Project details
Skill
Cost
Estimated Time
Tools & Materials
Shovel
Garden rake
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows a green way to block the view of unsightly utility boxes.
Steps:
1. Ask the utility company to mark the location of any underground lines.
2. Build a berm in front of the utility boxes from a mixture that’s 60 percent topsoil and 40 percent compost.
3. Arrange a variety of potted shrubs—both evergreen and deciduous—on top of the berm. Move the shrubs around to create a natural setting, while still screening the utility boxes.
4. Dig holes and plant each shrub into the berm. Be careful not to bury the root flare at the top of the root ball.
5. Backfill around each shrub, then spread about 2 inches of bark mulch around the area. However, don’t pile mulch against the trunks of the shrubs.
6. Water the shrubs everyday for two weeks, followed by watering every other day for two weeks.