Garden Tips & Inspiration

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Compact ilex crenata hedge with fine glossy foliage resembling boxwood

Ilex crenata as boxwood alternative: pruning and care

Ilex crenata (Japanese holly) is immune to box tree moth. Learn how to prune and maintain this elegant boxwood replacement.

8 min

Planting

How to prune an Ilex crenata ball topiary: guide for perfect spheres

Learn how to shape an Ilex crenata (Japanese holly) into perfect balls. Techniques for symmetrical spheres and maintenance.

8 min

Elegant green shrubs (boxwood alternatives) in various shades of green in a formal border

Plant Combinations

Combining boxwood alternatives: elegant borders without box blight risk

Boxwood died on a massive scale. Its alternatives — Ilex crenata, Lonicera nitida, Buxus wallichiana — grow identically. Do you know how to combine them? This is elegant boxwood-lookalike garden design without the risk.

5 min