Project details
Skill
3 out of 5ModerateDigging holes and planting shrubs can be tiresome
Cost
About $300 and up
Estimated Time
4 to 6 hours
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.
