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2 new box topiary balls – box blight or transit stress/ frozen water droplet marks?

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  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    The "Green Spire" hybrid doesn't seem to get attacked by anything, and usually looks good all year round.

    Like you however, my Euonymus Bravo gets eaten by some sort of beetle, and they get terrible infestations of some sort of whitefly. They usually look dreadful by mid-Summer, but usually bounce back. I don't bother to treat them, as we don't use chemicals in the garden. I have considered getting rid of them, and have taken lots of cuttings of Green Spire, to possibly replace Bravo.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It certainly looks a good replacement for box @KeenOnGreen.
    I haven't done any topiary in this garden - yet, but I have some lonicera which I removed from a border, and it's potted with that in mind. I've also got loads of cuttings, mainly for doing some new hedging.
    The drawback of lonicera is that it's fast growing, so needs more attention. The advantage is that, if you cut a bit by mistake, it grows back more quickly  ;)  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    We love our Lonicera @Fairygirl For some reason we have only had to cut ours once over the past 2 Summers, a result of our ever unpredictable weather. We have the Baggesons Gold variety, and I must admit I don't like it's brassy yellowness. I believe there is a more green variety, and I wish we had that instead.

    We have nicknamed ours after myself and my other half, as we have two plants which are side by side, and one is slightly smaller than the other. Whenever we say "we need a haircut", we mean the Lonicera, and not each other!


  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I quite like B's Gold, but it's less brassy in the shade @KeenOnGreen.
    I removed mine last year to sort a fence post, and because I wanted to rejig the border it was in. It's a NW facing spot, and only gets sun in later afternoon. The bits that reached the top of the fence were certainly brighter than lower down. Good for birds etc to hide in, and that's where the little displaced hog family took up residence a few years ago. Nice and dry in behind it. Those cuttings mentioned above have been handy for sticking in bigger pots with other planting for winter displays too. 
    The other one I have is L. Emerald Green [or something similar - I can't remember exactly ] which I have as hedging down the side of the house. It's very sprawly compared with some others, but closely resembles box. Quite a good colour of green, as the name suggests.  That's the one in the pot for me to faff around with as topiary- eventually.  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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