Protecting the Boxwood in My Summer House Garden
Winter 2020 officially begins today with temperatures in the 30s. We've already had our first snowstorm and frigid, below-freezing weather, so I am so glad most of my cold-sensitive boxwood is protected under burlap.
I've been covering my boxwood specimens with burlap since I first started to garden. Burlap protects the branches from splaying and breaking under heavy snow and shields the foliage from freezing windburn. Over the last few weeks, the outdoor grounds crew has been busy covering all the boxwood plantings around the farm - most recently, the shrubs and hedges in the Summer House garden - just in time for the first snow.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- Covering all the boxwood at the farm takes several weeks to complete. Rolls and rolls of burlap are needed to wrap my hedges and shrubs each winter. After every season, any burlap still in good condition is saved for use the following year. The latest area to be done is the garden behind my Summer House.
-
- I always encourage the crew to gather all the necessary supplies and tools first – the right items for the right job. Doing this saves time later.
-
- Here is a frame built along one side of the garden. Building the frame at least a foot taller than the tallest shrub protects any heavy snow from weighing down onto the tender foliage. The ground piping is pounded into the ground – each one about four to five feet from the next, and then 10-foot wide bow sections are secured on top – this will last quite a while and give the boxwood a lot of room to grow.
-
- Domi installs the center pieces that support the bow sections. He is tightening tension purlin brackets at the center points.
-
- Because the areas to be covered are wide, long pieces of burlap are sewn together to accommodate them properly. These rolls come in various widths – some 48-inches and some 60-inches wide.
-
- Chhiring is a fast sewer. Here he is sewing the long pieces together. The crew practices safe social distancing, and everyone is always equipped with a mask.
-
- The great “burlapping” project also requires rolls and rolls of jute twine.
-
- And all the sewing is done using five-inch long craft needles specifically made for working with jute – every member of the outdoor grounds crew has his own needle. These needles have large eyes and bent tips.
-
- Once the frame is secure and the burlap is sewn to fit, it is stretched out down the length of the footpath. The burlap is made to cover both the shrubs and the low hedge.
-
- The tall American boxwood that surrounds my sunken garden is protected with plastic netting to keep the branches from splaying. It’s not as sensitive to the cold as English boxwood, so there is no need to wrap it in burlap.
-
- Here is a closer look at the netting we use – it is pulled taut, so any snow that falls does not weigh on the branches.
-
- We use these metal pipe stakes to help secure the netting around the boxwood.
-
- Here, the heavy burlap is placed by hand over the frames, one section at a time. The frames keep the burlap from touching the boxwood on all sides.
-
- Our burlap covers last up to three seasons depending on the weather, but remember, these boxwood specimens also grow a little more every year, so the covers and frames have to be adjusted each time.
-
- The sides are pulled secure and attached to stakes with wooden strips every two to three feet along the bottom. The strips are about six to eight inches long – just long enough to accommodate two or three screws that will keep the burlap secure. These are also reused year after year – nothing is wasted at my farm.
-
- At one end of the hedge, Phurba pulls the fabric taut and starts sewing the opening closed.
-
- Any extra burlap is tucked in and sewn neatly.
-
- Phurba has done this burlap process for several years. Each season, the crew streamlines the process making it more efficient.
-
- With the burlap secure, any snow that accumulates on top of the finished structures will sit on top or slide down the sides. At the bottom, Phurba uses a long pipe to roll the bottom under the hedge and then secures it with sod staples – everything is so neat and tidy.
-
- And just in time before last week’s first snowstorm. See how the snow falls on top of the tall American boxwood, but doesn’t separate any of the branches – this boxwood is well-protected.
-
- And here is a view down the center – all the snow is on top of the strong burlap-covered frames. The crew will simply brush off this light snow as part of the cleanup. All the work is well-worth the effort to protect these beautiful specimens. My boxwood is now ready for the winter weather ahead.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
