subject: Landscaping with panache with boxwood shrubs [print this page] Also known as boxes or buxus, boxwood shrubs are the ideal plantation for landscaping and edging your garden. They look very elegant and give a fashionable look to your entire landscaping. However, be prepared to take care of these lovely shrubs as they need constant caring in terms of pruning and trimming. So if you are on the lookout for a hassle free and self maintaining shrub then this one is not for you. But if you are a person of high taste and would settle for nothing but the best, choose these shrubs blindly.
These shrubs would ensure a prim and proper landscaping with their bushy leaves and still look compact. You need not worry about the shrub growing too fast as it is quite slow in its growth and does not exceed three feet when fully mature. In fact its slow growth is the one of the reasons of being chosen for landscaping as it is easy to give them the shape and pattern you would like. The best quality of these shrubs is that they never grow wildly and always stay in control.
These shrubs require constant mulching as they have very sensitive roots that would get destroyed if exposed to the sun. It would be a good idea to have a three inch thick layer of organic mulch at the trunk of the shrub and about a foot all around the shrub. Don't do the mistake of watering the shrub too frequently as it needs the soil to be porous and well drained. The delicate roots would simply rot if the soil is over soaked.
It is not a must to plant them in many numbers. You may choose a single shrub if you want. However, the structure they give to the landscaping when planted together is responsible for people generally opting for a group plantation. The best season to plant them is during the fall or spring. You may plant the shrub in the sun but later on do move it under a partial shade for good growth. Take care to keep them away from too much moisture in the soil. For draining your soil you may also put some peat, fertilizer or organic moss.
Start by digging a hole in the mud that has a length as long as your boxwood shrub container and double the width. Place your shrub in and fill in the soil carefully avoiding any air pockets in the soil. Water the soil and do some mulching later with bark, pine needles or wood chips. In case you have planted the shrubs for a hedge ensure that you leave at least a three feet gap between them. The shrub needs to be watered only once a week and the mulch changed regularly for healthy growth.
