Burlapping My Boxwoods

I feel strongly that if you want your boxwoods and other shrubs to look healthy in the springtime, it’s essential to wrap them in burlap to protect them from the elements.  The burlap really helps to keep off heavy snow and ice, which can easily break branches.  It also provides a barrier to cut down on windburn.  In addition, burlap coverings keep out deer and other hungry critters.  Because those animals cannot see through the cloth, they will likely go elsewhere in search of a meal. I also really enjoy the way my shrubs look in the landscape, covered like this in the winter. 

My grounds’ keepers have been doing a fabulous job at wrapping my many boxwoods and shrubs.  First, they erect a bamboo frame around individual shrubs or rows of shrubs.  Starting at the bottom, they begin wrapping the burlap and secure it in place by stapling it to the bamboo frame.  Moving upwards, they hand-sew the next wrap of burlap in place using a special 6-inch needle threaded with twine, stapling to the bamboo as they proceed.  These steps continue until the entire shrub, or row of shrubs is concealed, safely and neatly.

This is the bamboo framing around my English Boxwood border.

Here is more framing leading to the entrance of my stables.

The bamboo framing is joined together using twine.

Here is a tall boxwood being encased in its winter protection

This is how the widths of burlap are joined together.  I wonder if the wives of my grounds’ keepers know what good hand stitchers their husbands are?

Here is one section of my property all set for the cold winter.

I asked Jodi how much, in the way of supplies, was ordered this year and she gave me these amounts:

    Burlap:
        22 rolls of 6’x100’
          8 rolls of 4’x100’

    Bamboo:
        20 bundles of 50 at 9’ tall
          4 bundles of 50 at 12’ tall

    Twine:
        About 96 rolls

I wonder if this will be enough……

Comments

[PAULINE MUCCIACCIO]

Found the bamboo frames an excellent idea to use when covering up my rather large fig tree.
Could you post info. on the construction of your garden fence to keep wild life from eating your crops. It was the first picture you posted with Jodi planting in the garden that I'm refering to.
Thanks,
Pauline Muccaccio

[Trish]

I'm glad we don't have to go to those extremes here in Florida but even if we did, it wouldn't take me long to cover my ficus, xoria and small Japanese bushes. I do like the way yours are staked with bamboo but was curious as to why you had to order so much. Isn't it reusable?

[Margie]

What a job. I can not even imagine the logistics, just locating enough burlap and storing it in the summer. Goodness gracious. I think it would be a nice job for sunny cool days; if I was not sewing with gloves on.

[Vera Milunovic]

I never seen that in my life!!!!!!
Its amazing!!!!!!!!
A great work!

[Andrew Ritchie]

Martha, I love that you do everything - absolutely everything - CORRECTLY!

-Andrew

[Will]

Martha, I've been wondering what I was going to do with all the excess burlap and bamboo I have lying around. As always you are a life saver!! ~Will

[Susan Ackerman]

I go out and gently knock the snow off of my boxwoods and cherry laurels. The camellias, on the other hand, could probably use this burlap treatment since they are more sensitive to the sun and wind that whips down the alleyways between our semi-detached twins here in Philadelphia, especially once the leaves are off the trees. But the scale of my yard is minute compared to yours! Do you think this treatment for the boxwoods makes them more vigorous and any less susceptible to
wooly aldegid, which is a big problem here?

[Jackie in Idaho]

Hi Martha! Great show today. So happy to hear your voice has returned!

[Kathy]

Hi, Martha,
Thanks for the idea about wrapping boxwoods. Yours must be sturdy as well as beautiful. I have used a similar frame of bamboo and twine for my tomato plants.
Such detailed descriptions as well as photographs is very helpful.
When do you uncover them in the spring?

Kathy

[Jan Erickson]

Hi Martha, I remember when you used to cover your boxwoods and shrubs at Turkey Hill. At Bedford, it looks like a much more extensive project. Your boxwoods and shrubs always look beautiful during the other seasons so I would say what you are doing really works well. Thanks again for sharing. Jan

[mel]

hi martha
this is completely off topic but I was looking at the home-made ideas on the website and noticed that the link to the handwarmers didnt work. I really wanted to make them as presents for my friends, so if theres some way you could share the "recipie" I would be really grateful

[Paula M.]

Martha,
I've been burlapping my rhododenrons, shurbs, and magnolia trees, and even roses, ever since I saw you do this in your Westport home. My husband thought I was nuts at first. We would buy bolts of burlap and wrap all our exposed plants. We live in a very windy area, and at the time we moved in (18 yrs ago), we had very little trees to protect. I saw an improvement in the spring when we took the burlap off. Now our trees have grown and selter some wind but we still wrap some shrubs. We try to save some of it but usually have to rebuy in 2 years. (the mice love to nest in it in the shed! LOL)
thanks for the stitching tip...will try that next. Now, my husband believes in this!! I said of course, got the idea from Martha!! :)

[Jyesika]

Martha, I just finished watching your show, which I DVR every day. I'm a second generation fan, and was so happy to discover Blueprint, of which I'm right in it's target demographic (25 yrs, first time home owner, married within the last year). You mentioned on the show that our generation gets most of it's media from the internet and blogs, and while a significant portion of my media intake definitely comes from the web I still love reading magazines. I've got subscriptions to at least 10 (Including Martha, Blueprint, Everyday Food and Body and Soul from your collection) and have a giant bulletin board/ inspiration board covered in clippings from magazines. I know this post is not relevant to your latest blog entry but writing to you here feels more personal and
I'd like you to know how disappointed I am that Blueprint is no more. It was so very well done and I looked forward to it every month.
Also, glad to hear your voice sounding better! It looked like a bit of a struggle, talking all the way through those last few shows. I know I'd have wanted to take the week off to drink ginger tea and hide out and read.

[Jemima Butterscotch]

Martha, I had no idea you were such a boxwood enthusiast! Have you ever considered speaking at the American Boxwood Society annual meeting and Boxwood Symposium? Should be a real shindig in North Carolina next year!