Boxwood alternative?!?
kellyccurry
7 years ago
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kellyccurry
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Is Lonicera Nitida Elegant good for a boxwood alternative?
Comments (9)Viburnum opulus and V. trilobum are nothing like box and box-like shrubs, and do not lend themselves to close trimming. Box honeysuckle is not as slow-growing, dense and tidy as dwarf boxes such as 'Suffruticosa'. Winters where it gets down to approximately 10 F. or somewhat below are sufficient to kill it back. Temperature ranges attributed to hardiness zones are based on averaging of annual lows, so there is no single temperature specific to a particular zone - and no combination of winter conditions specific to any one zone. Any of multiple different zones can over a span of time have several different winters that got down to [insert temperature here]....See MoreSeeking ideas for privacy on downward sloping lot (pic)
Comments (10)Unless there's vegetation at the border of your property that can't be seen in the photo, I believe developing a fine shrub border should be your goal. If you think along these lines, you'll be considering a variety of conifers, deciduous, spring, summer, fall interest plants. I also think adding some great grasses would be fun, and children would enjoy them , too. If you design with family in mind, your youngster(s) could enjoy nooks you create with your vegetation. What I'm saying is spend some time making a plan that reflects all your goals: a sense of privacy or "real" privacy (a mixed border vs. a row of evergreens). Are you going to stay in this house "forever" or for 5 years? That makes a difference in your expenditures and whether you are gardening for resale value or primarily for esthetics and your pleasure. Lots of places will do a plan for free if you buy the plants. However, usually you'll get only the most commonplace plant suggestions that includes what they carry in stock. If you decide to "plan" in more detail, let us know and we can be more expansive with our ideas. There are people who have already responded to your post that know nearly every shrub that grows....See MoreLush non-twiggy hedge
Comments (10)Maybe Myrtus communis. The rather small dimensions desired would have to be achieved and maintained through regular clipping, whatever kind of shrub was chosen. Your reference to Sunset Climate Zones suggests you know about the Western Garden Book. It has a hedges and screens table in the plant selection guide near the front....See Morecheap way to grow a dense evergreen 2' hedge? 75 feet
Comments (14)ended up getting a good deal on boxwoods and planted those. those $2 ebay flats would take forever to grow and look like a hedge. And a 2 ft border of vinca minor sorry I don't see a way to quote or even italicize your post, so I'll just reply in ALL CAPS. - Here (not sure about your location) one needs to think about where and how snow will be removed. Plants lining the drive can be in the way of snow removal or can be damaged by removal of wet, heavy snow. ALREADY THOUGHT OF ALL THIS. THE DRIVEWAY recently HAD A RAISED STONE /brick BORDER INSTALLED about 6" tall. snowblower will feel that and not go into lawn/vinca. especially a single stage blower with soft rubber paddle vs a dual stage with metal auger can damage brick if not careful if didn't actualyl know it was there though. it's actually better IMO to have vinca there if there were no raised brick border because if some were chewed up by a snowblower, it'll just grow right back in spring vs turfgrass might need to be RESEEDED if crown is damaged enough. - Depending on number of cars and drive width, is there room to get out of the car when parked if the drive is lined with plants? If the drive is particularly crowded with vehicles, for instance for a family gathering, is there room to walk up the drive to the house without having to avoid the plants lining the drive, or is there a pathway to accommodate foot traffic? I hate having to step out onto plants other than grass, and stepping over a 2 1/2' hedge would be inconvenient for all but the most physically fit and casually dressed. YES THIS IS WHY I put the hedge 3 feet away from the edge of the driveway, so car doors can open fully without hitting the hedge (if cars are parked that close to the driveway edge. the vinca border right along the driveway is low-growing vinca minor, it only grows about 6" tall especially if trimmed down once or twice a year which also promotes denser growth. And UGH! Keeping 75 feet of vinca (times two sides) in bounds would be something of a chore if it is happy. It sends out long runners that root where they touch, and I am constantly fighting to keep it out of the lawn and adjoining beds, etc. and it will try to grow out onto the driveway with the potential of being a trip hazard if it loops around and reroots. That's a lot of regular trimming. Pachysandra might be a better choice. pachy (and english ivy) climb and vinca doesn't. And it's quite sunny and vinca is the better of the 3 for sunny areas, and it fills in the quickest. It can be put around a hedge or other plants and not take over them as long as they're over a foot or so tall. With weekly or every other week mowing any vinca runner can be cut back in literally like 10 seconds while edging the driveway with a string trimmer. The vinca border has a bed edge/clif cut out of the lawn and just run the string trimmer vertically over any runners to keep it out of the lawn. Yes if unkept the vinca can creep into the lawn but I see this situation all the time with other groundcovers and it's not that hard to keep in place. Also trimming a 2-3 ft tall hedge is a cakewalk for me. going up on ladder and trimming branchy stuff becomes a chore but a simple hedge trim like that is no problemo....See Morekellyccurry
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davidrt28 (zone 7)