Which Border Plant Is Preferable, Hydrangeas Or Boxwoods?

Boxwood plants are smaller and denser plants that can be used as a border or edging around hydrangeas to provide structure and definition. They can be planted in a row or staggered pattern, leaving enough space for both plants to fill out and grow. Boxwoods add color and dimension to hard surfaces like decks, patios, driveways, porches, and boring areas of your yard. They look good all year round and are affordable.

By planting hydrangeas behind boxwoods, you can soften the boxwoods’ rigid lines and create a more natural and flowing look. Boxwoods serve many functions in landscaping, from framing an entry and edging a walkway border to surrounding an outdoor fountain and marking off a shady flower bed.

Create a mini boxwood garden patch by planting boxwood bushes symmetrically and complementing them. Boxwood borders can create warm and welcoming pathways laced with crimson, light green, and gold shade plants like heuchera, coleus, and potato ivy. Choose annuals that evolve in color as they mature.

Boxwoods can also be used to create a border around hydrangeas, creating beautiful lines and curves in the home landscape. Border hedges can be sculpted to your liking and can be rounded or angled.

Hydroponic boxwoods offer contrast to the looser habit of hydrangea bushes, providing an orderly edge to the space and providing some green interest in the winter months. Hydrangeas and boxwood work stunningly together in small front gardens or stately homes. It is a personal preference whether to add something in front of boxwood or at the back of hydrangea.

What is the best plant to go with hydrangeas?

Astilbe, a low-maintenance plant, pairs well with hydrangeas that prefer shade due to their feathery plumes and fern-like foliage. They are easy to grow, low-maintenance, and deer and rabbit resistant. Astilbe, like hydrangeas, brightens up gardens with limited sun. It grows to 6 to 24 inches tall and 6 to 60 inches wide, and requires partial to full sun and loamy, moist soil. Anise hyssop, also known as hummingbird mint, pairs well with hydrangeas due to its attractive pollinators and deterrent properties. Its tall, sturdy stems and dense spikes of small, tubular, bright blue flowers make it one of the hardiest and longest-blooming flowering plants.

What plants look good next to boxwoods?

Hydrangeas are a classic combination for boxwoods, with their vibrant colors complementing evergreen boxwoods. Periwinkles are ideal for tall boxwood shrubs, as they require only partial sun. Lamb’s ear or creeping thyme can add structure to any landscape. Hydrangeas come in various colors and are low-maintenance, but a smaller variety like smooth hydrangeas is recommended for balance. Hydrangeas require 1 inch of water per week, partially-shaded locations, and rich, acidic soils. They can adapt to poor soil conditions.

Are boxwoods high maintenance?

Boxwoods require minimal winter care, but new growth is susceptible to damage. Wrapping them in burlap after the first frost helps prevent burn. Before frost, remove damaged or weak branches with a sterile pruning shear and add organic mulch to retain moisture. Common pests and plant diseases include blight, leaf spots, and root rot. Common boxwoods, like English boxwood, are more susceptible, but more resistant varieties are available. Well-draining soil can prevent these diseases from forming, but be aware of the potential risks.

What is the best ground cover for hydrangeas?

This guide explores the world of hydrangeas, a popular garden plant known for its vibrant colors and diverse textures. It provides insights into successful hydrangea companion planting, focusing on the right plants for different garden conditions. Blue Fescue, an ornamental grass with striking blue foliage, is an excellent choice for adding color contrast at the base of hydrangeas. The guide also provides insights into creating a visually appealing and ecologically balanced garden.

What not to plant next to hydrangeas?

Lavender, a Mediterranean plant, is sensitive to soil moisture, humidity, and sun, preferring dry, rocky, sandy conditions. Its unhappy condition can cause it to turn yellow, brown, and snap off its stem. Daffodils can be toxic to other plants due to their secreted substance. Marigolds, while a great companion plant for many herbs and vegetables, do not like hydrangeas. They prefer sun and prefer their feet in drier conditions, and if placed in moist ground, they will droop, turn yellow, and eventually die.

What is best to put around hydrangeas?

Mulching is essential for protecting and insulate hydrangeas during colder days and nights, keeping moisture in and weeds out. Even snow acts as a natural insulator for hydrangeas. Applying chunky mulch around the base of the plant gives them the best chance at success. Decorative mulch, straw, marsh hay, or fallen leaves are helpful. In colder climates, marginally hardy hydrangeas, such as the mop head/big leaf hydrangea variety, can be wrapped or completely covered.

Hardier hydrangeas don’t need extra winter protection, but extreme cold can cause die-back of branches. If a colder than normal winter is predicted, consider covering them. For more information on hydrangeas and other outdoor plants, visit Joe’s Market Basket or call them at their locations in Edwardsville, Godfrey, Troy, O’Fallon, and St. Peters, Missouri.

What is the best landscaping with hydrangeas?

Hydrangeas are a beautiful garden plant that can be complemented by various plants such as annuals, ornamental grasses, hostas, ferns, evergreens, and small-to-medium-sized trees. To create a dreamy summer entry, water them at the base or roots with drip irrigation or soaker hoses. Overhead watering can cause diseases like Cercospora leaf spot. To achieve a bold, blue hue, work coffee grounds into the soil around your hydrangeas in late fall, months ahead of the blooming season. Repeat this application two to three times a year. This will help achieve your garden goals and ensure your hydrangeas thrive in the long run.

What to arrange with hydrangeas?

Frances Schultz prefers garden arrangements with a mix of intentional and unfinished flowers. In St. Simons Island, Judy and Jack Powell’s home features a potting shed filled with hydrangeas, snap dragons, belles of Ireland, lotus, and curly willow. In Heather Dewberry Stoller’s dining room, Jimmie Henslee arranged three jars of hydrangeas, clematis, dusty miller, and other flowers, dressing the dining table with white ceramic birds and dolphins. These arrangements are part of a midsummer’s eve celebration from Susan Sully’s book, Southern Hospitality at Home: The Art of Gracious Living.

Where is the best place to plant a boxwood?

Boxwoods thrive in dappled shade, requiring full sun for a portion of the day to prevent damage to their leaves. They thrive on the north side of a house and require moist, well-drained soil. They may require supplemental watering during dry spells, with one inch of water per week being ideal. The Woodward Globe Arborvitae, also known as Thuja occidentalis, is an evergreen shrub with a rounded form that can be maintained or pruned.

It is known for its easy-care characteristics, pest and disease resistance, and tolerance to clay or rocky soils. It is often used for hedges or narrow spaces due to its compact growth habit and dense foliage.

Is it good to put coffee grounds around hydrangeas?

Coffee grounds not only provide beautiful blue blooms but also improve soil drainage, water retention, and aeration. They also help plant growth microorganisms thrive and attract earthworms. Coffee grounds also serve as a natural slug and snail repellent, keeping them away from plants. Additionally, they act as a cat repellent, preventing neighborhood cats from using flower beds as litter boxes. So, enjoy a cup of coffee with your plants.

How do you keep boxwoods alive in the winter?

Boxwoods are excellent insulators for plants, but heavy loads should be gently brushed off to prevent breakage. To protect boxwoods from snow and ice damage, wrap them in burlap or plastic wildlife netting, and tie them up with twine. Before winter, remove any late-season new growth and weak stems to reduce stem injury. Sanitize gardening tools with 70 isopropyl alcohol to limit pest or disease spread.

Once the ground is frozen, add a winter layer of mulch to keep moisture at the roots, but avoid covering the base stem. Consider using an anti-desiccant to protect boxwoods from drying out in the winter wind.

Boxwood varieties are ideal container plants, making them a welcoming sight around the home. The plant’s hardiness rating is based on a plant in the ground, making them more susceptible to fluctuating temperatures. When choosing a boxwood for containerization in freezing temperatures, select a variety that can tolerate at least two growing zones colder than normal. The more cold-hardy the plant, the better it will perform.