Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Questions about making a short boxwood hedge..., 1 by passiflora07

passiflora07 wrote:
I'm planning a new rose garden in front of my house, and I found this design that I like from BHG.com (see picture). I've never done anything with hedges before, so I have a few questions. 1) What species of boxwood would work best for this application (BHG didn't specify, I'm in zone 9b)? 2) Are there any variegated varieties that would work? 3) How far apart should I plant the individual plants? 4) How long after planting until I can start shaping them? 5) How hard is it to keep them looking like the picture?

Any other advice on boxwoods, hedges, etc. is also much appreciated :)