Box ball in tall container

[Chippychop]

Will it help the water/moisture retention if I cover the top in pebbles?

It will, but you'll still need to water very regularly! Also, if there is only a small amount of soil visible, the effect will be minimal.

This thread caught my eye as I have just come in from trimming my box balls in the garden.

I live in daily dread of blight ! Lost 2 this year and have replaced with much smaller ones. How are yours?

Mine are all fine, which I am slightly surprised at, as it's often wet and humid here in Sheffield! We did have a very cold winter this year, so I'm hoping that's killed anything off.

Casually browsing the web over lunch, I came across this article

www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/11592366/The-best-plant-tonics-and-supplements-for-your-garden.html

which recommends a new box blight treatment! Worth a punt?