Hardy Plants & Shrubs - Q&A

(Click on the question you want answered)

Q I have a dry bank on which nothing of interest grows - Help
Q Can you name a ground cover plant that will smother my weeds?
Q When should I prune shrubs?
Q Is there a quick-growing conifer that grows to just 6 feet (1.8m) tall that I can use for a hedge/screen?
Q Can you suggest a quick climber to cover my neighbour’s awful garage.
Q Are there any evergreens that have nice flowers?
Q Can you name 12 shrubs to give me all-year round colour?
Q Any sweet scented plants - particularly shrubs?
Q I have a small garden but love trees. Can you suggest a couple?
Q Do all Heathers need acid soil?
Q I had a beautiful Conifer in my garden that screened my neighbour’s conservatory. It has suddenly died. I think that he has poisoned the soil. How can I find out?

Q I have a dry bank on which nothing of interest grows - Help

A I have a dry bank account on which no interest grows!- Help. But seriously, there are many plants that can grow in this situation once they get established. They will need added attention; i.e. watering for maybe a year or so. You could also install a drip/seep line to help in the short term. Plants which will be happy include Lavenders, the low growing Cotoneasters or Hypericum calycinum ( if you want a single plant regime.) Rosemary and the herb Salvias (sages) will also thrive. Some taller plants will include the Berberis family. If the bank is sunny, then try varieties of Cistus (rock rose) There are also many alpine or rockery plants which will suit - particularly the sedum group.

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Q Can you name a ground cover plant that will smother my weeds?

A Firstly - get rid of the weeds. Do not think that you can simply plant-up among them. The weeds can either be dug out, or treated with say Weedol (paraquat) or Tough Weed-killer (glyphosate) and the area planted - once the weeds have died back.

If your plants are to smother the ground, then they will have to be quite vigorous growers themselves. Low growing shrubs are usually used, but there are not many weeds that grow beneath rhododendrons - or any other well established shrub for that matter! There are traditional favourites for this job i.e. the low growing Cotoneasters, Heathers, Hypericums, Lavenders, Ceanothus (Low varieties), Berberis, Euonymus Emerald Gaiety, E. Emerald & Gold, Hederas (ivies) Hardy Geraniums (Not the hanging basket types) Hebes, Hostas, Potentillas, Sedums, Senecio (Now called Brachyglottis), Helianthemums, Cistus, Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum). Don’t forget the low growing conifers either. Junipers are probably best - Juniper pfitzeriana ‘Aurea’ , J. x media ‘Old Gold’ are 2 good yellow/gold spreaders, whilst J. ‘Blue Carpet’ and J. horizontalis ‘Glauca’ are good ‘blues’. J. tamariscifolia is also good; and don’t forget J. horizontalis ‘Hughes’ (No relation)

For something different, try the evergreen honeysuckle (Lonicera halliana) allowing it to spread along the ground; and don’t forget some of the shrub roses. Rosa Red Blanket, R. Frau Dagmar Hastrup and R. Rosy Cushion are often used.

The most important thing, is to get rid of the weeds first: Before planting!

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Q Is there a quick-growing conifer that grows to just 6 feet (1.8m) tall that I can use for a hedge/screen?

A No! The conifers which get to 1.8m quickly, then go on to get to 6 - 9 metres quite quickly. Cuppressocyparis Leylandii is the one normally used but if it is left to grow, it will grow 1 metre each year!!!! That is antisocial.. But it can be kept as a nice hedge by clipping regularly. You can also try Thuya occidentalis - which has a rather nice pungent smell, or the golden Leylandii C. Leylandii Robinson’s Gold, or there is a rather attractive white speckled variety called Harlequin. Please clip them regularly and don’t let them become a pest to your neighbours.

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Q Can you suggest a quick climber to cover my neighbour’s awful garage.

A The quickest available climber is the Russian Vine (Polygonum baldschuanicum ) . I shouldn’t let it actually grow over your neighbour’s garage though, because it will literally invade it - getting into every nook and cranny. You can grow it up a strong trellis or wire framework. Don’t turn your back on it though - it is not called the ‘Mile a Minute’ vine for nothing. Maybe better to plant a few nice shrubs in front instead. (Lavatera grows quickly and is a riot of bloom from mid-July). Pyracantha - whilst not a climber - is usually grown against walls and fences. It has the advantage of being evergreen. Clematis montana types grow quite quickly after the first year, and so do Passifloras (Passion Flowers)

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Q Are there any evergreens that have nice flowers?

A Loads of them...Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias, Ceanothus, Viburnums, Berberis, Cotoneasters, Pyracanthas, Ericas, Hebes, Lavenders, Rosemary, Santolinas, Senecio- now Brachyglottis

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Q Can you name 12 shrubs to give me all-year round colour?

A I am glad that you stated year-round colour and not just flower. It is often a mistake by some ‘garden writers’ to try to do this with flowering shrubs. As most shrubs only flower for 3-4 weeks (there are exceptions), you can easily end up with 11 out of the 12 shrubs not in flower at any given time. That is not good planning. Evergreens must feature, and also shrubs with coloured foliage. There are several shrubs which are grown mainly for their berries, but which also have a good flowering period.

Let’s look at some dual purpose shrubs - month by month.

January Viburnum tinus variegatum, Mahonia Charity, Rubus Golden Vale, Cornus alba Elegantissima.

February Skimmia japonica Rubella,

March Camellias, Salix caprea Pendula

April Kerria japonica flore plene Prunus cistena Crimson Dwarf, Spiraea Goldflame’

May Choisya ‘Sundance’, Hebe pinguifolia Pagei

June Potentilla fruiticosa types, Weigella florida nana, W. foliis Purpureus.

July Hebes various incl Midsummer Beauty,

August Hypericum androseanum, Convulvulus cneorum

September Abelia Fancis Mason, Desfontainea spinosa, Hibiscus vars.

October Photinia Red Robin, Elaeagnus ebingei, Fuchsias Mrs Popple, Mme Cornelisson

November Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Deben’, Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ ,Rubus cockburnianus ‘Golden Vale’

December Viburnum tinus Eve Price, Hamamelis mollis, Cotoneaster Cornubia C. hybridus Pendulus. Phormium ‘Sundowner’ P. ‘Maori Sunset’.

Don’t forget the winter flowering Ericas i.e. The Erica carnea types. Some like Erica carnea ‘Foxhollow’ and E.c. J.H. Brummage, have golden foliage for the rest of the year as well.

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Q Do all Heathers need acid soil?

A The winter flowering varieties of Erica carnea and E x darleyensis are quite happy in a neutral to alkaline soil. If you are experiencing yellowing of the leaves, then treat with Sequestrene. See article on Winter flowering Heathers

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Q I had a beautiful Conifer in my garden that screened my neighbour’s conservatory. It has suddenly died. I think that he has poisoned the soil. How can I find out?

A It may have died from natural causes; for instance the dry summers we have been having. Try this... Take some soil from around the area, and put it in a seed tray. Sprinkle some grass seed on the surface and keep warm and moist. If the grass seed grows well, then the soil is fine. If it starts to grow and then dies, or just does not grow, you may have a problem with ‘treated’ soil. Don’t be hasty. Phone up your local Agricultural Advisory service - They will tell you the name and address of a laboratory that undertakes soil testing.

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Q Can you name some flowering plants that attract butterflies and other insects?

A If you have the space, then one of the Buddleia davidii types will be just right (Black Knight, Empire Blue, Peace, Royal Red, Harlequin are all good ones). Hebes, Pyracanthas for the flowers in early summer, and then the berries in autumn/winter.Cotoneasters will also fit the bill. The Spiraea group Lavenders, Perovskia, Syringa, Viburnum tinus and V.opulus and the summer heathers. Some perennials which will attract wildlife, include Achillea, Sedum spectabilis (a must) Scabiosa, Asters (Michaelmas daisies). The perfect annual for this, Phacelia.

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Q Any sweet scented plants - particularly shrubs?

A I think that my all-time favourite scented flowering shrub, must be Elaeagnus ebingei. A grey-green leaved evergreen with spectacular white undersides to the leaves, the flowers are hardly noticeable in the visual sense but oh boy - the scent! August, September, October and November even. This has to be the best. It will grow anywhere; including a North facing shaded aspect, and grows to 8 feet or so if allowed. Don’t forget the scent of foliage either, Lavenders, Rosmarinus, Choisya, Santolina, Perovskia, Laurus (The Bay), Myrtus and Helichrysum are good - and all evergreen.

For scented flowers - other than the older varieties of roses of course - The winter flowering Honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima,(A shrubby type) is gorgeous and - still in the winter period - the Mahonias Charity and japonica excel. Osmanthus burkwoodii, Ribes odoratum and Spartium junceum are also good. Whatever you do, don’t forget the deciduous azaleas - particularly the occidentalis forms - just heaven!. I’m sure that you must already know of the mock orange (Philadelphus virginalis is superb and so is P. Beauclerk). I must also mention the winter Viburnums V. x bodnantense, and later - into the spring - then you should sniff out the V. carlcephalum, V. burkwoodii and most certainly V carlesii.

The climbing shrubs such as the honeysuckles (Lonicera x americana is good ) and Summer Jasmine (Jasminum officinalis ) are also populular. Azara microphylla - not too well known - has exquisitely scented tiny yellow flowers.

Oooohhh! Just bottle that lot and sprinkle it about.

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Q I have a small garden but love trees. Can you suggest a couple?

A Three immediately spring to mind. Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’ is slow growing, and has lovely flamingo pink leaf buds in spring - then leaves turning cream variegated. Gleditschia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ has finely cut foliage, with splatters of lime green throughout. On a more gaudy note, there is a flowering cherry - upright - Prunus amanogowa. For a different approach, you could plant one of the silver birches Betula jaquemontii (Utilis) is one that I would favour, and cut it back hard each year to force dazzling white new stems from the base. Do the same with Eucalyptus gunnii. Talking of Eucalyptus, E niphophilla would be nice as well, with its gorgeous peeling bark. Well, I’ve given you a few more than a couple - here’s one more Cotoneaster hybridus ‘Pendulus’.

Be aware that you can also get a number of Apple, Pear, Plums etc on dwarfing root-stock. Enjoy the blossom, the Autumn colour - and the fruit!

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