Afternoon! We had several of what people refer to as boxwoods growing as foundation plantings. Some people have told me they're actually some kind of holly, thrown in for quick foundation coverage in new construction. Well, they were pruned into round balls before we bought out house and we continued the trend while we figured out whether or not to keep them. In the end, we decided to replace all of the plantings at the foundation. We kept 2 of the "boxwoods" and transplanted them to another location. They looked just fine for a couple of months. I should have noticed that the ones we just dug out without transplanting looked just as good, even with their roots sticking up into the air! At any rate, eventually the foliage on the transplanted ones began to brown in sections. I left them over the winter because I couldn't decide if they were actually dying or just experiencing transplant shock. I figured I'd wait to see if there was any new growth in the spring. Wonder of wonders, there is! Now that I know they're alive, I'm trying to figure out how to revitalize them. The brown stems and leaves are interspersed among green sections. They're still round, of course, but I like a more natural shape, so I have no problem losing the current growth. But how much can I take off? And how should I go about it? Can these be cut back to nearly nothing? Or should I just remove the branches that seem to be dead and leave the rest, holes and all? Finally, should I just leave everything alone for this year, since the new growth has already started, and take whatever steps I decide upon in the fall or winter?

Thanks for any help. Never thought I'd be interested in actually SAVING these things!

Karen