By Carolteresa
Essex,
United Kingdom 
Hi, thank you for all your suggestions.
I have decided to take up a special offer of buxus balls and plant in a semi circle in front of my 3 closely knit mature silver birch trees that I have in the corner of my garden. In between the silver birch I will consider Ophiopogon, Mondo Grass. For best effect I’m not sure how many buxus to plant, possible 5 (7, too many?) in a single formation or 5 in the front and 3 behind - over kill possibly? I have purchased 3 and need to go back before they sell out. Pls take in consideration I will reshape the border. Piracanthus looks fabulous behind the trees.
Thank you.
8 Oct, 2019
Answers
Thank you, that’s what I was leaning towards; it’s a decent size patch but the only bit left in the garden for planting, so probably don’t want to over do it with the buxus and it will leave me options. I thought about a mauve cordyline (not sure of the correct name) in the middle in a pot then the grasses.
Open to any ideas underneath the silver birches.
Thank you again.
8 Oct, 2019
Anything that you wish to plant beneath the birches will have to compete with them for light and moisture. I would go for spring bulbs as an underplanting. As far a Cordyline is concerned, I would say that again, it would need more light and if it does thrive in a pot, it will end up being a tree and need continuous repotting.
8 Oct, 2019
The silver birches are lovely, so pretty.
8 Oct, 2019
Really depends on the final size that you want the balls to be before you start trimming on a regular basis. If you have too many, then they will start to join up and make a continuous hedge. So I would go for five balls in your situation.
8 Oct, 2019