Category: Shrubs

Effective Climbers

by zoe100675, posted in Climbers, Flowers, Horticulture, Shrubs

Climbers can take different forms. The growth is largely the same – they climb. How they develop, however, differs. Some need a training tool while other twine themselves by tendrils or root on the surface they will host. Ivy and Virginia Creeper both spread without any aid. Vines usually require support and weave through arbours, pergolas, a trellis or rails. Wisteria is a woody climber and has self supporting branches off which foliage and flowers fall.

Virginia Creeper – A close relative of Ivy. It’s certainly a more attractive one but no less invasive. It also has poisonous sap which is an irritant. Creepers are used effectively on gable ends and unadopted walls. As long as the rendering or brickwork is sound it offers no problem. It does offer fantastic foliage/colour but will inevitably suck the moisture out of the mortar or rendering as plants like this do. Whichever is the less of two evils. You decide.

Honeysuckle – other than keeping the size down, pruning is arbitrary. It can prevent the climber getting woody and does improves vigour but not essential. It will not seriously impede the performance until some time after. After the flowers are spent cut off straggly growth to a visible bud/leaf node. In flowering season it may even give you another show.

Passiflora – A self clinging climber that can cope without a training tool. The plant is relatively hardy as long as in a sheltered spot, although it can be thwarted by a heavy frost. Some additional protection may be in order. A south facing position or the warmest spot is suggested. Each year it is a good idea to cut close to the main frame of the climber leaving the central stem of growth with some side shoots of 3/4 bud nodes on each. There’s flexibility, obviously as long as there is some growth left, it will be fine. This is done after extreme frosts though.

Clematis – there are 3 different methods of pruning and this usually defined by when it flowers. The easiest way to categorise is simply look at the card. It will tell you 1,2,3 or what steps you need to take. With Clematis some you prune, some you don’t! For example:

C.armandii – vigourous climber. An evergreen with White flowers in Spring. So the flowers are produced on last years growth. No pruning necessary.

C. ‘Princess Diana’ – it flowers in Summer on new growth. So prune in late Winter to Spring.

Wisteria is another commonly used climber with its self clinging branches bearing highly scented flowers. The stems will twine together providing support for other weaker growth. A good practice for Wisteria is to concentrate on fewer more productive stems known as lateral shoots. In Summer or after flowering cut back to main central stems and a number of off shoot branches. Leave a number of bud nodes on this. Repeat a little after and a bit lower down the stem. It will prepare it for the following year.

There are Hydrangeas that can be trained offering attractive foliage and being tolerant of little sunlight. There are trailing and climbing Roses that offer fragrance, foliage and flowers. Jasmines too. Many of these are scented so will offer a food source to bees and other beneficial insects. Vines equally once established offer foliage and bear fruit. Very few need more than a “head start” before they are self sufficient and can fend for themselves.

Winter Colour 2

by zoe100675, posted in Flowers, Fruit, Horticulture, Shrubs

There are plants that are principally known for their Winter show and largely non descript at other times. The plant can often be decidious and the flowers or berries borne on bare stems. These plants may have foliage throughout the year but this is not what they’re recognised for.

Hamamelis mollis ‘Pallida’ (Chinese Witch Hazel) bears fragrant Yellow flowers early in the year. It loses its leaves and the flowers are borne on bare stems. This is a very low maintenance plant, pruning would purely be to shape.

Hamamelis x Intermedia is a similiar Witch Hazel but a hybrid often offering Orange or Red flowers in the Wintertime. ‘Diane’ (Red) and Orange ‘Orange beauty’ or ‘Gingerbread’. The size of these shrubs often determines where they are planted. The back of a border is ideal. The shrub is slow growing and doesn’t require any maintenance. Hamamellis can cope in full sun or dappled shade.

Chimonathus praecox (Wintersweet) can offer highly scented flowers in late Winter into the new year. This plant is decidious and there is no foliage in the flowering period. It needs some protection and can not tolerate being in an exposed area. It likes full sun and well drained soil. No real maintenance other than removing dead, diseased and damaged stems.

Callicarpa bodinieri flowers in midsummer but has an amazing show of purple berries in Autumn. Borne on bare stems, the berries continue long after the leaves are lost. It is quite robust despite having delicate characteristics and can cope in an exposed environment. This plant can tolerate most soils and is straightfoward to maintain. A superficial prune in Spring is all.

The (flowering quince) Chanomeles speciosa might not be an obvious choice but provides, fruit, foliage and flowers throughout the year. The flowers can range from a deep pink to a white. The plant is hardy and very easy to maintain. The only drawback is that the flowers are so shortlived. Little pruning is needed other structural shaping in the dormant period.

Daphne Odora ‘Aureomarginata’ while not Winter flowering, this decidious or evergreen shrub has attractive leaves and flowers in early Spring. The plant is flexible on the level of sun it needs but does need to be in a sheltered position.

Ornamental Grasses

by zoe100675, posted in Grass, Horticulture, Shrubs

These Ornamental plants are incredibly easy to look after. Most are almost self sufficient. Once in situ they offer texture, shape, colour and structure.

An example would be Cortaderia selloana (Pampas Grass). In the 1970’s, there was a popular trend in planting Pampas in a small frontage, then to find it 20 years on dominating the entire space. Each year the width increases so the plant should be cut 6 or so inches off the ground. The dead growth pulled out. This invigorates the plant, encourages fresh growth and curbs the size too. These plants are not nice to maintain, the sheaths of foliage are very sharp and must be handled with gloves. Division in the early years will manage the health and size too.

Miscanthus (Maiden Grass) is wonderful as it whistles in the wind and comes in different coloured foliage. M. ‘Zebrinus’ commonly known as Zebra Grass is a stripey variety. They add sound autumn colour and only need cutting back close in Spring encouraging new growth. ‘Graziella’ offers a Pink finish then turning silver. ‘Marlepartus’ provides Purple plumes and Silver in Winter. Most varieties are quite self contained and neat clump forming. Smaller varieties M . sinensis ‘Adagio’, ‘Gnome’ do usually have a smaller clump habit and would be planted in drifts. These both have quite dense foliage.

Hakonechloa Aureola ‘macra’ (Japanese grass) is a bright variegated grass. It has an arched habit, striking colour in its peak. It does provide an autumn brown effect when spent but then it does lose its leaves unlike some grasses. A striking red grass would be Imperata cylindrica (Japanese blood grass) again decidious. In early spring, the dead growth would be cut back to the base, other than this no maintenance. A softer choice would be Stipa tennuissima which is clump forming offering very fine foliage with delicate silver green flowerheads. Little to be done except the removal of dead growth and a “chop” in Spring.

Arthropodium candidum ‘purpureum’ is an unusual addition that offers a contrasting effect to Browns or Greens. The plant has a show of Purple bronzed leaves and forms tiny white flowers as an extra element in midsummer. Carex (Sedge) buchananii (Brown) glauca (Blue/Green), Fescua glauca (Blue) all offer quite vivid colours. These too are effective as contrast plants. Carex dipsacea ‘coppertop’ can provide a bronze/rusty effect with specks of Orange appearing at tips. Similarly, Carex testacea ‘Indian Summer’ has a rusty, Orange glow at its peak. On the darker side, Ophiopogon nigrescens (Black Mondo) once in situ doesn’t need anything more than cutting rough ends off and can be left to their own devices. Drifts of them can be quite dramatic. The plant is quite small and so a large number is necessary for any impact.

Shrubs for Small Spaces

by zoe100675, posted in Flowers, Horticulture, Shrubs

Foliage, flowers and berries can all be achieved despite having a small area to play with. There are Conifers, Pines and Junipers which are slow growing but strictly speaking not dwarf. Thuja Teddy, Picea glauca conica and Juniperus green carpet. it’s more they stay smaller for longer. There are, however, compact shrubs that stay in this habit and need little pruning.

Skimmia japonica offers flowers, aroma and berries at different times of the year. Skimmia dislike full sun but too little, they can become leggy. The aspect should be slightly sheltered too. This shrub can be grown in a container and to do so would control the size. They do prefer a more acidic environment and so if necessary its habitat regulated.

Pieris japonica is another choice that can be containerised or planted in the ground. This shrub has interesting foliage that changes from red to pink to cream. It’s an evergreen so provides interest all year and in spring will bear cream flowers. The shrub is hardy but still needs a sheltered spot. It needs sun too. The soil must be on the acidic side and be well drained.

Acer palmatum or Japanese maple come in a variety of sizes. Some are small trees and some larger. A. palmatum ‘Ever Red Tree’ is a dwarf variety that is ideal for a pot or small area. It has a weeping habit and bears attractive leaves. The shrub doesn’t cope well in full sun so partial shade is better.

Azaleas/Rhododendrons come in a variety of sizes. These ornamental shrubs are related but still recognised in their own entiriety. The varieties you would choose would be those suited to rock gardens. R . ‘Percy wiseman’ a semi dwarf offering a pinkish display flowering in succession through a range of colours finishing with a creamy white. Equally, a true dwarf – R. Princess Ann flowering from mid to late spring offering yellow flowers. It will cope in full sun and withstand quite severe conditions.

Spirea is a decidious shrub that flowers in summer can be kept to a reduced size with little maintenance or care. It has an average growth but cutting it back each year will benefit the plant. It prefers a full sun to partial shade aspect but generally will cope. It is quite flexible on the soil it prefers, the aspect too, just that it dosen’t like sitting in water – most plants don’t though – so well drained.

Potentilla ‘Bella Bellisima’ (Pink) or Bella ‘Sol’ (Orange) a small shrub requiring no maintenance at all other than a top snip after flowering. This is for aesthetics as much as a quick dead-head. Potentillas tolerate poor soil. All that they ask is than they have adequate sunlight and are in well drained soil.

Low Risk Perennials

by zoe100675, posted in Diseases, Flowers, Horticulture, Shrubs, Soil

Good housekeeping of plants/sufficient air circulation can cut the risk of disease and fungal infections but some plants are naturally resilient. Perennials with this trait can be incorporated in the open space and have an impact on neighbouring varieties. While these are not free from problems, under the right conditions very easy to keep.

Phlox can be scented and provide you with summer flowers, the varieties mostly through to autumn. Pinks, purples and whites. Some mat forming and some upright. The perennial is good in most aspects although they need a certain degree of sun. P. ‘David’ is resistant to powdery mildew.

Monarda (Bergamot) a perennial in mid summer to late. Aromatic flowers with a clump forming habit. It is suitable in most aspects, the only condition is the plant is not keen being wet so well drained soil. In certain conditions it can be susceptible to powdery mildew but only if the air circulation is poor and this is easily avoidable. Varieties are more resistant than others. These include ‘Petite Delight’, ‘Colrain Red’.

Paeonia – garden and tree. The soil is important, they tend not to like acidic soil so balanced conditions. Peonies don’t like sitting in moisture so well drained too. Hybrids can often be more resilient and cutting down stems each season will help keep pests at bay. The most important point to remember about Peonys. They don’t like to be moved. P. ‘Scarlet O’Hara’ gives a show late spring to summer.

Sedums are perennials but also succulents due to their fleshy leaves. So these plants are often good in dry conditions and drought tolerant. They provide attractive foliage and flowers, they like full or partial sun at the very least. These plants are low maintenance but very effective. They attract beneficial insects too.

Geraniums are very good at the front of borders, the smaller varieties anyway. These generally are hardy and need minimal maintenance save cutting back spent growth. G. ‘Rozanne’ will provide flowers throughout summer. A condition is that the soil is well drained and they get sun. G. Macrorrhizum will give you aromatic foliage early to mid summer and are white rather than purple.

Verbena offers attractive lilac flowers in late summer. It encourages beneficial insects too. It needs some shelter but the stems are relatively tough. V. bonariensis is quick to establish and can be put almost any position because of it’s habit. It will not block out other plants. It is probably best to cut back when new growth appears in spring. Again, for this plant powdery mildew is usually what thwarts it and with good housekeeping this can be avoided. In warm, dry weather the spores are likely to be more active.