PLANTprofile

Boxwood

By Kathy Jentz

Boxwood (Buxus species) is an evergreen shrub that has been grown ornamentally for thousands of years. It is used in the landscape as an edging, in containers, in mass groupings, and as a single specimen plant. Boxwood varieties can be fast-growing or slow. They also come in many different shapes, from upright and columnar to round and full. There are varieties that have longer leaves or variegated foliage, and there areeven miniature versions. Avoid English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’) if your nose objects to the strong boxwood scent. The other boxwood species are fairly scent-free. The best time to plant boxwood is in the early spring or early fall. It prefers a neutral soil with a pH between 6.5–7.0. After planting, make sure to water the shrub consistently. However, boxwood hate soggy roots, so don’t plant them in wet areas or near downspouts. Don’t plant boxwood too close to your home’s foundation or right next to sidewalk and driveway edges. They will need room to spread and grow. They also have shallow root systems and do not like anything planted under them. It is best to mulch lightly and never use stone or marble chips around them. Boxwood is fairly deer-resistant, but has some disease and insect pressures. For a healthier planting, choose a boxwood variety from the newer blight-resistant introductions. You will also need to periodically thin the plant’s interior growth to assure good air circulation and that sunlight gets inside. You can see extensive boxwood collections at public gardens in the Mid-Atlantic region such as the National Boxwood Collection at the U.S. National Arboretum and the more than 160 boxwood cultivars on display at the Virginia State Arboretum at Blandy. You can find out more about boxwood at the American Boxwood Society’s website: boxwoodsociety.org. o

Kathy Jentz is the editor and founder of Washington Gardener.

CELEBRATING THE 20TH SYMPOSIUM

DESIGNING WITH PURPOSE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023 | 9:30 AM–4 PM

Speakers will share their design strategies to achieve a range of sustainability goals in the landscape, from gardens resilient to climate change to those that have reduced carbon footprints. Explore innovative design and maintenance practices that bring visual order to naturalistic gardens that make them make them more palatable to neighbors and HOAs. Though these landscape goals may seem unrelated, they can all be achieved by selecting the right building materials, understanding plant communities, and leveraging creative plant combinations. Join us to learn how!

SEMINAR TOPICS

� Quest for Climate Resiliency: Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable Plant Design Laura Hansplant, landscape architect and co-owner at Studio Sustena � Soak it up: Carbon Sequestering Sites Pamela Conrad, landscape architect, founder of Climate Positive Design, and current Loeb Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Design � On This Land: Connecting Minority Communities to the Natural World Veronica Tyson-Strait, landscape designer, educator, artist, and Horticulture Manager at Randall’s Island Park Alliance � Unlawning Suburbia: Lessons in the Design and Management of Nature-Inspired Landscapes Benjamin Vogt, Author & Owner, Monarch Gardens

GreenScapes will be offered as a series of live online lectures using Zoom with audience Q&A incorporated into the program. Each session will be recorded and a link to watch the symposium will be emailed to all participants. Registration includes access to watch recordings of each session after the event. BrooksideGreen.org 301-962-1470

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

EARLY BIRD FEE: STANDARD FEE: $45/person until Jan 13, 2023 $55/person after Jan 14, 2023 Register using this link ActiveMontgomery.org (Course PBG0057) or call 301-962-1470.