keithmac
Guru
The laurel in the garden is about 20 feet high. I'm hoping to die before it completely takes over the garden, therefore becoming someone else's problem
Sounds like a good plan, wouldn't fany tackling a 20 footer!.
The laurel in the garden is about 20 feet high. I'm hoping to die before it completely takes over the garden, therefore becoming someone else's problem
Is it a continus coggria ? Smoke bush?I guess I want it to look something like this I the end:
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/evergreen-border-collection---3m-x-90cm-179212
To the left I have a couple of bushes and a straggly rose thing.
View attachment 148148 View attachment 148149
And to the right a tree and a bush thing:
View attachment 148150
So it looks like everything died months ago.
A few google searches and there's a suggestion I could plant confused and evergreens at this time of year.
View attachment 148080
Homebase are selling a few cypresses
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/garden/trees-conifers-and-hedging/conifers-110
Can a buy a few of the small ones and walk away?
I've been a professional horticulturalist for 44 years and the description of those plants is poor at best. Personally I wouldn't buy hardy plants in Homebase. Their bedding plant supplier though, not me, is one of the best in the UK.
If you must buy cheap plants, though I feel this is a false economy, go to B&Q. Do NOT buy anything that looks dry, tired, old or is marked down. B&Q use some of the best growers in the UK and have exacting standards. I know this as I've been a supplier. There are two reasons why their stock can look shabby - lack of in store care and regrettably growing plants to achieve a price point has implications for plant quality and shelf life. With B&Q the trick is to purchase with 24/48 hours of a delivery to take full advantage of the nurseryman's skills.
There are excellent plants to be had in B&Q provided one takes time to make sure they are healthy. My advice generally though, for anyone, would be to visit a quality garden centre. If you indicate the general area you live in I may be able to suggest a decent centre.
I'm not clear what you are trying to achieve. If you can describe this along with soil type (any approximation will do, sandy, dry, claggy etc!), aspect, area of bed and how much you are willing to spend I should be able to help.
Your rose, presuming it's a recent photograph, needs pruning. The brown stems are dead and should be cut back to where a green shoot is breaking as are the two near the stone. I suspect the tall stems at the back are suckers. If they are then your original rose is probably near death as it appears most of the desired variety is or has died off.
Roses are produced by placing a bud from the desired variety on to a rootstock of another. Generally the rootstock is more vigorous than the desired variety. If you can see strong growths coming from below soil level these could be suckers growing from the rootstock - they need pruning out. To establish if they are suckers or not scrape away soil near where they arise. It will be obvious if they arise from above or below the original plant. If below cut off as close to stem as possible.
View attachment 129290 Actually I do have lots of seeds from this ( anyone know what it is ? )
It's not like this all year but very pretty most of the year . I'll send you some if you like .