Really! And to be honest, this is not my gardening mantra, BUT, I have no choice. Ideally, I love an instant, mature garden…a garden that magically looks like the image I have in my mind. That pristine image has been horribly altered by the unusual weather over the past winter, which wreaked havoc on the boxwood (at least, that’s what I think the problem is). It’s disheartening, but I’m not giving up. I’ll stay calm and carry on…
Most of my boxwood hedges are looking ghastly. Every day, I see another part of the hedge that must be replaced. I’ve already gone through once and cut the dry yellow tops off, added a layer of manure, and watered. I was away the past weekend, and my heart just sank when I did my walkabout on Sunday evening. There was more visible damage than I had initially thought.
Like every year, all the boxwood hedges were covered with burlap for winter protection. What is a mystery is why so many were damaged while others were spared entirely, often just a few feet apart. Is it drought, winter burn (from wind or reflection from the snow), or extreme temperature swings? The areas facing south and west suffered the most.
I have the time and desire to replace the dead and/or damaged boxwood. However, the cost will be substantial. Spending the gardening budget on new varieties of shrubs and perennials would be so much more fun. It’s like replacing a dryer when you would rather be shopping for a new sofa.
This is how the boxwood looked last spring (photos left and below). The boxwood hedges around the raised beds in the back garden were planted over twenty years ago. Occasionally, a few boxwoods may have to be replaced, but nothing significant. The front parterre was planted in 2016; again, very few have been replaced over the years.
Once established, boxwood is very hardy, drought-tolerant, and resilient. I plan to set up a protected area in the garden for any boxwood that may be salvaged. Once I’ve dug them up, I will cut out the damaged branches and leaves and replant them in the “recovery ward” of the Boxwood Hospital.
I hope your gardens survived the winter much better than mine and that everything is getting green and lush.
Happy Mother’s Day!
xox Judy❤️