It is cold, it is freezing, so I just popped out very quickly to take some photos for today’s Foliage Day hosted by Christina at My Hesperides Garden. I hope you are warm and safe Christina, after seeing the news about the earthquake and avalanche near you, thank goodness they are still finding people alive. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families caught up in it.
The rose garden is between the house and garage and was the nearest area of foliage to photograph and therefore the quickest, so I could get back into the warm house! In the summer, the rose bushes are billowing everywhere and you can hardly see the box balls for the flowers, but in the winter, they come into their own and form the formal structure of the area.
Buxus sempervirens.
Box and Euonymous Emerald and Gold.
Box, Euonymous and conifer.
Lonicera nitida Baggesen’s Gold and conifers.
Box, Euonymous, conifers and Lonicera.
The box balls are the larger leafed box which I bought in my ignorance well over 20 yrs ago. They were bought as tiny little plants for just 50p each and have since grown into study box balls. So far, thank goodness, they haven’t shown any sign of blight or any other disease and look very healthy. I have to thank Neil, who is now helping me with the garden, for clipping them so beautifully as they really are the stars of the rose garden through all the winter months.
At this time of year, we have to turn to the evergreens for foliage interest. bulb and perennial foliage is starting to show above ground, but we will have to wait a bit longer for their leaves to unfurl and provide interest for Foliage Day. Do pay Christina a visit to see other foliage around the world which isn’t covered by snow!
The box looks good. I’ve returned to a garden showing the ravages of winter. Without a doubt it needs more structure.
Thanks Jessica, I like the winter structure which includes box cubes along the drive! They only need cutting once a year, so that isn’t too bad.
I love seeing your Box balls in the winter, they do add so much when needed then are happy to quietly let the roses take over in summer. Perfect. My husband felt one of the quakes in his office on the 8th floor in Rome; this time I didn’t feel anything but all the schools in our area were closed for 3 days ‘just in case’. Thanks for your always valuable contribution to GBFD.
This area is what we look out on when doing the dishes Christina, summer takes care of itself, so I rely on the box and it’s friends in the winter for interest at this time of year.
That’s a very interesting Lonicera, Pauline. I had to google it on the RHS site. It’s crunchy outside here too so, with your lovely garden architecture in mind, I am making a timetable of what needs to be trimmed and dug once the freeze is over !
The lonicera is a more golden colour in the summer Rosemarie, when it has more sunshine. It also needs trimming more often than the box and euonymous which is a bit of a pain sometimes! It will be lovely to get onto the garden once more when the freeze finishes, there is so much that needs doing!
Your box balls and euonymous and lonicera are a real treat to see – well done to Neil for this if you say he is indeed the one responsible 😉
Yes Cathy, the clipping has all been done by Neil, glad you like them. I did it for years and it was a back breaking job, so I willingly handed it over to him, he’s a lot younger than me!
Those box balls are lovely and beautifully clipped. Yes, here’s to all being safe in Italy.xxx
Thanks Dina, all credit to Neil for a beautiful job!
I love your contrasting shapes and colours. The box balls are so effective and structure is so important in winter and of course it contrasts well with other areas of your garden, like your woodland area. A great post which has had me wandering round my garden looking at foliage and structure.
Glad you like them Sue, this area is certainly different in the summer when the roses are flowering and yes, definitely different from the rest of the garden in its formality.
Those box balls really are effective Pauline. I imagine they would look wonderful if you had snow. 🙂
Unfortunately we hardly ever have snow Cathy, the last snow we had was in 2010! At the moment they are wearing a covering of frost, but that will soon go as the sun gets up.
The structure of your garden is wonderful and no doubt contributes to the success of your garden year round. I also love how the various foliage colors keep everything lively and full of interest.
The area is an octogon Deb with a box ball at each every corner and four Euonymous in just four corners. There is also a smaller octogon in the centre, again with a box ball in each corner. When planning it, we decided we wanted something interesting to look at during the winter months, the euonymous brightens it all up on a cold grey winter’s day.
Your box really are looking very smart Pauline and very impressive together with the other conifers. I have somehow slipped off your mailing list so have subscribed again…. the wonders of modern technology!
So glad you have found me again Denise, thanks for re-subscribing! Glad you like the box and friends, we like seeing them from the kitchen window.
What a nice collection to highlight the winter garden. I agree it adds quite some interest to an otherwise dormant spot.
I might just have to steal this idea 🙂 my front border is missing something and I think this might be perfect!
Thank you Frank, it’s much better than looking at bare soil round all the roses in the winter! By all means pinch the idea, we all get inspired by other gardeners.
What a lovely post! I adore your box balls, and now, having seen yours I know I definitely need to add more to my meager start. I posted “Green Meatballs” a few days ago, and definitely would have linked to your beautiful photos and post. Blessings.
Thanks Carolee, I’m so glad you like them! Mine started out as tiny little tufts of box 20 odd years ago, but soon grew to be ball shaped very quickly. Good luck with yours!