Why Gardeners Are Looking Beyond Boxwood Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) has been the default choice for clipped hedges and formal edging for centuries, thanks to its small, dense evergreen leaves and tolerance of hard pruning. In recent years, though, boxwood blight (a fungal disease that causes rapid leaf drop and dieback) and boxwood leafminer have made…
When to Prune Cherry Laurel Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is a fast-growing evergreen shrub prized for its dense, glossy foliage and reliability as a privacy hedge. The best time to prune is late spring to early summer, after the main flush of new growth has hardened off but before the plant sets next year’s flower…
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) has been a staple of European garden design for centuries. Whether shaped into a neat sphere, clipped into a precise hedge, or sculpted into an ornamental topiary, this evergreen shrub lends structure and elegance to any garden. Proper care and skillful pruning are essential to keep your boxwood healthy and dense. The…
With its magnificent flower clusters in white, pink, red, purple, or yellow, rhododendron is one of the most spectacular flowering shrubs you can grow. For this Asian beauty to bloom abundantly year after year, a few basic needs must be met. This comprehensive guide covers everything about location, planting, pruning, and proper care. The Right…
Hydrangeas (Hydrangea) are the undisputed queens of the summer garden. With their lush, mophead or lacecap flower clusters in white, pink, blue, purple, or green, they draw every eye. Whether grown as a striking specimen shrub, a romantic hedge, or an elegant container plant, hydrangeas are incredibly versatile. The Most Popular Hydrangea Varieties Type Height…
The forsythia, often called golden bells, is one of the first heralds of spring in the garden with its bright yellow flowers. Before a single leaf appears, the shrub covers its branches in countless golden-yellow blooms from March to April. To keep a forsythia blooming abundantly year after year without becoming leggy and overgrown, proper…
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), also known as shrub hibiscus, brings a touch of tropical flair to the garden with its large, exotic-looking flowers. From July to October, new blooms open every day in white, pink, blue, or violet, often with a striking dark red eye at the center. This winter-hardy shrub is both low-maintenance…
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) has long been a fixture of European garden culture. Its tolerance for shaping, dense evergreen foliage, and remarkable longevity made it the top choice for hedges, borders, and ornamental topiary for centuries. Today, however, boxwood faces serious challenges — chief among them the box tree moth. Characteristics and Growth Buxus sempervirens grows…
Why Privet Remains a Hedging Favourite Privet (Ligustrum species) has been a go-to hedging plant for well over a century, and for good reason: it grows quickly, tolerates hard clipping, and forms a dense, uniform screen that blocks both view and wind. Common privet and its evergreen relatives such as Ligustrum ovalifolium and Ligustrum japonicum…
A Shrub Built for Spring Drama Rhododendrons are among the most rewarding flowering shrubs for a temperate garden, producing dense trusses of trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of pink, purple, red, and white from mid-spring into early summer. Part of the genus Rhododendron (which also includes azaleas), these evergreen or semi-evergreen shrubs range from low, compact…
