I am inching my way through the green critters and decided to do each colour at a time. Just trying to finish the yellow trail. But as we progress the critters need more and more advanced planning. Especially for the badgers etc. Anyhow, I have been trying to save my supermushrooms for as long as I can as I noticed we need to attract the elephant which needs a super mushroom. Now once the bush has been trimmed by a regular ellie, does the topiary ellie require a supermushroom as well to deter the mice?? and how many mushrooms you think does one need? I hate hunting for seeds in the middle of a challenge and would like to be prepared as much as I can. Also, in regards to plants that need to be rfh.. which is the best way to go about. Which plants to keep all the time and which plants to remove. And any tips you advanced players have, they would greatly be appreciated  :) So far the biggest difficulties have been trying to spot the higher upper top animals.. but all in all.. I enjoy the topiary trails. Thank you all in advance.

The following advice might help you out until someone else can come along and give you more help. I haven't got to the elephant yet, but am pretty sure that it is the same with all other topiaries - you don't need the attracting plants for the regular critter, as the topiaries are what attract the topiary critters.

The following came from Stef's thread in the most useful topics section of the forum - it is all about the Topiary Challenge, and she has posted advice up to the blue pot stage (on page 33):

Set up   tips for BLUE topiary pot:

Before you plant your bush in the blue pot (Or you can plant it but don't dust it -5 days ):
 
1.Plant,fully dust and wait all of the following plants to become RFH:
-chie bonsai for woodpecker (Why chie? No competition except chipmunk on low plates with seeds food) --- When fully dusted and fruit dusted takes 3,5 days to get RFH
-luna serena (crescent moon-you don't need wolves!) for hedgehog and badger ---When fully dusted and fruit dusted takes 2,5 days to get RFH
-dulcia sumniflora elephants --- When fully dusted and fruit dusted takes 2,5 days to get RFH (also beware of donkeys ,you can't deter them before your plant goes RFH)
-fructus randomus --- When fully dusted and fruit dusted takes 1,5 days to get RFH
 
NOTE : Percy,Simon and Gordon are not your friends because their attraction power is strong .But you can delay fruictus planting if you wish or have no space as it grows in day and a half.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you have seeds for supershoom because you can't attract elephants without it! You need only one actually for trimming the bush as the topiary doesn't need one.
NOTE: Would be easier if you harvest/remove the plants that attract animals that trim bushes as you move up because this one will take a long time and it will take up to 5 plants just to start with so you won't get stuck on waiting for trimmer critters.Just DON'T forget that you will need luna serena twice!
Strategy note: You can use the birdbath to attract 1 woodpecker to trim your bush but that there is no guarantee that you will get it.
 
2.I recommend you to do ONLY the blue pot (one blue pot not several) for starters and as you remove plants you can throw in other colors later on
 
3.Think ahead of which plant deters what when fully grown and ready for harvest ( flowering Bellis Lycaena deters tortoise, badger is detered by flowering or fruiting Solaris Igniflorus )
 
4.Write down the animals you have done on the trails
   IMPORTANT : As it appears if you plant seed in same pot you will get exactly the same order so when you will redoing the blue pot you will know what to expect next time.
 
5.Put birdbath every time you use superfood-if you have one and if you have UW seeds and space of course -great replenishment of gold and gems
 
******6.My most honest suggestion/advise: When you get to topiary elephant ,topiary badgers and topiary baby unicorn leave them in your garden for few days for following reasons:
-your garden will be really good watered (because they are new)and nothing will go missed even the chicks -if you have bird bath
-if nobody else is doing them you give the other gardeners time to get there
-you give hope and security to others that when they get there they will have somewhere to spot their 2 (out of 3) animals needed for the task and then leave their gardens attracting elephant and badgers for few days and you can move on and they will get their 3rd on the next wave and so on.This is actually great strategy on global level and we will ALWAYS have badger/elephant/unicorns  gardens available.This also applies on the indigo and violet trail later on
-while attracting the badger/hedgehog you can harvest the luna (because you will get many regular hedgehogs) and replant and dust it.It will be ready in 2,5 days and the odds of getting hedgehog right after badger are not too big unless of course you are coming to the end of the trail and you haven't attracted the hedgehog/badger yet.Either way 2,5 days are fully acceptable even if you get the hedgehog after the badger and vice versa.

Keep in mind also that the order of critters for each trail is always the same when done in the same pot.  So, your first time through will be a surprise and will be difficult; but, as long as you keep notes, any further trails of that color should be relatively easy to plan because you'll know exactly when each critter will be needed.

The topiary elephant itself doesn't need the supershroom though, correct?  Unlike the grey elephant, it doesn't say that mice deter it.

Oh, never mind, I see that it does say that in there.

Thanks Theresa - I was interested in the answer too (I'll do topiaries one day)
The trouble with the guides is that it's hard to find the little bit of information needed.