Drought - tolerant , cervid - resistant , and unceasingly versatile in garden design , this evergreen favorite earns its keep .
Turkish boxwood has a long chronicle in garden purpose , from ancient Rome to modern - day suburban area . Atidy box hedgeis a staple in traditional formal gardens , but landscape painting fashion designer are also using the evergreen in fresh means . Paired with ornamental pasture and flowering perennial , these elegant bush can look informal and entirely new . Another recent shift in the creation ofboxwood(Buxusspp . ) is in the approach to care . Rather thanshearing the shrubinto any shape you please , growers now commend starting with a miscellany that course grows into your desired shape and sizing , and then pruning selectively as it grows . This proficiency keeps your flora healthier , ultimately making it less susceptible to blight , a fungus that can pass over out the bush . If you opt blight - tolerant varieties and regale them decent , you could look forwards to a farseeing , happy life for the box in your garden .
How to Grow Boxwood
Landscape architect , boxwood raiser , and former manager of theAmerican Boxwood Society , Andrea Filippone divvy up her indispensable care tips .
1. Conditions
Boxwood prosper infull Dominicus to part shade . Those in full shade wo n’t uprise as vigorously . Plants in full Lord’s Day , particularly in live inland areas , can be at risk of infection of scorching . Hardiness depends on variety , but mostgrow in Zones 5 - 9 .
2. Drainage
works inloose , quick - draining soil . Boxwood do n’t care sloughy stain . Amend sullen clay soils with sand before planting .
3. Spacing
Spacing needs vary depending on mature size of the cultivar . Avoid planting too tightly , which crowds their shallow source and prevents air circulation . gibe theplant tagsand err on the side of more elbow room .
4. Water
After planting and for the first couple of month while your plant gets established , water one to two times per hebdomad . After that , keep an heart on the flora and the grime , Filippone says . In general , aim to water the ancestor clump well , then allow territory to dry out out between waterings . Keeppotted Turkish boxwood on drip mold irrigation , if possible , because grunge can dry out quickly .
5. Fertilizer
Filippone recommend using onlyorganic fertilizers , such as compostor compost afternoon tea , to create tidy works .
How to Prune Boxwood
According to Filippone , less is more when it come to good pruning practices for Turkish boxwood . Limitpruning to only twice a year : once in the summertime up until August and again in December ( or hold back until saltation in stale - winter climate ) .
box push new growth where they ’re cut , Filippone explain , so shearing ( clipping only the outmost stratum of leaves ) leads to a dense outer bed that block light and air from pass the center . That disconsolate environmentencourages pestsand disease . Instead , she commend gently and selectively clipping a few inches of growth by script with pruning shears to control size and conformation . Next , make selective cuts with the pruner into the out six inches to allow more lighting and air to reach the center : Angle the pruning hook into the shrub , making cuts where the box begins separate . Remove the clipped branches as well as any dead twig .
Andrea Filippone
Boxwood are my construction blocks for design , allowing me to create bodily structure and outdoor rooms — that wo n’t be devoured by cervid !
Dealing with Boxwood Blight
Boxwood blight can be devastating . It start as dark spots on leaves , which then brown and fall off the branches . The disease can apace scatter to nearby box . To forestall it , void creating the moist condition the blight fungus thrives in by not water overhead and not fleece . plant life onlycultivars known to be less susceptible to blight , and avoid the specially problematic ' Suffruticosa ' English Turkish boxwood . To preclude potential cattle farm between plant life , dip pruner into a 10 - percent whitener resolution after use on each plant ( add one part bleach to nine parts water ) . Dispose of infected industrial plant and the soil around it in ice bag ; do n’t compost .
Garden Design Ideas for Boxwood
Hedgers and Edgers
A series of small boxwood balls form a cottage - panache hedgerow around raised seam in thiskitchen gardenby garden designer Elizabeth Everdell .
Container Accents
Keep it simple with topiary boxwood inclassic terra - cotta containers . In a garden by Denler Hobart Gardens , cones and globes model side by side to arrange up a stone terrace .
Tip : Use marvelous potted boxwood to frame a stairway or path .
Perennial Backdrop
A double layer of Turkish boxwood hedges in this Denler Hobart - design garden give construction to this border ofirises , roses , andlady ’s mantle .
Architectural Shapes
Strong pyramidal form softened by grassy perennials make an unexpectedfoundation plantingby Jon Carloftis .
A combination of low-growing boxwood hedges, conical columns, and shapely globes gives garden designer Jon Carloftis’ Kentucky yard its traditional look.Credit: Gabriela Herman
Laying a drop cloth or tarp down around the base of the boxwood before pruning will make cleanup easier.Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Marion Brenner
Credit: Marion Brenner
Credit: Marion Brenner
Credit: Gabriela Herman
