Grooming My Boxwood Allée
Fall officially begins today, but here at the farm, we’re still busy completing many of our late-summer gardening chores.
Maintaining a working farm is a tremendous responsibility and requires an enormous amount of time, care, and hard work. To keep everything thriving and looking its best, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are always tending to a long list of projects — from weeding the garden beds and pruning the trees to carefully grooming the many boxwood shrubs. Phurba Sherpa, who has worked with me for many years, recently finished grooming my long Boxwood Allée.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I am very fond of boxwood, Buxus, and have hundreds of these bold green shrubs. The ones in my long Boxwood Allée have grown quite a bit this summer. I take very special care of these specimens and make sure they are pruned and groomed regularly.
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- Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The leaves on boxwood branches are arranged opposite from each other, making pairs.
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- Here, one can see the newest growth that needs trimming. Boxwoods are slow growing compared to many other shrubs, with growth rate depending on the variety. Typically, most varieties grow three to six inches per year.
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- I asked my resident Boxwood pruning expert, Phurba Sherpa, to give the Allée a good, quick trim – just to go over each shrub and quickly remove the new growth.
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- This task is done carefully with two main tools. These are Okatsune 30-inch long Hedge Shears. Okatsune shears are light and precise, and come in a range of sizes.
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- For thicker branches, Phurba uses the STIHL HSA 26 Battery-Powered Hedge Trimmer. It’s one of my favorite tools to use around the farm – it’s so light and handy.
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- The STIHL HSA 26 Hedge Trimmer holds the charge well. The battery strength indicator on the side is easy to read, and can be checked frequently during the task at hand.
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- The precision-engineered blade creates very clean, controlled cuts that don’t damage the plants.
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- It’s a huge task to prune all the boxwood. Phurba takes his time and thoughtfully goes over each shrub – only taking off the new growth sticking out.
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- Here is a closeup of what Phurba is tasked with cutting – just these tips.
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- This tool has a rubberized handle for comfort and a secure grip and it comes with its own roll-up case to store all its accessories. This attachment with double-sided cutting blades cuts in both directions.
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- It is great for cutting branches that are a bit thicker in diameter.
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- Here, Phurba also uses it to shape the shrubs, which are round by design.
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- The STIHL HSA 26 is also great to use in noise sensitive areas.
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- Here, Phurba is cutting with his hand shears. Phurba keeps the shears close to him with his hands midway down the handles. This allows the best control.
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- And occasionally he stops to sharpen the blades – it’s important to keep tools in their best condition to get the best results. I always impress upon the crew to take good care of the equipment and tools.
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- And then he continues trimming, knowing well that the shears will cut quickly and efficiently.
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- Any pruned debris is gathered and brought to the compost pile later.
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- Here are some of the trimmed boxwood shrubs. This boxwood is so lush and green. It looks even more stunning when freshly manicured.
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- On the north side of the Boxwood Allée are horse pastures. On the left is my three-acre living maze. Driving down the Allée, one can get glimpses of both.
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- Here is one long side just after Phurba finished grooming the shrubs – so well done.
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- From the far end, this 450-foot Boxwood Allée looks so wonderful. It runs from my stable all the way to the carriage road that leads to my hayfields and woodlands. Thanks, Phurba.
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