Gardeners: What should I stick in me 'ole ?

[icowden]

OK Gardening folk.

The back of the garden is a huge "privacy" hedge. It's one of those Cypress types of hedge that grows like billy-o. In front in the right hand corner used to have a horrid spiky bush and will soon be rid of the horrid spiky pine type tree in the corner of the garden (see picture). They overhang my stream and prevent me from doing any maintenance (yes I have a little stream which goes between two ponds!). Now these overgrown spiky monstrosities have been there long enough that I now have a "dead" hole in the hedge which needs to be screened off by something more attractive, less spiky and easier to maintain.

The meander of the stream means that it isn't a big corner and as you can see the previous spiky bush and tree knocked down the rockery edge that I will now be rebuilding!. The patch a new piece of greenery will (eventually) have to cover is approx 2m high by 2m across. I have just purchased a tester to try and work out what kind of soil I have. It's definitely not clay soil. It shows no clayness at all. It's more woodlandy. It balls up when wet but not when dry.

So - any ideas for attractive nature friendly and person friendly greenery which isn't too hard to maintain?

 

[mudsticks]

You might struggle to establish much happily their, the existing trees will already be hogging a lot of the light and water.

You could try something like a spotted laurel - Aucuba japonica.

Fairly fast growing for an evergreen, but you'll still need to water it well, over the summer for it to have a chance of thriving.

 

[icowden]

Water isn't usually too much of a problem as the stream gets overflowed regularly into that corner (although that is an issue I want to fix). One idea I came across was Camelia williamsii donation, but i understand that it is fussy about soil - hence trying to work out my soil type.

 

[mudsticks]

Water isn't usually too much of a problem as the stream gets overflowed regularly into that corner (although that is an issue I want to fix). One idea I came across was Camelia williamsii donation, but i understand that it is fussy about soil - hence trying to work out my soil type.

I suspect whatever your original soil type, it will quite likely now be tending towards acidic, with all those conifers in the background.

The stream will be creating a potentially 'extreme' environment.

Waterlogged / flooded in winter, but depleted of nutrients in Summer.

I wouldn't try anything 'fussy' if I were you.
The 'car park plant' end of things, that can put up with an amount of abuse would be your best bet.

I'd suggest a small leaved berberis even, but that's spiky again, albeit in a milder way.

It does have pretty flowers, and attractive fruits though so you might forgive the prickles.

 

[icowden]

I'm not 100% against spiky. I just want the spiky bits to stay on the far side of the stream rather than making a desperate bid for freedom. The existing spiky tree and bushes were overgrown when we moved in and have just got worse.

In an ideal world I'd get rid of the Cypress and start again too, but they are home to a number of nesting birds, so I'm reluctant to get rid.

 

[mudsticks]

I'm not 100% against spiky. I just want the spiky bits to stay on the far side of the stream rather than making a desperate bid for freedom. The existing spiky tree and bushes were overgrown when we moved in and have just got worse.

In an ideal world I'd get rid of the Cypress and start again too, but they are home to a number of nesting birds, so I'm reluctant to get rid.

Well there's only so much you can do to 'bend nature to your will' - look what a pickle we got ourselves into - overdoing that...

 

[icowden]

Well there's only so much you can do to 'bend nature to your will' - look what a pickle we got ourselves into - overdoing that...

Indeed. I saw a nice quote the other day.

"They said one man couldn't change the world. Turns out he can - all he needs is an undercooked bat"