Ticking all the buxus

I love Buxus Sempervirens both as a low hedge, defining garden spaces, and as topiary.

It features strongly in many open gardens throughout the country and is a strong feature in a few borders in our display gardens here at Griffins.

I find that it adds vital substance and form to the garden, creating a framework for flowers in summer and adding rich green structure in winter.

It’s an ideal shrub if you wish create your own little maze in your garden. Buxus, also known as box, is an incredibly versatile plant that is perfect for trimming into topiary shapes, including balls, spirals and much more.

Buxus Sempervirens is a slow growing evergreen shrub that grows to five metres or more with small, glossy oval or oblong leaves, and small yellowish flowers in spring. It has a mass of fibrous roots that are very good at finding available moisture and nutrients from wherever it finds itself, and as a consequence it will grow in deep shade.

However, to get the healthiest, thickest plants, it should be planted in good soil, with good drainage, and in some sun. When setting out young plants, it is essential to keep them clear of surrounding growth.

Buxus usually only need pruning once or twice a year perfect for our busy lifestyle. The best time to trim box topiary is late spring. This will encourage the development of side shoots. These new shoots can then be cut in midsummer to create a well-defined surface in whatever shape you wish. This will again cause side shoots to grow. The plants can be given a final shaping and tidy up if necessary in early autumn. Always use sharp tools to shape topiary as this will mean that stems are cut cleanly, not crushed.

When it comes to buxus, the most common question is why is my buxus is turning yellow?

So how do we keep that buxus looking a vibrant velvet green, healthy and strong to fight disease and discolouration? There is a super food just for buxus - Health-mix by Top Buxus. I would highly recommend every buxus owner to feed the plant now with this.

Whether it is a shrub hedge or in a container, you will get quick results and stronger plants. This exciting product, developed by a top Dutch buxus grower, is both a leaf-fertiliser for buxus as well as being a natural product for the treatment of fungal infections. Buxus Health-Mix contains nutrients that stimulates the growth of shiny green leaves and a natural product that burns the fungus spores and ensures healthy growth free from fungal infection.

 

Last month, I was asked to do a display in front of St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh for AOIFA – the national flower festival. In some of our large concrete urns, I planted tall spiral topiary. This formal planting scheme complemented the cathedral and receive a great response from the crowd that attended.

If you would like our team at Griffins to create a colourful creation at your front door, feel free to bring in your pot and we will plant it for you will you wait. Contact Griffins Garden Centre in Dripsey on 021-7334286.

Thanks you to all who attended Griffins Garden Centre Cycle for Charity raising €5,500 for Cork Simon and One Man’s Ethiopia.