Green globes

Here it is July and we still don't have all the pruning finished in our garden. New growth on some of the trees will smack you in the face if you don't watch where you are going. But the biggest pruning task — the annual clipping of the boxwood, yew and barberry globes and cones — has been done. Now it's up to me to clean up the prunings which are still surrounding most of the green shrubs.

I love the contrast of clipped shrubs and blowsy perennials or mown grass. In the picture below you can see three asymmetrical evergreens that get clipped to keep the paths and the views open. Look to the steps up to the Tea House and you can see a few of the more tightly pruned evergreens.  

Take a step back and another box ball comes into view. They're everywhere. When Mark was finished pruning them he said he was not sure they really were low-maintenance — which is the reason we initially planted them. He might be right, as I counted 50 shrubs that need an annual clipping to keep their rounded shape plus two that are pruned into squares.

Luckily my twelve Buxus 'Morris Midget' don't need any attention. I first bought ten of these little charmers in 2010 for $6.00 each. You can see the petite size seven years later compared to my foot.

Given the fact that plants — even dwarf varieties — never stop growing, I may have to prune the midgets eventually. But it doesn't look like it will be for quite a while yet when you compare them to these big guys.

One of the boxwoods along the stairs up to the Tea House has sent out seedlings in recent years. This spring I potted them up and have them on the deck. I am not going to put them out into the garden until they are a bit bigger. 

Last year I bought a pair of Buxus microphylla 'Very Dwarf' from Arrowhead Alpines Nursery. Exactly how big these might get is unknown. But they're so diminutive they really need a pot or trough to even be seen in the garden — at least at this stage. They're sweet little plants but not as sugary as pots of small flowers would feel in this spot.

Comments

[Lisa at Greenbow]

I love the look of all of those evergreen balls and squares. Yews are mighty growers. Can't imagine trying to keep them in control. I love to see yews in a space where they can flounce. It doesn't look near as neat and tidy but it suits my eye. A boxwood with babies? I didn't know they did that. I will be on the lookout. Those tiny boxwoods are something else I was not aware of. Fun to see. Don't work too hard.

[Pat Leuchtman]

I love your trim greenery, but I'm awfully glad I don't have to do any real trimming myself. Your garden is a beauty.

[Beth @ PlantPostings]

Very nice! I thought I was done trimming for a while, but we had a big event in the woods last night. Two of our neighbors' large oaks came down in the storm (actually, there were large branches from various trees all over the back yard, and the sound of chainsaws was filling the neighborhood this afternoon). The big trees took down some of our smaller trees, and really opened up the canopy on the southwest side of the property. I'm still feeling a little unsettled, and we have a lot of clean-up to do tomorrow. Over time, having a little more sun back there will be just fine, but it feels weird right now. I love your boxwoods in the pots!

[Linda Brazill]

We've lost a few trees to storms and it is always a shock. Also have had big changes in light from trees taken down on both sides of our house by neighbors. Nothing seems to stay the same for long.

[rusty duck]

I wish I'd opted for something dwarf for the low hedge I have around the lawn instead of the Lonicera nitida I had in abundance. It needs trimming every two weeks at this time of year! Low maintenance.. not!

[Linda Brazill]

Isn't that so often the way. The solution that is more economical turns out to have other issues like time involved pruning that you don't discover until you've already made the first decision.

[Frank]

50? I suddenly feel very lazy when I mumble about my short boxwood hedges.
Actually I don't mind the trimming, it's very satisfying when it's something which adds so much to the garden... which I THINK it does. I also like the contrast between the airier plantings and the tight boxwood.

[Peter/Outlaw]

I love the contrast between the clipped shrubs and the free forms of the other plants in your garden. Seems worth the once-a-year haircut!