Q&A With a Boxwood

DOOR, HOUSE NUMBERS, WINDOW BOX: STUART TYSON/STUDIO D; LAVENDER, PINK WAVE PETUNIAS, WHITE AFRICAN DAISIES, PURPLE WAVE PETUNIAS, ORANGE AFRICAN DAISIES: GAP PHOTOS

light fixture

The couple brought the onion lamp from their first home, a farmhouse in rural Maine. Its rustic look works here too.

Quoizel Cooper 21"tall aluminum 1-light wall lantern, $198, allmodern.com

paint colors

HOUSE: Golden Lab by Benjamin Moore

FRONT DOOR AND SHUTTERS: Lafayette Green by Benjamin Moore

TRIM: Atrium White by Benjamin Moore

potted flowers

In the blue pot by the steps, the homeowners combined (clockwise from top left) lavender, pink Wave petunias, and white African daisies for their varying heights.

9"W x 173/4"D x 231/2"H ceramic planter in deep blue, from $170, borderconcepts.com for stores

house numbers

Metal numbers with a wispy shape, mounted to the arch above the front door, fit the exterior’s storybook look.

4"-tall iron house numbers, from $4 each, signaturehardware.com

doormat

This green-and-yellow leaf pattern matches the exterior colors perfectly.

HomeTrax Designs Green Leaf coir mat, $34, overstock.com

storm door

The storm door’s multi-lite design echoes the windows. Its color was inspired by the Green Bay Packers, Cynthia’s favorite football team.

Traditional wood core and aluminum deluxe single-vent 3/4-lite Colonial door with brass hardware, from $240, andersenwindows.com for stores; paint: Lafayette Green by Benjamin Moore

landscaping

Wanting to attract birds, butterflies, and bees, the couple filled their yard with fragrant plants like bee balm, beautyberry, and anise hyssop.

window box

Purple Wave petunias and orange African daisies bloom in the wrought-iron self-watering planter mounted to the window outside the upstairs bathroom. The homeowners lean out the window to fill it up once a week.

Vienna 24"W x 9"D x 9"H window box frame with PVC liner, $177, flowerwindowboxes.com

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Q: What’s the plural of boxwood?

A: Many experts prefer “boxwood,” but you can find “boxwoods” in the dictionary.

Q: Do all boxwood look the same?

Q: When is the best time to plant boxwood?

A: Nope. There are more than 400 kinds of boxwood, and there are many differences among them. All boxwood have small round or pointed green leaves, but variegated boxwood—such as the Elegantissima boxwood—have white or yellow streaks, which make them appear to be a pale shade of green from afar. Some, like the John Baldwin boxwood, sprout foliage with a bluish tint.

A: In the fall, but you can plant boxwood in the spring or the summer if you check them closely for insects and make sure they get enough water.

Q: Do any have flowers?

A: Boxwood are known for foliage, not flowers. All boxwood can produce compact bunches of yellow and green flowers in the spring, but they’re hardly noticeable. And English boxwood, the most commonly planted boxwood in America, typically bloom only when they are environmentally stressed and trying to reproduce.

Q: Are preser ved boxwood real or fake?

A: Preserved boxwood are real plants treated with glycerin for softness and suppleness and green dye for color. Commonly used in topiaries, wreaths, and garlands, preserved boxwood can maintain their lush look for up to five years when kept indoors. If your home’s air is dry, mist the leaves with water every so often to keep them hydrated.

Q: No offense, but don’t boxwood smell like a litter box?

Yikes! This place stinks like a shrub! A: Not necessarily! True, the leaves of some boxwood varieties, especially English boxwood, are known for giving off a more potent scent than others do. Some say they smell like a used litter box, but not all people think so. Ask your nursery, and sniff before you buy.

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