Dwarf English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'). Planted in crushed gravel, this boxwood lends a Mediterranean air to Kelly's garden. "Inspired by Italian gardens and motivated by fatigue, I ripped out a labor-intensive perennial bed and replaced it with boxwood in a geometric pattern," says Kelly. These eminently clippable evergreen shrubs require perfect drainage and prefer partial shade.