Boxwoods are the standard when it comes to hedges and foundational plantings for a good reason: their elegant style and easy maintenance makes them a true hero in the landscape. While they look stately and refined flying solo, boxwoods can be sheer perfection when paired with companion plants. The right mix of foliage and blooms complements their tidy form, creating a layered, dynamic garden display that elevates the whole space.
Let’s take a closer look at the four varieties within the Better Boxwood line, all of which thrive in USDA Zones 5-9, and pair them with shrubs and perennials to create a stylishly stunning garden in a snap.
A Sunny Skylight™ Hedge Combination
Skylight™ is the blight-, deer- and pest-resistant Better Boxwood to put at the top of your list if you’re looking to create a stately and impressive hedge. Its quick growth rate sees it reaching an impressive 6- to 8-ft. tall and 3- to 4-ft wide. Skylight’s year-round mid-green foliage and grand stature serve as a dignified backdrop for a planting bed filled with:
- A stunning shrub with golden foliage like ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum, which offers a year-round color pairing of complementary green and yellow hues
- The nonstop rich red unfussy flowers of REALFLOR® Sunset ‘Celebration’ Gaillardia
- Saucy™ Red Salvia to double down on the Sunset ‘Celebration’ pop of color
- ‘Real Charmer’ REALFLOR® Leucanthemum, which provides a sunny floral match to the golden Sunshine Ligustrum
A Cottage Garden Heritage™ Combination
For a moderate but just as impressive hedge, use the 3- to 4-ft. tall and 2- to 3-ft. wide Heritage™. Its dense, deep-green foliage has a traditional boxwood habit, and is perfect for pathways, low hedging or in large containers. Let Heritage’s classic look to be the canvas on which these white-blooming flowers shine for a romantic cottage garden aesthetic:
- October Magic® Bride™ Camellia, profusely flowering with double blooms in fall
- The low-growing, spice-scented Scent First® Coconut Surprise Dianthus with dense tussocks of evergreen foliage
- The 18-in. tall, reblooming Ever White™ Agapanthus bearing eye-catching bursts of dreamy white flowers
A Garden Stroll Babylon Beauty™ Combination
At just 3-ft. tall, Babylon Beauty™ grows horizontally—up to 5-ft. wide! Us it in either formal or informal gardens as a low-spreading hedge, in mass plantings or as a foundation planting. Try an easygoing Babylon Beauty garden design abundant with:
- The pillowy white clouds of White Wedding® Hydrangea placed behind Babylon Beauty
- A multicolored row of Garden Jewels™ Gerbera Daisy in front of it (we just love the Frosted Hot Pink!)
- A mixed planting of the golden-yellow and fragrant Evergreen Stella™ Daylily and the reliably prolific Crazy Pink™ Echinacea
A Perfect Parterre Renaissance™ Combination
The diminutive Renaissance™ is the boxwood for creating intricate hedges in a classic knot garden. At just 1- to 2-ft. high, this low grower can also be used to create layering effects, as a topiary, or in patio combination containers. Partial to parterre? Use these plants to add some color and texture to formal design:
- Use Diamond Spire® Gardenia in a container as the parterre’s stunning focal point.
- Chef’s Choice® Culinary Rosemary adds texture and fragrance.
- Coolvista™ Dianella’s spiky foliage shines against Renaissance’s dark-green leaves.
- Color-rich Touch of Gold® Holly can ring the boxwood or serve as a visual punctuation within the knot for year-round vibrance.
With each Better Boxwood variety offering its own unique form and flair, the possibilities for creating impactful garden designs are practically endless. Whether you're aiming for bold hedging, classic cottage charm, meandering borders, or formal parterre elegance, these four Better Boxwood varieties are ready to swoop in and save the day as the perfect foundation for your design.
