Everyone loves a box parterre (don’t they?). Back in June 2012, fellow blogger Veronica, from Through the garden gate, and I went to see the open gardens in Amsterdam. We had a super (if a tad exhausting) weekend looking at many hidden gems in the city.
A recurrent theme was definitely box parterres.
Not present in every garden we visited, but quite a few.
There was also the gorgeously curvaceous box sculptures at Kerkstraat 67,
and the box dividers at the ever-so-delicious De Kas restaurant (just outside the city centre).
However, there’s a problem. I’m not sure if they exist in Amsterdam, but here in London, box-tree caterpillars have arrived in force over the last few years. Not only does box hedging have to contend with box blight, but these blighters can wreck a lovely bit of hedging in no time and many gardeners are looking out for alternatives.
By the way, the moth that lays its eggs measures about an inch (2.5cm) and is white with dark brown edges, and pheromone traps will be able to let you know if they are in your area. As it’s so mild of late, much to my dismay, new moths are still arriving in the traps I have.
If spotted in time, you can spray your box with chemicals, but this is a lengthy process if you have a lot of hedging and impossible if you’re an organic gardener or if the hedging is surrounding edibles.
Another gardener I know says he sprays the box with strong jets of water, but the box doesn’t like this much either.
So what could you use instead? Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly) and Lonicera nitida are now being promoted by hedging companies and on a recent trip to Haddon Hall in Derbyshire I was really inspired by their parterres.
The outer edging is grown from Teucrium x lucidrys (hedge Germander, with pink flower spikes in late summer)
and the inner divides are grown from rosemary and lavender.
The look isn’t as tight and clipped as box, but I like this softer look (especially with the backdrop of an amazing Tudor manor house) and the fact that the whole parterre is grown from herbs. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to fend off the caterpillars, so its good to know that there are other plants out there that will be able to do the trick.
And following Diana’s comments (below) also quite fancy using Chilean guava (Ugni molinae) (above) as hedging. Would be evergreen, but edible.
Also, here’s a link to Wisley’s Facebook page showing their trial garden for box alternatives and Michelle’s great post about this trial and listing most of the plants they are testing. Thanks Veg plotting!
Out of my shed 
We have a garden in the South of France and this moth has been a serious problem there for the last two/three years. Personally I think yew is the best alternative, certainly for achieving the tight effect of box. I also understand moth resistant box is being developed.
Hi Louise, good to hear from you. Yes, I know other gardeners who are opting for Yew too. It’s definitely a good reliable alternative, not susceptible to blight, honey fungus or the moth! (Had to dig out nearly 20m of privet in one garden due to honey fungus, now replaced by yew!)
Will do a bit of research into moth resistant box…. V.best Naomi
Good to know about that moth. I thought it was a pretty new butterfly!
Sent from my iPhone
>
Maybe pretty, but its young will gobble up your box come spring!
I’ve never seen the point of enclosing one’s garden planting in artificially-shaped evergreen hedging.
First came privet hedges, which greedily took up too much space in so many front gardens for many decades. Recently, there’s an unfortunate increase in the use of Portuguese laurel instead, but that isn’t much better – except in sunny situations which deserve more interesting planting.
Box is as boring and labour-intensive as privet and far too commonly used by unimaginative garden designers. It’s unlikely to be a coincidence that box blight and now the box caterpillar problems have developed; both suggest that such intensive cultivation is unsound.
For my taste, evergreens need to give the garden much more than artificially tidy foliage. I wouldn’t grow any that don’t provide good scent and, preferably, interesting flowers as well. The various wintersweet shrubs offer lovely alternatives, for instance.
Hi Diana, Fair points! Box parterres definitely a design choice that is not for everyone! And I agree, intensive cultivation or almost mono planting will always carry a greater risk for pests and diseases.
Rather like the idea of Chilean guava hedges myself, which would be evergreen yet edible! Nx
Not planning any hedges but thanks for the idea of Chilean guava, Naomi – scent as well as edible winter fruit is a real bonus.
Hi Diana, have been growing a Chilean guava in a large pot. The fruit is absolutely delicious. Said to be Queen Victoria’s favourite!
I’m growing a Chilean guava hedge on the allotment. It’s early days yet, but this year’s fruit have been delicious! I’ve seen a couple of gardens using an upright green Euonymus this year – the new herb garden at New Place in Stratford is an example. Have you seen the box alternatives trial at Wisley? Lots of different alternatives set out in quite a small space, which looks attractive in its own right.
Hi Michelle, many thanks for info about Wisley trials. No, haven’t been down there since the beginning of the year. Think I should go and have a look!
Really interested to hear how your Chilean guava hedge progresses.
Any pics of the Euonymous hedge (or a link to your blog page)? Nxx
I am a huge fan of box and have two parterres here and lots of box balls. I really love the contribution the evergreen form makes in Winter. I just hope the damn box moth doesn’t head south west. If it does I will take a different approach entirely and skip the evergreen hedges for a more open design with herbaceous and grasses- always up for a new planting challenge.
Hi Sue, fingers crossed for you!! But I like your pragmatic approach if they do indeed strike!
Hi Naomi – your wish is my command! I saw another garden with the same solution a bit later, but which one escapes me for the mo’ 😉 http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/weekend-wandering-in-footsteps-of.html
Here’s some info about Wisley too. I’m going to try something similar (and simpler) with my front garden http://vegplotting.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/thinking-outside-box.html
Hi Michelle, Huge thanks for your links. Have added these to the post. Look forward to seeing how your front garden progresses. Nx
I’m not a great fan of box hedges myself, but it is worrying when every year brings more and more plant pathogens. Lovely to have a glimpse of Haddon Hall, not far from where I was born.
Hi Chloris, glad you liked the glimpse of Haddon Hall. Loved your post on succulents. Naomi
[…] via Box alternatives — Out of my shed […]
[…] Beautiful, formal box is under threat Image: Out of my shed […]