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Try outside-the-box plantings for boxwood By Rhonda Nowak Nov 13, 2022 12:30 AM A A “(Boxwood), as an ornamental, has earned its position of aristocracy by a quality that practically borders immortality. I mean by this that once established, the plant will live on through many generations of man, and under the most adverse circumstances.” — Valencia Libby’s “The Northwest Gardens of Lord & Schryver,” 2021 Buxus species, or boxwoods, are considered “man’s oldest garden ornament” because there is evidence that ancient Egyptians planted hedges of boxwood some 4,000 years ago. (It’s not clear how boxwoods came to be available in Egypt because the plants originated in Europe and Asia). In England, by the time Henry VII established the Tudor dynasty in 1485, royal gardens throughout the United Kingdom were filled with different varieties of boxwoods clipped into hedges, topiaries and knot gardens. Boxwoods were introduced to North America in the mid-1600s and were at the height of their popularity in the northeastern United States during the 19th century. There are 97 Buxus species and 261 registered cultivars; the two most popular boxwoods in the U.S. are common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) and dwarf English boxwood (B. sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’). They are staple landscaping features of the Colonial Revival style of architecture, most prominent from 1880 to 1960. Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver, partners of the first woman-owned and operated landscape architecture firm in Oregon, used boxwoods extensively for their landscaping projects, including the design of their own garden at their home, Gaiety Hollow, in Salem. The opening quote is part of a conversation between Schryver and Oregon nursery owners Mr. and Mrs. V.A. Goode about the availability of boxwood in Oregon and some of their clients’ objections to it. Schryver wrote, “We wanted to talk to you about the box situation. We have tried to get people more interested in having it, but so many speak about the scent, which we both like, and it seems to be objectionable to so many, and people here are so silly about the thought of a hedge of any kind. However, I know we have made some impression in that line in this last year, and my advice is to keep on growing it, and the time will come when it will be very popular.” Schryver’s letter references the fact that front-yard hedges were uncommon in Oregon in the 1930s, although she and Lord believed personally and professionally that privacy was essential for a residential landscape. The women used boxwoods to create a hedge along the front sidewalk at Gaiety Hollow; in fact, boxwood hedges and borders became a recognizable hallmark of Lord and Schryver gardens. Schryver’s letter to the Goodes also reflects the opinion of some that boxwoods smell like cat urine; however, others (like Schryver and Lord) appreciate their scent, and others (like me) detect no strong odor from boxwoods at all. Apparently, the odor is heavier when the inconspicuous flowers bloom in spring and when the resinous leaves warm up in the summer heat. Lord and Schryver’s use of boxwoods is captured in photographs of their landscape designs in garden historian Valencia Libby’s book “The Northwest Gardens of Lord & Schryver.” The pictures captured my attention because I am in the process of transplanting about 40 dwarf boxwoods. Previously, they created a low border for the “curious knotted garden” in my Shakespeare garden, but now I’m using them at my home in Medford and my property in Bandon. Fortunately, boxwoods have shallow roots, so they were not difficult to dig up. However, now the challenge is to find places where they will thrive and add to the landscape aesthetics. There are several benefits of using dwarf boxwoods: They are evergreen, compact and slow-growing, long-lived, deer-resistant, pollinator-friendly when in bloom, grow in full sun or partial shade, require low maintenance and, as previously mentioned, create evergreen hedges and borders. However, I already have hedges around my yard in Medford, and I’ve used rocks to border my flowerbeds. Furthermore, a hedge or border of neatly trimmed boxwood would be misplaced in our informal, woodland landscape in Bandon. What to do? I’ve decided to use my dwarf boxwoods in two outside-the-box ways. I’ll use most of them in small-group plantings in Bandon alongside large rocks, on top of a long rock wall, and in raised berms I’ve created along the gravel driveway. The boxwoods’ small, light-green leaves will provide a pretty contrast to the deeper green conifers in the surrounding landscape, yet the boxwoods won’t look out of place near the native evergreen huckleberry shrubs, which have similarly shaped foliage. The boxwoods will be grouped along with ferns, hostas, dwarf purple barberry (another plant I’m repurposing from the Shakespeare garden) and spring-flowering bulb plants. I may also plant some Oregon boxwood (Paxistima myrsinites) to add a native plant to the community. Although not a true boxwood, this prostrate, more loosely branched evergreen shrub has similarly shaped leaves and small, fragrant, maroon flowers that attract native bees. The second way I’ll use some of the dwarf boxwood is in containers, either by themselves or mixed with other plants. Particularly trendy right now is planting boxwoods individually in pots of different sizes, shapes and/or colors for patios and terraces. Wherever and however they are planted, boxwoods need alkaline soils (pH 6.5-7.5), so after testing the pH of my soils, I may need to add some dolomitic lime to reduce acidity. Boxwoods also need well-draining soil, and they benefit from annual applications of compost and mulch around the root zone. I have never had any trouble keeping my boxwoods healthy except for a bit of leaf burn during the hottest summer days, yet I’ve heard that boxwood foliage also can suffer winter damage (although neither of these will be problems for my boxwoods in Bandon). In addition, according to the American Boxwood Society, boxwoods are susceptible to blight, a fungal disease that causes dark spots on the leaves, defoliation and death of the plant. The best way to prevent disease is to keep boxwoods healthy by providing the growing conditions they need. Luckily, boxwoods are versatile plants that don’t require a lot of fuss. I’m sure that was one reason Lord and Schryver were such advocates for boxwood in Oregon. According to Libby, the two landscape architects believed boxwoods provide “immediate age, charm and dignity where properly used.” I will wait to see if these characteristics describe my “outside-the-box” plantings of boxwoods in my garden spaces. Rhonda Nowak is a Rogue Valley gardener, teacher and writer. For more on gardening topics, see literarygardener.com or email Rhonda at [email protected].