{"id":3017,"date":"2016-03-25T08:32:28","date_gmt":"2016-03-25T12:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/?p=3017"},"modified":"2024-06-12T18:00:52","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T18:00:52","slug":"boxwood-the-aristocrat-of-northern-virginia-landscaping-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/boxwood-the-aristocrat-of-northern-virginia-landscaping-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Boxwood: The Aristocrat of Northern Virginia Landscaping Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"
Surrounds Landscape Architect Howard Cohen says that boxwood is probably the most well-known garden ornamental plant, a \u201ctimeless classic.\u201d Robert Saunders of Saunders Brothers Nursery goes even further, calling it \u201cthe aristocrat\u201d of landscaping plants.<\/p>\n
As valuable as the boxwood is in garden design and landscape architecture, it is typically a supporting player in the garden. You\u2019ve probably seen it a thousand times, but wouldn\u2019t be able to name it. It was the backup band for a rock star flowering plant or specimen tree.<\/p>\nA low boxwood border guides you through an allee planted with Crape Myrtles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
What\u2019s so special about boxwood?<\/h3>\n
Boxwood wasn\u2019t as hot when we started as it is now. People are looking for that kind of plant now because the deer issues have increased and because the variety selection has sky-rocketed in the last 20 years. What\u2019s available to people is so much better now. Robert Saunders, Saunders Bros Nursery<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Boxwood may not be a star, but it has a 60-year tradition with Saunders Brothers and is their signature plant. The grower has dedicated one-third of their wholesale nursery production to this plant. There are some practical reasons for this. Boxwoods are characteristically:<\/p>\n
\n
deer resistant<\/li>\n
require little pruning because they naturally grow into a customary shape or silhouette<\/li>\n
most do well in shade or sun.<\/li>\n
long-lived, so offer permanence in the landscape<\/li>\n
drought tolerant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/div>\n
Boxwood versatility<\/h3>\n
Due to the many varieties of shape, size, and growth rate, boxwood fulfills multiple design needs:<\/p>\n
Hedge.\u00a0<\/strong>Boxwood hedges can be used to create a living wall that will vary in height depending on the purpose<\/p>\n
Foundation.\u00a0<\/strong>Planted around the base of a home, boxwoods are used for transition from lawn to home, to soften hard lines at corners or to define an entry.<\/p>\n
Edging.\u00a0<\/strong>Boxwood is used to create a low border along a walkway, lawn edge or flower bed.<\/p>\n
Parterre.<\/strong> This is a highly manicured formal garden with symmetrical patterns. The boxwood is kept with tightly clipped edges and is used to frame flower beds or other plantings.<\/p>\n
Knot Garden.\u00a0<\/strong>The boxwood plants are\u00a0\u201csculpted\u201d by intricate pruning to create a woven effect.<\/p>\nA boxwood knot garden graces the front walkway to this home<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Boxwood variety<\/h3>\n
According to the American Boxwood Society, there are 90 species and more than 300 cultivars (and counting) of the plant. Three of the most popular boxwood varieties sold in the Maryland-Virginia area are:<\/p>\n
Dee Runk<\/strong> grows in a tall pyramid shape. When fully grown it will be about two to three feet wide at the base, tapering as it goes up to a total height of eight to ten feet.<\/p>\n
Green Beauty<\/strong> is a round-shaped plant and that will fill out to four feet high and wide. It will take a snow load and maintain good color through all seasons.<\/p>\n
Justin Brouwer<\/strong> has been steadily popular for the last 20 years along with the Green Beauty.<\/p>\n
Boxwood Blight<\/h3>\nThe Dee Runk boxwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Sorry, but we would have been remiss had we failed to mention a recent development in the wonderful world of boxwood landscaping. Boxwood blight has affected European plant stock since 1994. It appeared in the U.S. only five years ago but already affects plants in 12 east coast states.<\/p>\n
The blight shows itself as brown lesions on the foliage. It doesn\u2019t typically kill the plant but causes the leaves to drop off prematurely. The good news is that, unlike other plant diseases, it is not spread by the wind. It is spread by people. Thus, we can play a role in slowing its movement. The disease may spread if a grower transports affected plants from nurseries to planting sites. Garden workers may unwittingly carry the disease from an affected plant to another on their clothing or tools.<\/p>\n
![\"boxwood](\"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/01-walkway-bed-border.jpg\")
![\"boxwood](\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\")
Boxwood may not be a star, but it has a 60-year tradition with Saunders Brothers and is their signature plant. The grower has dedicated one-third of their wholesale nursery production to this plant. There are some practical reasons for this. Boxwoods are characteristically:<\/p>\n![\"boxwood](\"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/02-hedge-trimmedhedge-copy.jpg\")
Boxwood may not be a star, but it has a 60-year tradition with Saunders Brothers and is their signature plant. The grower has dedicated one-third of their wholesale nursery production to this plant. There are some practical reasons for this. Boxwoods are characteristically:<\/p>\n![\"boxwood](\"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/04-knot-garden-boxwood.jpg\")
![\"boxwood](\"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/06-DeeRunkGrouping-copy-1-251x300.jpg\")
![\"boxwood](\"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/03-justin-brouwers-1-300x223.jpg\")