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I am looking to put some Japanese Boxwood in front of my property to disguise my raised foundation and was wondering if there are any big no-no's I should avoid?
I am looking to place some some brick in front of the plants to separate the lawn from the foliage and was wondering if I should have the bed raised behind or keep it level with the lawn?
For reference, here is a look I am looking to imitate. Thank you!
A few things to consider:
Depending on where you live, the boxwood you plant may be susceptible to boxwood blight. Right now, this is most prevalent in the US in the New England and down the east coast. I'm assuming that it will be making its way along the northern tier of states. I'm assuming that you want boxwood because it's an evergreen and easy to trim. There's not many other options for a substitute - maybe a low-growing yew?
Mow-ability. If you love maintaining your lawn and string-trimming everything in sight, then raise the bed that the shrubs are planted in. Personally, I'd leave it at ground level so that I can mow over the edging and reduce my maintenance time. Which brings up...
Edging. I would definitely edge the planting bed to keep grass from growing into it. If you use brick, you need to go down at least three inches to keep the grass out. Brick is a nice look and gives you space for your mower's tires, but grass has a nasty habit of crawling under the bricks and through the spaces between them. You could try installing aluminum flashing behind the bricks (on the shrub side) - this will make it impossible for grass to get in between the bricks.
Mulch. Mulch the shrubs. Some people like the look of rock mulch, others like wood products. Be aware that rock mulch traps or reflects heat, depending on its color. Also, there's a tendency to use landscape fabric under rock - I recommend against fabric in any situation (i'm sure we'll hear dissenting opinions on this). Fabric keeps the shrubs from growing normally and traps organic matter under the mulch which then becomes a seedbed for weeds. If you use wood or other organic mulch NEVER use fabric under it.
