by James Todman
Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ is a beautiful shrub. Large white balls of flowers on long stems from the end of July and into August. But this variety of hydrangea has a reputation for flopping due to the size of the flower heads. Wire supports help but they don’t look great. A natural support is box hedging. I…
The fungal disease box blight attacks Box (Buxus) and can result in twiggy patches and dieback. Box blight was first recognised in the mid 1990’s and has now become a real problem in many gardens all over the UK, especially with warm and damp weather. What is Box Blight? Box blight is a fungal disease that…
Over the years I have developed quite a collection of topiary shears. They all have their own different characteristics, and that’s not just the price. Some work better on thicker stemmed shrubs, others are more suitable for a faster clipping action – a lot depends on their weight, balance and type of steel used to…
I want to share with you a problem someone had with their box hedging that surrounds a lawn area. Brown circular patches were appearing on the grass side of the box hedge, all at roughly the same height. The owner’s Labrador was accused of causing the damage so I was pleased to exonerate the dog…
Mussel scale is a small insect that attaches itself to the stems of a box plant and sucks the sap. This can cause the foliage to discolour, turning yellow and orange. If the scale are left untreated the box may start to lose leaves and will have poor growth in the Spring. Have a close…
You will know if you have box tree caterpillar in your garden because of the damage it can cause. Buxus can be stripped of their leaves in a very short period of time. If left untreated, then the box tree caterpillars will eventually kill the plants. But there is a good chance the Buxus will…