When we moved into our house, the garden was unruly. The woman who had lived in the house before us had collected roses – and had maybe skipped taking care of them the last few years. After several years of pruning, editing, and planting, we still didn’t have the exact space we wanted.
A quick Instagram shout out to #heyswansons fixed that! Last winter I realized that after the roses and peonies faded in the fall, we were left with twigs and bare dirt for the next several months. Something needed to happen to give the space structure and year-round interest.
The team at Swansons walked me through loads of options from low shrubs that would grow wild and stay small to any and all options that could be formed into a formal hedge. Since there are boxwood plants in another part of the yard, we decided to keep the same look in front of the roses while adding a bit of formality that is lacking in the otherwise natural space.
Boxwood plants grow slowly but will create a lovely hedge once they are filled in. Our 22 foot space called for eight plants each planted about eighteen inches apart. When planting a formal hedge like boxwood, it’s important to measure – not only keeping each plant equally spaced apart from each other, but also equally spaced from the front edge of the lawn.
Our soil was not ideal so we brought in several yards of a steer manure & compost blend that will help the plants and break down our clay filled soil over time. It’s also a lovely black shade that makes everything look clean and sleek when it’s evenly applied to the entire garden!
Now – thanks to #heyswansons - our rose garden has a formal border in front of it – a much needed counterpoint to the sometimes unruly roses!