We want to (at least) remove the row on the right side of the entryway, maybe remove both rows as it really closes off the entire space. Is there any hope of keeping them alive? Not sure we would re-plant them but could at least give them away, I hate to just let them die!
by itsCalledTodd
15 Comments
they survive easy
I would remove the ones on the tree side and perhaps plant annuals that flower consistently there for this year. You can always remove the other side later. But there is no space for shrubs there anyway
Trim them, shape them and keep them. Those take some good work to get where they are. They look healthy, I would definitely keep those happy and trim them up a bit.
Edit: Don’t forget to trim the backside.
List them for free on fb marketplace, put in the post that they must come dig them up. Someone will come for them most likely. Especially if you’re in a moderately big city or near one.
Shape them back into low balls, use the open intermediate space to plant annuals to give depth. It’ll take a year to look good.
the right thing to do is to kill them
One of the first things I did when I bought my house is to remove the boxwoods between the garage wall and walkway to the door, just like what you have there. I have found endless trinkets in the dirt. The stumps are still there unfortunately, but I plan to redo the walkway and those will come with it so I can plant a flower garden or something more appealing to the eye. I understand others below saying to keep them, but I personally don’t understand the appeal.
Boxwoods survival is a mixed bag with transplanting but when done correctly they generally do well.You could post them for free and see if anyone is willing to come and dig them out and take them away for you. That would save you the work. You can’t trim them past the leaves or they will look ugly and take forever to grow back.
As a landscape installer I do my best to steer clients away from boxwoods whenever possible.
I love plants but I also love seeing boxwoods get removed. Especially the manicured ones like you have
You can trim them down. A lot. Think of turning them into a speed bump. Well maybe not that small. But you get the idea. I would do a 2/3 height rounded barrier.
Oh no that’s such a nice walking path tho. Maybe take it back some closest to the door?
They are beautiful but quite overwhelming for this space. I’d pull them out. I would also be concerned with the ones that are against the wall because, which could cause damage /drainaige issues to the foundation. Plus it’s too narrow.
I’m not in favor of removing mature landscaping on a whim, unless you have a really good idea of what you want to do as a replacement. Aside from doing a little trimming (to the edge of the walkway), I would wait until I had a comprehensive plan of what I wanted to do with the space.
You say it closes off the space, but it’s a small space anyway, and the boxwoods give it an interesting and distinctive look, that disguises part of the big brick wall. Unless you have something planned that’s a lot better, I would move slowly.
I truly hate to say this but they need to be removed possibly early winter they could be dug up and planted elsewhere until then you can try trimming them into a sphere shape
Start spraying them to avoid boxwood moth. Causing carnage all over Michigan right now and spreading.
No matter what it is, Reddit always going to tell you to “keep them”. Just like old hardwood floor that is rotting, people will say to keep them. “It’s better than what they make now a days”……