Buy a cone if you have never kept a topiary and want one that still looks right in three years. It forgives an uneven hand, because the eye reads the two straight sides and ignores everything between them. A ball shows every dent. A spiral shows every hesitation.
Why a cone is forgiving
You only need to keep the two sides of a cone straight and make them meet at the top. The surface between them can be a little uneven and nobody will see it, because the two edges and the point are the only things anybody looks at.
A ball has no reference line, so every flat spot shows. [CUT].
Cutting one straight
A cone needs two cuts a year, the same as any boxwood: one in late spring once the first flush has firmed, and one in late summer for the tidy.
Stop judging it by eye. Stand back after every few passes, and turn the plant or walk around it instead of finishing one side first. Most crooked cones are made by somebody standing in one place.
For a formal position, a cane helps more than skill does. Push a bamboo cane in beside the plant and you have a true vertical to cut against; two canes give you the taper. It looks fussy, and it is the difference between a cone and a lump.
Feeding and the winter watering rule are the same as for every boxwood. Both are set out in what a live boxwood costs to keep.
$195. From 15 to 34 in, and it ships by parcel.
Quoted. The doorway size at its smallest, 18 to 24 in.
Quoted. The variegated one, 48 to 68 in, in the cream-edged foliage.
Sizes, and what each is for
Ours run from about 15 inches to over five feet. [CUT].
Under two feet is a container plant. Put a pair on a step, run them along a terrace edge, or use one as a table piece for an event.
Two to four feet is the doorway size. Most of the cone inquiries we get describe a pair either side of an entrance, and that is the arrangement this shape suits best.
Above four feet is a border or a formal line, often planted in a row. At that size the plant sits on a substantial root ball and arrives by freight rather than parcel.
We also carry variegated cones: the same shape in a cream-edged foliage. It reads lighter against a dark wall, and it is harder to find than the plain green.
Cones against the other shapes
Against a ball: the cone is easier to keep and reads more formal. A ball reads softer and suits a looser planting.
Against a spiral: the cone costs considerably less, because the shape did not take years to find. A spiral draws attention to itself. A cone frames whatever you want people to notice.
Against an artificial cone: the live one improves with each cut, and it asks for two cuts a year plus the feeding and watering in the boxwood guide above. If the position gets no attention, or takes no light, the artificial cones hold the same silhouette permanently, and preserved cones do it indoors with real foliage.
The live cone range is on the cone category. The receiving FAQ covers what to do on delivery day.
Questions we get asked
Why is a cone easier to keep than a ball?
The eye reads a cone by its two straight sides and the point, and forgives the surface between them. A ball has no reference line, so every flat spot shows.
How do I cut a cone straight?
Walk around the plant instead of finishing one side, and stop judging it by eye. For a formal position, push a bamboo cane in beside the plant and cut against it as a true vertical. Most crooked cones are cut by somebody standing in one place.
What size cone for a doorway?
Two to four feet. It is the band most people ask for, and it is the one the shape suits. Under two feet is a container plant; above four is a border or a formal row.
Do you have variegated cones?
Yes, in a cream-edged foliage. It reads lighter against a dark wall and it is harder to find than the plain green.
How does it arrive?
Smaller plants come by parcel and larger ones by freight on a pallet. The root ball and the overall height decide which, not the price.
