We would be remiss if we did not mention that Boxwood has been used as trimmed hedges as far back as 4,000 BC in the gardens of Roman villas. Boxwood has been used in Italy, France, Germany, and England - all throughout Europe because it makes incredible clipped hedges.
Boxwood remains wildly popular today!
Their popularity comes from the innate ability to train this plant into many different forms. They were used to create English knot gardens and topiaries, creating pieces of sculpture in the landscape.
Boxwood can be easily sheared into tight forms, and their small, rounded evergreen leaves stay on the plant year-round.
How to Use Boxwood in the Landscape
Boxwoods make classic low hedges that guide movement through the landscape and stay green year-round, giving structure even in winter.
Taller-growing selections also excel as screening plants. They define outdoor garden spaces beautifully and feel much warmer and more welcoming than a fence.
Foundations scream for Boxwood. They can be grown untrimmed for a soft, feathery look, or shaped into rounded forms or low hedges for a more polished appearance.
When using Boxwood as hedges, it is important to keep the top of the plants a bit narrower and the bottom wider. This helps the foliage stay healthy and extend all the way to the ground. If the top is too wide, shading can cause leaf drop and legginess at the base.
Upright-growing Boxwood makes great vertical accents or corner anchors, whether left natural and unsheared or trimmed into pyramids and columns.
It is true… no gardens should be without Boxwood. They work beautifully as backdrops, accents, or grouped in various sizes for extra interest. They are also favorites for containers, where gardeners shear them into spirals, pom poms, pyramids, or spheres. Boxwood is easily trained and pruned into most any shape.
Improved Varieties - It Is Not Just English Boxwood Anymore
There are many different species of Boxwood. Some grow slowly and stay small, while others are much more robust. Leaf color, leaf size, and cold-hardiness also vary. Nature Hills offers many hybrids with these features.
Many people ask for Dwarf English Boxwood, not realizing how many exciting new options now exist. Many of these newer selections combine the best traits of multiple varieties.
The key is always to check the mature size and the hardiness zone, then pick the Boxwood that fits your landscape best.
Pruning Your Boxwood Plants Is Simple
Light pruning can be done any time of year. In general, avoid heavy pruning late in fall. Boxwood put on a large flush of new growth in spring and a lighter flush in summer.
For a natural look, use hand pruners to select the longest shoots and snip them back into the plant, keeping that soft, feathery growth.
For sheared hedges, globes, spirals, pom poms, or other formal shapes, trim off the first flush of growth. A light mid-summer touch-up may help maintain clean lines.
Always remove pruning debris to keep the plants looking dark and tidy. Older, heavily sheared Boxwood may need occasional thinning to increase air circulation and overall health.
Planting Tips for Boxwood
Boxwoods are shallow-rooted plants that love a few inches of organic mulch to help conserve moisture and keep soil cool in the heat. They also need soil that is well-drained.
- In warmer climates, some protection from hot afternoon sun is helpful. Part sun is ideal for vigorous growth.
- In colder climates, avoid spots exposed to drying winter winds to prevent winter burn. Boxwood grown in cooler areas can thrive in full sun or part shade. They also adapt surprisingly well in areas that slowly become shadier over time.
- Provide even moisture while new plantings establish in well-drained soil, and apply mulch over the shallow roots. Boxwood is one of the few plants that is truly deer-resistant.
Bringing It All Together With Beautiful Boxwood
There is a place in every yard for Boxwood, and they remain incredibly popular because they are among the most handsome plants in the landscape.
Now is an excellent time to buy Boxwood. Nature Hills grows them in containers ready to transplant at any time of year. Beautiful, landscape-grade plants - ready for their new home.
Happy Planting!