I'm now in Zone 7 (NC); I updated it on my member page, but I guess it doesn't update automatically? I guess now that I'm posting again on the landscape forum (lots of landscaping to do! I've been on the other forums while building the house), I'll have to remember to change it. Anyway, I guess I'll go ahead and stick with gardenias since I'd sure love to have them (Ah, that aroma), but I can't find Crown Jewel anywhere. Size-wise, I think I can substitute Kleims Hardy, so I guess that's what I'll do. As for shade--the house will shade the gardenias from morning sun (the front of the house faces almost due west) then eventually the crape myrtle will shade it from overhead sun. In the later afternoon, tall oaks out in front of the house offer up shade. I hope it's not too much shade, but I figure the landscape architect should've taken it into account already. Thanks! Tracey

Ditto waplummer regarding Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly). Grew up with one that is that age. Plus they don't have branches die out in the center in such a dramatic fashion as a box (particularly english box). Since it appears that shearing is desired, they would definitely work better with that type of maintenance then the larger-leafed hollies, which beg for heading rather than shearing.

Dee, I have 'Green Mountain' which I bought a few of from Bluestone, too. And I have the Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa' that I bought locally many years ago. Love those too, they're so slow growing. Then I have a third variety that I've forgotten the name of. I have to prune the NOID boxwood which is just two individual plants, but the Suffruticosa has fit perfectly on either side of the front steps and not needed pruning. But I do get those cupped leaves that I end up having to prune off. The 'Green Mountain' I hope to not have to prune. I really love boxwood and would love to get more varieties at some point. But a new blight makes me hesitate a little. We used to have an old hedge that was tall and had to be pruned twice a summer. HATED that hedge. Ripped the whole thing out. We have a Maple that rains down helicopters that seem to all germinate every spring and that hedge was always full of Maple seedlings and if you missed a few, they'd be the devil to get out. But your application around a small bed with dwarfs sounds so great! I'm sorry you've had this problem now. What about the soil they were growing in? Is there a chance if you plant new ones, they will get the same blight? Is the blight soil borne or air borne? You might want to call Bluestone and let them know what happened to your plants. They have such a great guarantee, maybe they would replace them for you? I've never tried sticking boxwood cuttings into the ground. I use a large sweater box, that is opaque actually and the cover is solid and I fill it with a mix of 3/4 sand and 1/4 soil and just stick them in there and water them and in about 3 weeks they are rooted and I pot them up and let them hang around with the rest of the pots until they're big enough to use. I love to propagate, but I don't always take time to, there's so many other things that have to be done. And yes, Bluestone used to be so inexpensive it was worth it to just pick up some on a sale. I found another source for small boxwood plants, I think they were under $6. per plant. I'd have to look up the name if you are interested, let me know. javaandjazz, I considered getting those 'Graham Blandy's and went with the Ilex 'Sky Pencil'. I would have been happy with either, but the 'Sky Pencil' was available and on sale. Both are very interesting accents. This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Sun, Jun 23, 13 at 9:26

There are lots of good ones, and they are probably all good at heat and drought. As Jim says, if you'd let us know which part of Australia you live in, it would be easier to comment. Australia is a very big place, containing lots of very different growing conditions! Trish