Removing Burlap from the Boxwood Allee
This year’s spring burlap removal project continues at my long Boxwood Allee.
Last week, my outdoor grounds crew removed the burlap in front of my Winter House and behind my Summer House. Then they tackled the burlap along the Boxwood Allee that's located outside my stable and runs all the way down to the carriage road leading to the woodland. The entire removal process is a large undertaking which takes several days to complete. Every autumn, I cover all my boxwood shrubs and outdoor urns to protect them from the heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures. We use strong steel frames and custom fit burlap casings sewn by hand. And every spring, everything is removed to expose all the lush green foliage - it's a complete transformation.
Enjoy these photos.
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- For as long as I’ve been gardening I’ve covered my boxwood shrubs and outdoor ornamental urns. When the ground begins to thaw, it’s all removed. Here is the Boxwood Allee about to go through its spring transformation.
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- The winter burlap still looks so good – it held up so well through the entire season protecting my precious plantings. The boxwood has grown so much over the years. Every winter, these burlap tents are made taller and taller to accommodate their size.
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- The first step is to remove the wooden strips that help sandwich and secure the burlap. These strips are at the bottom of the metal frames.
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- Phurba unscrews each one all the way down the allee.
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- These strips are saved until next fall when the burlap is put up once again.
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- Phurba and Domi remove the burlap from one end of this section of the Boxwood Allee. All of the coverings are custom wrapped and sewn to fit each individual shrub, hedge, or bush. The holes are for any birds that wish to take shelter under the burlap during inclement weather.
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- Slowly, the two roll back the fabric from on top of the metal frames.
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- The burlap and all the supplies are removed gently, so as to preserve as much burlap as possible. Once a section is removed, it is placed and folded in half neatly on the ground. No cars are allowed up or down the allee during the removal process.
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- And then rolled carefully. We use industrial burlap that’s available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. These covers are used for two or three seasons before being replaced.
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- Once the burlap is rolled and tied, Phurba labels the roll indicating what section it covers and where. The label will make it easy to identify next fall when the boxwood is covered again. He decides to place two labels just in case one piece of tape falls off – it has happened.
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- For these boxwood shrubs, I use the same metal used to make hoop houses – strong industrial steel ground uprights and purlin pipes.
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- These materials not only provide the necessary support frames for the burlap but also accommodate any growth – one can see how much room there is between the top of the boxwood and the metal frame.
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- Here’s Domi working on removing another section of the burlap.
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- Next, Domi removes the tension purlin brackets one by one. They connect the center piping to the bow sections of the frame.
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- These brackets are also removed carefully and saved in one container, so they can be stored easily and then used again next year.
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- Meanwhile, with Chhiring on one side and Pasang on the other, the two remove the bow metal frames that go over the boxwood. And look, everything is so green. We are always amazed every spring. Covering it definitely helps preserve the plantings.
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- Pasang then removes the long bar from atop the center of the boxwood sections. Taking down the burlap is a much faster process than putting the burlap up, but it’s still very time-consuming.
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- All the metal pieces are placed neatly along the allee carriage road until they are picked up and taken to our storage area.
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- Here, Pasang removes the metal legs that hold up the hoop structures along the allee.
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- It’s such a change – one that we all look forward to seeing this time every year.
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- Some question whether covering the boxwood each winter really helps, but look how lush and intact the plantings are when exposed – I definitely feel it is worth the time and effort. This week is unseasonably cold – highs are only expected in the 40s today, but we’re all so excited for spring and the gardening season ahead.
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