If you are looking for an elegant addition to your garden, look no further than the boxwood. Their sophisticated look and infinite varieties and shapes remind reminds me of strolling in perfectly manicured gardens in France, which have inspired my landscaping at home. I have planted over 350 boxwoods in a variety of forms: globes, topiaries, and hedges. I have added white twinkle lights to several of these to show them off during evening garden parties. Ooh la la!
You can plant boxwoods as hedges or as topiary in the fall or spring, though fall is probably ideal for the roots before winter sets in. Do not plant boxwoods in the heat of summer or the cold of winter.
Now (early June) is the time to trim or shape your boxwoods because the new growth has set. My friends Kim and Roxanne Kimberly, owners of Boxwood Gardens in Newberg, Oregon, recommend feeding your boxwoods every 3 months with 12-8-8 fertilizer to keep your plants healthy through the year. They own the largest boxwood nursery in the United States, and they are experts on growing and shaping these marvelous plants.
A couple of years ago, Kim and Roxanne allowed me to host a French picnic at their home surrounded by their 35 year old boxwood garden. What an inspiration to us all! (Shown above). We set up our feast with a quilt on the ground, and it was so hot they insisted we dine in the shade and eat in their back yard under the trees along the Willamette River. We enjoyed a chilled glass of Provençal rosé and our delightful picnic treats all afternoon. I felt like I was back in France. What fun!
If you wish to purchase boxwoods for your own, home contact Boxwood Gardens.
To make your own outdoor picnic, see the menu and recipes in my book Ooh la la! French Inspirations for Entertaining and Travel, available at my website for a reduced COVID-19 price of just $40 (including shipping!).
