You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
78<br />
Award Winner<br />
Thinking outside<br />
the Box<br />
by Angie Barker<br />
I have always been a fan of Buxus<br />
sempervirens (Box). You know<br />
that evergreen plant with tightly<br />
packed small oval leaves that can<br />
be clipped into any topiary shape<br />
you can think of. It has always<br />
been a stalwart of grand country<br />
gardens as well as small cottage<br />
gardens as it brings interest and<br />
structure throughout the year. I<br />
have a lot of Box in my own garden<br />
and I love the contrast it brings to<br />
softer planting of grasses, Acers<br />
and sprawling hardy Geraniums.<br />
However the spread of box<br />
blight and box tree caterpillar<br />
has focussed my attention on<br />
looking at alternative evergreen plants which are suitable<br />
for topiary. Box blight is a fungal disease which causes<br />
die back in plants and is most prevalent in warm, wet<br />
conditions. So if you already have Box plants it is always<br />
best not to trim them when the leaves are wet or rain is<br />
expected, keep good air circulation around the plants<br />
and when watering always aim for the base of the plant<br />
and not the leaves. Box tree caterpillars can completely<br />
defoliate a plant and whilst sightings are still rare in the<br />
north west, they are on the increase. There are ways<br />
of tackling both of these problems if they develop but<br />
they entail a lot of effort and even Monty Don and Alan<br />
Titchmarsh have given up and<br />
removed their Box plants.<br />
So in new planting schemes<br />
I have started thinking about<br />
alternatives to planting Box and<br />
surprisingly there are several<br />
good options. These include:<br />
• Lonicera nitida has very similar<br />
leaf to Box but more vigorous (ie.<br />
will need pruning more often)<br />
• Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean<br />
Hugues’ makes a good alternative<br />
hedging plant<br />
• Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly)<br />
has small glossy leaves and takes<br />
shade well like Box<br />
• Taxus baccata (Yew) can be used successfully to create<br />
larger topiary shapes and hedging<br />
• Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’ is a shrub which<br />
naturally forms a neat rounded mound which requires<br />
minimal pruning so is the perfect answer for a low<br />
maintenance scheme<br />
So box clever (excuse the pun) and before automatically<br />
buying Box as your go to plant for evergreen structure<br />
and topiary consider the alternatives. With our weather<br />
pattern becoming warmer and wetter it is probably the<br />
wise thing to do.<br />
Angie is a qualified awardwinning<br />
garden designer<br />
who will plan your garden<br />
to your needs from start to<br />
finish, supplying reputable<br />
contractors and the ideal<br />
plants.<br />
Call Angie now for your free consultation!<br />
Angie Barker Dip GD (Inst GD) BA (Hons)<br />
Garden Design For All Seasons<br />
Tel: 01942 522 405<br />
Mob: 07857 008 383<br />
www.angiebarker.co.uk<br />
Award Winner
Change language