Leaves affected by boxwood blight. Photo Courtesy of A. Windham / University of Tennessee. What is boxwood blight? As a woodworker, you will know that wood is one of the most versatile mediums of building materials that you can get. Many factors make wood durable, versatile, and easy to work with. In many cases, wood has some advantages even over metal, steel, and concrete.

Maple is another light wood that you can find across the United States and throughout the world. It is a light-colored wood and the colors may range from yellow shades to white and sometimes with a bit of pink. They prefer partial or dappled shade, but can tolerate full sun — short of scorching mid-day sun. Overexposure to sun causes burning and bronzing of foliage. If planting in a brighter location, look for varieties that may be more tolerant of sun, such as ‘Morris Midget’. Do boxwoods bloom? Light wood comes from many different wood species but you can most commonly find them from walnut, cherry, and pine. As a woodworker, lightwood may pose a challenge to you in terms of creativity. You can use some of the lightest types of wood in various locations as we have described above.Choose from brass, chrome, copper, rust, plywood, oak, walnut as well painted and powder coated finishes. Boxwood’s ability to hold crisp details in carvings and lathe work, in combination with its uniform color and silky-fine texture truly make it a classic.

We start by cutting the wood to the desired size you want the box to be. This box has 60 x 40 x 8 cm (aprox 15" by 23" by 3" tall) and you can make it any size you want but I recommend not making it too shallow so you can get a better light refraction inside the box. For the material I am using 10mm plywood that is going to be joined with 45º miters with internal splines for reinforcement but you can use solid wood or 1/2" or 3/4" plywood that you might have laying around. Boxwood leaf miners, scale insects, lesion nematodes, caterpillars and mites can be a problem; treat with organic neem oil or insecticidal spray. They can also be susceptible to powdery mildew, Pythium root rot, canker and leaf spots. Boxwood blight is a serious problem in many states. See below for more information and planting alternatives. Deer resistance:You can use light wood in a living room for making bookshelves, coffee tables, bookcases, and wooden flooring. Fixing it with neutral tones is possible in a living room or you can even add contrast against darker colors as a daring move. In the Kitchen When trimming boxwood, don’t overdo it. While a nice, compact bush may look healthy on the outside, that dense outer foliage (caused from over pruning) can keep air and light from getting to the inner part of the plant. Thin the outer growth annually so that air and light can get in, and prune away any dead or diseased branches from the center of the plant. Shearing can be done with hand pruners, hedge clippers or electric trimmers. Winter care: Cherry is moderately expensive but has a fairly long life. It is well-known for its use in making furniture, flooring, and paneling. It creates a warm ambiance in any room where it is used. Alder

Pine is good for making smaller boxes. There are different types of pinewood available, yellow pine being the most widely used in the United States. Pine cuts easily and takes fasteners like nails and screws well. Lookalikes/Substitutes: While true boxwood is restricted to the Buxus genus (which itself consists of about 100 different species), there are a handful of boxwood-like woods which are botanically unrelated, but nonetheless share many of the characteristics of true boxwood (e.g., high density, yellowish heartwood, and very small diffuse pores giving a fine even texture). Standouts include: Knysna boxwood (Gonioma kamassi), Maraicabo boxwood (Gossypiospermum praecox), San Domingo boxwood (Phyllostylon brasiliensis), and Castelo Boxwood (Calycophyllum multiflorum).Grain/Texture:Boxwood has a very fine, even texture with a natural luster. The grain tends to be straight or slightly irregular.