BOX KIXilNG. 



64 



BOX EDGING. 



drawn out on the path, as shown at F. The 

 edge of the bed then assumes the form 

 shown at BCD, and the side of the edge, 

 CD, is rendered as firm and solid as the 

 surface, BC, by beating and flattening it 

 with the spade. It will be noticed that 

 the side of the edge, CD, is in a direction 

 slanting outwards. This is done in order 

 that the roots of the box may strike out- 

 wards into the gravel, and thus be kept 

 from too luxuriant growth. The pieces of 

 box are then placed along the slope, CD, 

 as shown in the illustration ; the soil at F 

 is returned to the trench, E, and trodden 

 in firmly against the box, and, lastly, the 

 gravel at A is restored to its original 

 position. It must be understood that the 

 soil at F is not earth only, but earth 

 mixed with a large proportion of gravel. 

 When work is done, the freshly planted 

 box should be from I inch to i inch 

 above the surface of the gravel on one side 

 and the surface of the border on the other. 

 After the gravel has been put in its place, 

 the plants should be well watered. 



Box Edging, Renovation of. 



Nothing gives a more neat and agreeable 

 appearance to a garden than well-kept box 

 edgings ; the only drawback to them is 

 that they afford a better harbour for slugs 

 and snails than any other edging, and this, 

 in a measure, militates against them. The 

 sort of box in use for this purpose is a 

 dwarf varitty of the common box tree, or 

 Buxus semperzirens. This, with a little 

 attention, may be kept in order for several 

 years j but, if neglected, as is too frequent- 

 ly the case, it very soon gets out of order. 

 In old gardens, the box edgings often looks 

 coarse and bushy, and full of gaps ; for 

 this there is no remedy but to take all up, 

 and replant. The plan to be followed is 

 this : Fork up the old box, and pull it 

 into small pieces, with not more than one 

 or two stems each, selecting the youngest 



and freshest pieces for immediate planting. 

 These should be cut with a sharp spade or 

 garden shears, so as to be even at the top 

 and also at the roots, leaving each piece 

 about three or four inches in length. The 

 old wood may be served the same way ; 

 but, before these are used to form box 

 edgings, it will be better to plant them out 

 in the reserve garden for a season, in a 

 rich light soil, to give them a start, with- 

 out which they cannot be considered fit for 

 edgings, as they will certainly not recover 

 from their rusty and shabby appearance for 

 a year or two. As box edging, under the 

 best treatment and greatest care, can 

 hardly be made to last and look well 

 longer than eight or ten years, it is very 

 desirable to have a reserve of young fresh 

 plants always on hand. 



Box Edging, When to Plant. 



Box edging may be planted either in 

 the spring of the autumn, but the autumn, 

 say October, is considered to be the belter 

 time. If planted in the late spring or in 

 early summer, it will require frequent 

 watering during the summer months. The 

 best time for clipping box is in June, 

 because, if well watered after the clipping 

 is done, the plants will send forth short 

 shoots, which will do away with the 

 formal appearance caused by the clipping. 

 For dimensions, an edging of box should 

 not be more than 3, or at the utmost 4, 

 inches in height, and about 3 inches 

 broad at the bottom, and just half that 

 width at the 1 op. An edging of box, when 

 clipped ever) year, will continue to retain 

 a good appearance for about seven years, 

 when it is desirable to replant it. When 

 left undipped and uncared for, the plants 

 will attain a hei-ht of 9 inches, and while 

 the top is broad and green, the bottom will 

 be utterly bare and naked. This is often 

 seen in old gardens ; and persons, instead 

 I of replanting the box, are content to leav 



