"Burlapping" the Boxwood in My Summer House Garden

December 16, 2021

"Burlapping" the Boxwood in My Summer House Garden

Here at my Bedford, New York farm temperatures this week have been in the high 40s to low 50s - quite mild for this time of year. Nonetheless, I am very glad many of my cold-sensitive boxwood shrubs are now protected under burlap.

I've been covering my boxwood specimens with burlap since I first started to garden. Burlap protects the branches from splaying and breaking under heavy snow and shields the foliage from freezing windburn. Over the last few weeks, the outdoor grounds crew has been busy covering the boxwood plantings around the farm - most recently, the shrubs and hedges in my Summer House garden.

Enjoy these photos.

: This formal sunken garden is tucked away behind my Summer House and completely surrounded by tall American Boxwood. This photo was taken in September before all the leaves began to fall.

: Covering all the boxwood at the farm takes several weeks to complete. Rolls and rolls of burlap are needed to wrap my hedges and shrubs each winter. After every season, any burlap still in good condition is saved for use the following year. Because the areas to be covered are wide, long pieces of burlap are sewn together to accommodate them properly. These rolls come in various widths – some 48-inches and some 60-inches wide. Chhiring’s sewing skills get faster every year.

: All the sewing is done using five-inch or eight-inch long craft needles specifically made for working with jute – every member of the outdoor grounds crew has his own needle. These needles have large eyes and bent tips.

: Here is a frame built along one side of the garden. Building the frame at least a foot taller than the tallest shrub protects any heavy snow from weighing down onto the tender foliage.

: The piping is pounded into the ground – each one about four to five feet from the next, and then 10-foot wide bow sections are secured on top – this will last quite a while and give the boxwood a lot of room to grow.

: These are called tension purlin brackets. They connect the center piping to the bow sections.

: Here is one fastened to the bow section and the center peak.

: Next, the heavy burlap is placed by hand over the frames, one section at a time. The frames keep the burlap from touching the boxwood on all sides. Once the frame is secure and the burlap is sewn to fit, it is stretched out down the length of the footpath. The burlap is made to cover both the shrubs and the low hedge.

: Phurba pulls the fabric taut and starts sewing the opening closed. Phurba has done this burlap process for several years. Each season, the crew streamlines the process making it more efficient.

: Here is what it looks like underneath the burlap coverings.

: Here, the sides are pulled secure and attached to stakes with wooden strips every two to three feet along the bottom.

: These strips are about six to eight inches long – just long enough to accommodate two or three screws that will keep the burlap secure. These are also reused year after year – nothing is wasted at my farm.

: Our burlap covers can last up to three seasons depending on the weather, but remember, these boxwood specimens also grow a little more every year, so the covers and frames have to be adjusted each time.

: With the burlap secure, any snow that accumulates on top of the finished structures will sit on top or slide down the sides. Chhiring then rakes each of the beds, so they are neat and tidy.

: The tall American boxwood that surrounds my sunken garden also needs protection. This boxwood is more hardy than its European cousins, so it doesn’t need burlap.

: Instead, it is is protected with plastic netting to keep the branches from splaying.

: Here is a closer look at the netting we use – it is pulled taut, so any snow that falls does not weigh on the branches.

: I always encourage the crew to gather all the necessary supplies and tools first – the right items for the right job. Doing this saves time later.

: We use these bamboo stakes to help secure the netting around the boxwood.

: And then strong string is tied to the bamboo and pulled through the boxwood at different sections to keep the netting tight.

: Here is a finished side – the netting is barely visible from afar.

: And here is a look down the center footpath of the garden – everything is well-enshrouded in burlap.

: From this entrance into the garden, everything looks completely different. These structures will provide strong protection through the winter until everything is removed again in spring.