Best of Boxwoods – The Every Season Staple

One of the best ways to judge a garden is how it looks in the winter. Don’t get us wrong, we naturally gravitate toward certain flowering annuals for different seasons. However, evergreen plants, shrubs and trees are the building blocks of every garden, especially in zones where plants lose their leaves in the winter months. So, what has become one of the most reliable, traditional, hardy evergreen staples in Scarlett’s Garden? Boxwoods of course!

We just planted a NewGen Freedom Boxwood in Scarlett’s Garden and it’s adapting like a charm.

Here are some types of boxwoods to consider for your garden and a checklist before you begin planting:

Types of Boxwoods: NewGen Freedom Boxwood, Common Boxwood, the Japanese Boxwood, Green Beauty Boxwood, American Boxwood, English Boxwood, Jim Stauffer Boxwood, Winter Gem Boxwoods and Wintergreen Boxwood.

When to Plant Boxwoods: Best to plant in the early spring. However, you can continue to plant boxwoods through the summer months.

Where to Plant Boxwoods: Most boxwoods prefer not to be exposed to full sun all day. Too much sun exposure can result in browning leaves or “bronzing.” Choose a planting area with partial shade (ideally a spot that receives afternoon shade, when the sun is the strongest).

How to Plant Boxwoods: See our video for a visual of how we plant boxwoods. Generally, make sure to plant in an area with well-drained alkaline soil, leaving ample room for the root ball. Smaller boxwoods can be planted 2 to 3 feet apart. For larger boxwood varieties, plant boxwoods at least 3 to 4 feet apart to avoid overcrowding at maturity.

How to Care for Boxwoods: Although not required, boxwoods respond well to slow-release fertilizer, but do not fertilize in the summer months. It’s best to provide fertilizer in the early spring. Either way, provide ample water after planting to help get your boxwood established (we recommend deep watering twice a week after planting). Overtime, if you notice any diseased, dying or browning branches, these should be removed and pruned immediately to aid the health of your boxwood. General pruning should be done annually. In Scarlett’s Garden, we prune our boxwoods in the early spring (or late winter if needed sooner).

If you are on the fence for your next planting project, consider adding the glossy greenery of boxwoods to your garden. Happy planting from SG!