Put a decorative summer planter and an artful 'found' sculpture from the beach in front if the odd design of just a couple of boxwoods bugs your design eye.Īlso - to the OP - you know how in the photo you posted back when - it appears that there is a slight slope down in to the junction of the garden bed and the lawn (struggling rosemary plants) - is that correct? so the buxus (boxwood) would be planted minimum one foot (12 inches) BACK from the lawn edge - so would that also be soggy wet? In the photo it looks like that specific garden bed is 'mounded' which is typical for a landscaper-installed bed around a lawn. Literally plonk them in to the exact area you are considering - and then leave them be. So - I think that I'd be running to the nearest plant store (wow, that sounds like a great idea! I'm an easy sell)Īnd buying a few baby buxus - probably on sale at a big box store in W Vanc - I would choose as close as possible to the name I'm thinking of installing -Īnd testing them before installing a tidy row of 30 of them. Yes, I agree, buxus seem pretty forgiving PS - maybe if you do start your border low edge from 'scratch' again - you can salvage a few of the better rosemary and put them in a sunny, dry, sheltered spot against your house where you can pick the herb for your kitchen. The Sunset western garden book would likely have good suggestions too (note their proprietary garden climate zone system - which I find very accurate) (probably avail at your good year-round plant nursery)ĮDIT - HERE is a good place to start - lots of local retail plant stores carry from this major grower - they have good photos and suggestions on website.

ĪLSO - just google 'best buxus for knot garden' and I think there's an article from SFGate website which is pretty helpful If i find my label from the buxus I have here in containers - I'll post it - I seem to think Emerald but. Read up on the types you find at your nursery (I imagine all the usual places ranging from the Big Box store at South Park Royal to Maple Leaf hi end in West Van would have this product in by now - so go and look at the labels - note them (photo them) and go home and look online to compare attributes (slow growing / mature height-width / etc) I would say you'd want to space the new plants about 2 feet apart (maybe 18 inches) (knot garden style) - BUT don't let the garden crew take their massive shearing blades to it - and don't cut it back too far (it will be ruined). Your garden service should let it establish (probably a drip hose to get it going the first summer at least) - then gentle shearing if you want that square look. Make sure you pick SLOW GROWING and 'rounded' (there are some distinct columnar buxus) - unless you want a bigger hedge, that is - but it looks like you're aiming for more of a low controlled border. I have a couple of deer who wander thru - but they haven't touched the buxus (you'd have to read up on what local West Van deer like)

The buxus I have did well this past Feb with all the minus temps and snow and ice - no burn marks on the leaves. It is not demanding at all (I pretty much abandoned it where the pots got placed after moving)

I have similar rocky, dry, shaded near ocean on the Coast near Vanc - and I do well with a buxus that is ideal for containers. in reply to West Van (immediately above) - I think Buxus (boxwood) would serve you well in place of rosemary (I know, expensive to replace but the rosemary does not look happy compared to the rest of your cared-for semi-formal landscape). yes, my Arp rosemary has survived so far - I kept in a pot in a very sheltered outdoor area - so far so good (EDIT to clarify - I read all the suggestions and some other info off net and asked garden center expert - and decided to buy all-new rosemary plant - and I chose 'Arp' - and it's a-ok so far over the 2018 summer and then this past winter in to March 2019)ī.

Rosemary seedlings leggy