for commercial interests to promote the holiday," he said. The holiday can "remind African Americans of the shortcomings of American politics and society and encourage them that they again need to fight for the rights that they are "promised by the constitution," according to Wilson. Juneteenth Became Federal Holiday in 2021 The efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday gained traction after "the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the national reckoning it sparked," Hopkins said. "In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday, making it the first new national holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. That recognition is deeply symbolic because it affirms that Black history is American history and that the story of freedom is more complicated—and more honest—when it includes the voices of those for whom it was long withheld," she said. The holiday is being "celebrated amid a complex social and cultural American landscape" in 2025, Hopkins said, noting the recent renaming of military bases after Confederate leaders and rollbacks of DEI initiatives. "Nevertheless, Juneteenth celebrations continue to be vibrant, meaningful and optimistic about the future because, in essence, that was at the heart of the celebration within its original context in the first place," she said. Onwubiko Agozino, professor of sociology at Virginia Tech University, told Newsweek he believes Juneteenth is a day to come out against slavery, which still exists in the world, and a reminder of why the U.S. should "value diversity." A Juneteenth flag is displayed in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 2024. A Juneteenth flag is displayed in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 2024. MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images "Part of the reason why America is America the beautiful is because of the diversity that benefits everybody," he said. "It's also in Constitution, in the 14th Amendment,. And in the Preamble of the Constitution, it says 'We the people.' Not 'We the white men.'" What People Are Saying Leslie Wilson, associate dean of Montclair University's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, told Newsweek: "Juneteenth is a confusing holiday because it weakens the idea that the Emancipation Proclamation 'freed' the enslaved, that the 13th Amendment ended slavery, or that the surrender of General Lee brought an end to the Civil War and slavery. It suggests that what most kids have learned in school is not entirely correct. And the story of Juneteenth and the myth of Juneteenth are equally confusing. General Granger read a proclamation that said that the enslaved were free, but Union troops did not go throughout the area ensuring that all were free. The reading of the document also still ties the bondsmen and women to picking cotton for the Union (because there was a need to maintain trade to cover the national debt). In essence, African Americans see the holiday as their self-liberation from the underwhelming promises of American freedom. By and large, many of the enslaved used the proclamation to free themselves and create new lives by running away from Texas plantations, finding loved ones, and building new societies." President Joe Biden, in a June 2024 statement: "One of my proudest moments as President was signing into law Juneteenth as a new Federal holiday—the first Federal holiday to be established since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day four decades prior. Juneteenth is an acknowledgment of the truth of our Nation's history. It is about realizing the idea that America was founded on: All people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's new line of Wilson basketballs reflect who she is off the court
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark's favorite color is blue. Outside of the gym, she's happiest being on the water or a golf course. She says the same thing to teammate Aliyah Boston before every Indiana Fever game. When you buy one of the basketballs in Clark's new line from Wilson, you're not just getting a ball. You're getting a glimpse of Clark herself. Advertisement The colors, the patterns, the detailing — all are the result of months-long conversations between Clark and Wilson's design team about who she is, what she likes and what messages she wants to send to young fans. 'It was a really fun process for me to go through,' Clark told USA TODAY Sports. 'It's things that are super important to me and all very different things, too, throughout my life. So hopefully they can make an impact on whoever's going to pick the ball up.' Clark joined Michael Jordan as the only athletes with full basketball collections for Wilson, signing a multiyear sponsorship deal in May 2024 with the official manufacturer of basketballs for the WNBA, NBA and NCAA. In part because of the short turnaround time before the release of her first signature ball last October, Clark's first line leaned heavily into history. The records she broke at Iowa. Her historic rookie season with the WNBA's Indiana Fever. But Clark and Wilson knew they wanted future lines to be more personal, reflecting who Clark is as a person as much as a player. Advertisement 'She's actually influencing this. It's not just people at Wilson picking the design,' Hudson Vantrease, director of product design at Wilson, said. 'We never wanted to just put her name on a ball and call it a day,' he added. 'We want to tell the most compelling story, and having her as part of that is a positive to it.' We've got your favorite athletes covered: Sign up for USA TODAY's Sports newsletter. The second edition of Caitlin Clark's signature basketball line with Wilson Sporting Goods launches June 23. Clark was personally involved in choosing the designs of the (shown left to right) Envision, Embrace, Oasis and Aspire balls. Wilson invited USA TODAY Sports to attend the design team meeting in April where Clark saw the finished basketballs for the first time. The design team also gave USA TODAY Sports a behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration process with Clark for the latest collection, which will be released June 23. Advertisement There are four balls in the collection, and they differ in both purpose (one is an indoor-only ball, one is outdoor-only and two can be used either indoors or outdoors) and price point. One, the Embrace, is an Evo NXT basketball, meaning it has the same construction as a regulation W ball and could be used in official games. 'Awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome,' Clark said when she walked into the Indiana Fever's practice gym and saw the four new basketballs. 'You guys killed it.' The team responsible for developing Clark's line has about a dozen core members. They met with Clark at last year's All-Star Game and got her initial thoughts about the collection, including what a young Caitlin Clark would have wanted. 'I think she said a blue ball,' said Haley Reines, the product line manager at Wilson. Advertisement Afterward, Reines and product designer Julia Muscarello sent Clark a detailed questionnaire, asking her everything from her favorite color (blue) to her hobbies outside of basketball (golf, being on the water) to what she'd be if she wasn't a basketball player (chef). They also monitored social media, taking note of Clark's clothes — there's an Instagram account devoted to her fits — and what she does off the court. 'I don't want to say borderline stalking, but yeah,' Muscarello said with a laugh. 'I was trying to stay on the Caitlin pulse.' Those answers and details drove the design process, which involved 'hundreds' of hours. Caitlin Clark talks with product designer Julia Muscarello about her new line of signature basketballs with Wilson Sporting Goods. Christopher Rickert, the senior director of global production at Wilson, said the team began with 50 design ideas and whittled them down. Sometimes the color wasn't right. Sometimes the pattern didn't work. Sometimes what seemed like a great idea on paper didn't quite translate into reality. Advertisement When the team had 10 ideas, they sent the designs to Clark for her thoughts. There were further tweaks, and prototypes were made to make sure the designs looked the same on an actual basketball as they did in drawings. The four designs ultimately chosen for this year's line all have very different looks, but there's a commonality to all of them. Clark. 'Whenever I do something, I want to make it the best product possible for people. But also I feel like this is an easy way for me to connect with my fans,' Clark said of being so involved in the design process. 'I want it to feel very personal for them, too. They can connect with me, not just by watching me on TV or coming and buying a ticket to a game.' Advertisement Take the Oasis ball, which can be used indoors and outdoors. Clark told Reines and Muscarello that her favorite color is blue, she likes pastels and her happy places are the water and golf course. So the panels of the Oasis ball are white and light blue, and the light blue panels have what looks like pink and green splashes of paint but is actually an abstract drawing of a golf course. Clark picked up on it right away when she saw the ball. 'That looks like a hole on a golf course!' she exclaimed. Light blue is also the shade used for the pattern on the Envision, an outdoor ball. At first glance, it looks like a maze, but it's really the words 'DREAM BIG.' That phrase is also on the Aspire, an indoor/outdoor ball that at first appears to be white or grey. Put it in the sunlight, however, and the phrases 'Dream Big,' 'Keep Going' and 'You're Going to Be Amazing Because You Are Amazing' emerge in bold, Fever-red letters. Advertisement That last phrase is what Clark says to Boston before every game. 'See, she loves it!' Clark said, pointing to a picture of her and Boston on the bench that was on the design team's planning whiteboard. 'We'll get her a free basketball. She'll love it. I'm going to put it in her locker.' Because the Embrace is an official basketball, it cannot have any obvious detailing. Look closely, though, and you can see a pattern — again, light blue — within the Wilson logo and in what looks like a sunburst around the airhole. Both are the visual representation of the decibel level at a Fever game; the Wilson team took an audio file of the sound and made a graphic out of it. 'Fans really admire how she just plays so well under pressure,' Muscarello said. 'Sometimes it's OK to embrace the noise.' Caitlin Clark poses with basketballs from the second edition of her signature collection with Wilson Sporting Goods. The new line of four basketballs -- the Aspire, the Embrace, the Envision and the Oasis -- will be available June 23. Though Clark had been involved in every step of the design process, seeing the basketballs on a computer screen is very different than holding the finished product. Clark picked up each of the basketballs and examined it, taking note of the different details. She spun each ball and shifted it from one hand to the other. Advertisement She also studied the design team's white boards, pointing to some of the notes and photos. Though she initially seemed most taken by the Oasis ball, she was fascinated with the Envision's UV technology and said she'd have loved to have had a basketball that revealed 'secret' messages when she was a kid. She also was impressed that Wilson's design team was able to turn a decibel meter reading into a design. 'They're all unique in their own way. They all have different things I love about them,' Clark said. 'I think they each serve their own purpose and are different. 'So I guess you have to buy 'em all!' she added, laughing. Advertisement While there will be some fans who buy the whole collection, whether to use or keep as memorabilia, Clark was conscious of not pricing any fans out of the new line. Two of the balls are less than $50, with the outdoor Envision ball costing $27.95 and the Oasis indoor ball priced at $49.95, while the Aspire outdoor ball is $54.95. The Embrace, which is Wilson's premium Evo NXT basketball, costs $124.95. All the balls will be available on Wilson's website and at retail sporting goods stores. Last year's collection sold out almost immediately and, given the appetite for all things Clark, it's a good bet this one will, too. 'It's kind of cool to see how the balls came back and they feel very `me,'' Clark told USA TODAY Sports. 'That's what I love about it. I feel like I'm sharing part of my life and my journey with people. Advertisement "I could have never dreamed (as a child) to have something like this," she added. "It's pretty special." Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark's new Wilson basketballs reveal who she is as a person
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Personal touches, secret messages: Behind the scenes of making Caitlin Clark's new Wilson basketballs
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. INDIANAPOLIS – Caitlin Clark's favorite color is blue. Outside of the gym, she's happiest being on the water or a golf course. She says the same thing to teammate Aliyah Boston before every Indiana Fever game. When you buy one of the basketballs in Clark's new line from Wilson, you're not just getting a ball. You're getting a glimpse of Clark herself. Advertisement The colors, the patterns, the detailing — all are the result of months-long conversations between Clark and Wilson's design team about who she is, what she likes and what messages she wants to send to young fans. 'It was a really fun process for me to go through,' Clark told USA TODAY Sports. 'It's things that are super important to me and all very different things, too, throughout my life. So hopefully they can make an impact on whoever's going to pick the ball up.' Clark joined Michael Jordan as the only athletes with full basketball collections for Wilson, signing a multiyear sponsorship deal in May 2024 with the official manufacturer of basketballs for the WNBA, NBA and NCAA. In part because of the short turnaround time before the release of her first signature ball last October, Clark's first line leaned heavily into history. The records she broke at Iowa. Her historic rookie season with the Fever. But Clark and Wilson knew they wanted future lines to be more personal, reflecting who Clark is as a person as much as a player. Advertisement 'She's actually influencing this. It's not just people at Wilson picking the design,' said Hudson Vantrease, director of product design at Wilson. 'We never wanted to just put her name on a ball and call it a day,' he added. 'We want to tell the most compelling story, and having her as part of that is a positive to it.' Wilson invited USA TODAY Sports to attend the design team meeting in April where Clark saw the finished basketballs for the first time. The design team also gave USA TODAY Sports a behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration process with Clark for the latest collection, which will be released June 23. There are four balls in the collection, and they differ in both purpose (one is an indoor-only ball, one is outdoor-only and two can be used either indoors or outdoors) and price point. One, the Embrace, is an Evo NXT basketball, meaning it has the same construction as a regulation W ball and could be used in official games. Advertisement 'Awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome,' Clark said when she walked into the Fever's practice gym and saw the four new basketballs. 'You guys killed it.' Caitlin Clark poses with basketballs from the second edition of her signature collection with Wilson Sporting Goods. The new line of four basketballs -- the Aspire, the Embrace, the Envision and the Oasis -- will be available June 23. The team responsible for developing Clark's line has about a dozen core members. They met with Clark at last year's All-Star Game and got her initial thoughts about the collection, including what a young Caitlin Clark would have wanted. 'I think she said a blue ball,' said Haley Reines, the product line manager at Wilson. Afterward, Reines and product designer Julia Muscarello sent Clark a detailed questionnaire, asking her everything from her favorite color to her hobbies outside of basketball to what she'd be if she wasn't a basketball player (chef). They also monitored social media, taking note of Clark's clothes — there's an Instagram account devoted to her fits — and what she does off the court. Advertisement 'I don't want to say borderline stalking, but yeah,' Muscarello said with a laugh. 'I was trying to stay on the Caitlin pulse.' Those answers and details drove the design process, which involved 'hundreds' of hours. Christopher Rickert, the senior director of global production at Wilson, said the team began with 50 design ideas and whittled them down. Sometimes the color wasn't right. Sometimes the pattern didn't work. Sometimes what seemed like a great idea on paper didn't quite translate into reality. When the team had 10 ideas, they sent the designs to Clark for her thoughts. There were further tweaks, and prototypes were made to make sure the designs looked the same on an actual basketball as they did in drawings. Advertisement The four designs ultimately chosen for this year's line all have very different looks, but there's a commonality to all of them. Clark. 'Whenever I do something, I want to make it the best product possible for people. But also I feel like this is an easy way for me to connect with my fans,' Clark said of being so involved in the design process. 'I want it to feel very personal for them, too. They can connect with me, not just by watching me on TV or coming and buying a ticket to a game.' Take the Oasis ball, which can be used indoors and outdoors. Clark told Reines and Muscarello her favorite color is blue, she likes pastels and her happy places are the water and golf course. So the panels of the Oasis ball are white and light blue, and the light blue panels have what looks like pink and green splashes of paint but is actually an abstract drawing of a golf course. Advertisement Clark picked up on it right away when she saw the ball. 'That looks like a hole on a golf course!' she exclaimed. Light blue is also the shade used for the pattern on the Envision, an outdoor ball. At first glance, it looks like a maze, but it's really the words 'DREAM BIG.' That phrase is also on the Aspire, an indoor/outdoor ball that at first appears to be white or grey. Put it in the sunlight, however, and the phrases 'Dream Big,' 'Keep Going' and 'You're Going to Be Amazing Because You Are Amazing' emerge in bold, Fever-red letters. That last phrase is what Clark says to Boston before every game. Advertisement 'See, she loves it!' Clark said, pointing to a picture of her and Boston on the bench that was on the design team's planning whiteboard. 'We'll get her a free basketball. She'll love it. I'm going to put it in her locker.' The second edition of Caitlin Clark's signature basketball line with Wilson Sporting Goods launches June 23. Clark was personally involved in choosing the designs of the (shown left to right) Envision, Embrace, Oasis and Aspire balls. Because the Embrace is an official basketball, it cannot have any obvious detailing. Look closely, though, and you can see a pattern — again, light blue — within the Wilson logo and in what looks like a sunburst around the airhole. Both are the visual representation of the decibel level at a Fever game; the Wilson team took an audio file of the sound and made a graphic out of it. 'Fans really admire how she just plays so well under pressure,' Muscarello said. 'Sometimes it's OK to embrace the noise.' Advertisement Though Clark had been involved in every step of the design process, seeing the basketballs on a computer screen is very different than holding the finished product. Clark picked up each of the basketballs and examined it, taking note of the different details. She spun each ball and shifted it from one hand to the other. She also studied the design team's whiteboards, pointing to some of the notes and photos. Though she initially seemed most taken by the Oasis ball, she was fascinated with the Envision's UV technology and said she'd have loved to have had a basketball that revealed 'secret' messages when she was a kid. She also was impressed that Wilson's design team was able to turn a decibel meter reading into a design. Advertisement 'They're all unique in their own way. They all have different things I love about them,' Clark said. 'I think they each serve their own purpose and are different. Caitlin Clark takes a shot with the Embrace basketball from her latest collection with Wilson Sporting Goods. The ball features a graphic of the decibel level at an Indiana Fever game last season. 'So I guess you have to buy 'em all!' she added, laughing. While there will be some fans who buy the whole collection, whether to use or keep as memorabilia, Clark was conscious of not pricing any fans out of the new line. Two of the balls are less than $50, with the outdoor Envision ball costing $27.95 and the Oasis indoor ball priced at $49.95, while the Aspire outdoor ball is $54.95. The Embrace, which is Wilson's premium Evo NXT basketball, costs $124.95. Advertisement All the balls will be available on Wilson's website and at retail sporting goods stores. Last year's collection sold out almost immediately and, given the appetite for all things Clark, it's a good bet this one will, too. 'It's kind of cool to see how the balls came back and they feel very 'me,'' Clark told USA TODAY Sports. 'That's what I love about it. I feel like I'm sharing part of my life and my journey with people. "I could have never dreamed (as a child) to have something like this," she added. "It's pretty special." Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour. Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark's new line of Wilson basketball has personal touches, secret messages
