My New Boxwood Border
The big pergola transformation project is now complete and it looks absolutely terrific.
As you know, I decided to make some changes to the garden beds below my long and winding pergola. I wanted to plant two long rows of boxwood, Buxus, along the entire length of the space. I love boxwoods and have hundreds growing all over my Bedford, New York farm. Over the last couple of weeks, the outdoor grounds crew has been very busy expanding and preparing the beds, so we could transplant about 300-boxwood shrubs - shrubs that I have been growing right here at the farm for the last three-years. It was an arduous task, but we are all so proud of the outcome - the new boxwood border is stunning.
Here are photos of the last phase of this transformation process - enjoy.
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- Across from my Tenant House, where my daughter and grandchildren stay during visits to the farm, I have a long and winding pergola.
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- This summer, I decided this area would be great if planted with a row of boxwood on both sides. Here is one side all ready for planting.
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- In a small patch adjacent to my vegetable garden, I planted these boxwood shrubs three-years ago. They’ve developed and grown into nicely sized specimens – perfect for the pergola. Buxus is a genus of at least 70-species in the family Buxaceae.
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- Here, Dawa trims and shapes the boxwood. This is easier to do before they are moved because the new beds have already been cleared and mulched.
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- Then, Wilmer carefully removes each boxwood shrub – choosing the largest and most similar in size. Using a shovel, Wilmer digs a trench about six-inches wide and eight-inches deep all around the boxwood and then beneath the root ball, until it is finally severed from the soil.
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- Carefully, Wilmer removes the boxwood from the ground. It’s important not to break the root ball.
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- Each shrub is placed into a plastic pot and then groups of potted boxwoods are transported to the pergola, where they are placed one by one along the garden bed.
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- Every boxwood must be positioned perfectly, so the outdoor grounds crew cut a piece of bamboo to help space the plants as they are planted.
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- The boxwood will be planted exactly two-feet apart. Here, Chhiring places a shrub in its proper position before the hole is dug.
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- Chhewang digs a hole twice as wide as the root ball, but no deeper. Once in the hole, the top of the root ball should be a half-inch higher than the soil surface.
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- Chhiring places the boxwood into the hole, and tamps down around the plant, backfilling with soil wherever necessary.
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- Here are the first several planted – it looks so beautiful already. Boxwood can grow in full sun and partial shade.
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- The crew works in a well-paced production line process. As the boxwood is planted, more are delivered. Boxwood shrubs are slow-growing plants with dark green glossy leaves. Leaf shape depends on the variety; some are round while others are elliptical.
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- Here is Phurba, carrying each plant to the pergola. so they’re ready for planting.
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- There are nearly 80-boxwoods in each section. The best time to plant boxwood is during the fall. Plants need well-drained, alkaline soil that contains organic matter. As you know, my soil is filled with lots of nutrient-rich compost made right here at the farm.
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- As the shrubs are planted, Ryan gives them a good drink. Water needs to penetrate the earth to a depth of around eight-inches.
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- The entire process takes a few days. Here is Dawa planting one of the last boxwoods.
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- I am so pleased with how well these boxwoods have grown.
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- Dawa waters each specimen by hand, so it gets a good, deep drink.
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- And look how beautiful. This row is on the back side of the pergola, in front of a row of Rose of Sharon.
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- Here is the front of the pergola – all finished. The small flat stones spaced along the bed helps with the water runoff when it rains.
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- My property director, Fred Jacobsen, took out the drone to get this bird’s eye view of the pergola with its new boxwood border.
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- It looks completely transformed – I love it.
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- I am even more excited to see how it develops over the next couple of years – it is so, so beautiful. What do you think about the new border? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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