Not in the usual way when bad things happen to good people.
More in the Simon Cowell low ratings sort of way!
So......
Back in May, I planted another job lot of baby box (Buxus Sempervirens) on our front driveway.
Four months on things aren't good......
About one in five of the young plants has died, the colour of the leaves has been totally stripped away leaving very sorry pale cream specimens in place of lovely green healthy young plants.
I have been keeping an eye on them for the past four weeks or so, making sure they are fed and watered, and having the odd chat a la Prince Charles. But to no avail and they are getting worse.
I can only think that they got either too dry or too wet-given the strange weather we have had this year.
Or the wall and existing trees have stripped all goodness out of the ground.
Or, maybe I bought a bad lot. I still have another tray that I didn't plant and they have started to go as well.
Any way, I'm just about to pull them up and replace them with a new batch, and I'll be watching them as if they were my own children. I'll keep you posted!
......And breathe....
Just to bring some happiness into this post, I had to find some images of some successful box planting before everything goes to sleep for winter - any excuse!!
Source:Waterproof Valentines
Source: L'extravagence
That's better!!
Hope you have a lovely week,
Lizx
Love Boxwood! I know what you mean tending to our plants like children...I take it personally when something dies or does not thrive! I bet it was just a bad lot, not you or the soil! Happy Thursday:)
ReplyDeleteMy dear friend did educate me about a horrible fungus that plagued boxwoods.
ReplyDeleteI shall ask her the scientific name.
Better to pull them out but you need new soil...
I adore boxwoods, my husband shaped a round ball to a sort of pillbox shape and I thought the gardener had done it. Oh dear. What a fiasco boxwoods can create.
pve
I am sorry for the result in your garden, I hope you can make it better then it is now ;)!
ReplyDeleteLove, Ingrid
Hi Liz - Be careful with bringing in new boxwood to your garden. There is a bad box blight going around, and here is an article, fyi:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/boxwood-facing-new-blight-disease/2012/09/04/852bf7e6-ee21-11e1-afd6-f55f84bc0c41_story.html
Good luck!
Loi
Boxwoods haven't feared so well this season. Like some of the others stated, there's a fungus that has taken a liking to the boxwoods. Several friends posted similar pic to yours on fb during the Summer. I'm sure the weird weather we've had doesn't help either. Good luck with this new batch!! XX
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention Prince Charles, as when I was at Highgrove, they mentioned they'd had problem with box too - and like your readers above. Shame, though.
ReplyDeleteI adore boxwood - we have it throughout our garden. My husband treats it like a baby - clipping and shaping and attending constantly - but he is driven to distraction not by fungus, but by the fact that our Jack Russell terrier seems to think that it's an hilarious game to raise his leg to it and watch my husband throw a fit in response. Unfortunately, his 'ah-hem' unwanted 'attentions' produce much the same effect as the box blight!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new batch!
Paula xx
Hi Liz,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your hedge. It looks sort of burnt. I have box in my garden too, but fortunately it survived the summer.
Good luck with your new plants!
Madelief
Hey Liz, as Loi mentions above - could be Box blight - a fungal disease, If it is the affected plants should be lifted and burned!! maybe take a piece to your local (knowledgeable) garden centre to determine if it is, maybe there were just a few weaklings in the job lot! What a shame! after all your hard work! good luck sorting it out!
ReplyDeleteSharon
xxxx
Hello Liz, it´s the first time that I come to visit you and I love your blog. I´m your newest follower. It´s a pity when we put so much effort on growing a plant and they rebel against us. And because overdrying or overwatering signs can be so similar, it´s so difficult for me to know what I´ve done to my plants. So to learn yours are not doing so well.
ReplyDeleteTake care and thanks for following my new blog. Have a great weekend. I´ll be back often.
Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteThank you all so much for your comments regarding my Boxwood hedging.
I had heard of Box Blight before, but thought that I didn't have the symptoms. Well thanks to Loi and others, on further investigation I fear that that's exactly what I've got.
Offending plants now dug up and well and truly disposed of.
My only worry is that I haven't infected my existing hedges. Anyway, I shall be super vigilant, and keep my fingers crossed!
Hope you all hae a lovely weekend,
Liz x
We have had a similar issue this year Liz. We lost a huge Buxus ball and three smaller. The large one was quite upsetting so I am thinking of trying Privet next year as it escapes all the blight although I've never grown it I love the results.
ReplyDeleteHi Liz,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your box blight, it's so disappointing when something goes wrong in the garden. I've really enjoyed looking through your blog, see you on Tuesday!
Charlotte
Oh no!! I always feel so irrationally upset when a plant fails to take or gets ill. As though I'm personally responsible - which I suppose half the time I probably am!!
ReplyDeleteThose images are lovely - just my cup of tea!!
We've just had lots of box planted in our front garden so fingers crossed for both of us!
Sarahx
Oh no! Hate that when box just throws a strop...and it does rather do that! I have some well established box balls that have decided to go brown round the edges ,grrrrrr!
ReplyDeleteWanted to say how lovely it was to meet you, hope you got home in time for tea!
Sarah -x-