How to Design a Boxwood Garden

Plant the boxwoods in spring when the ground thaws for easier digging and establishment. Use these shrubs in gardens from U.S. Department of Agriculture Growing Zone 5 to 9, but always choose boxwood varieties hardy to your region.

Design the garden before planting. Use the boxwoods as a border around the garden, with several plantings in the middle of the garden for interest. Plant boxwoods alone, or in rows or groups for a hedge appearance. Give each shrub 3 to 5 feet of space for growth; the shrubs will grow together to produce a hedge over time. Put boxwoods in sites with full year-round drainage, protection from harsh winds and partial or indirect sun. Boxwoods may burn in full winter sun.

Amend the chosen planting sites. Dig into a 2-foot-square site for each shrub, to a depth of 10 inches, and turn 5 inches of sand, organic compost or garden loam into the natural soil. Boxwoods don't require heavy nutrition but do require loose, quick-draining soil.

Water each boxwood with 1/3 gallon of water to settle the soil and put the shrubs on a schedule of 2 to 3 inches of water every week. The shrubs withstand heat and drought but produce better foliage with regular waterings. Mulch the soil in the 2-foot-square sites with pine straw or pine bark to keep the boxwoods moist and warm.

Feed boxwoods in their second year, and every year thereafter, in late winter to early spring. Use 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 granular fertilizer to encourage lush foliage growth.

Prune boxwoods in spring or summer for shaping and training and to remove dead or diseased branches. Don't prune the shrubs just before the fall frost, as this damages new growth.