abwsco Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 (edited) a work in progress. After having been cruel over Easter to the chickens by taking back some garden (see other thread for pics) we have started on pruning back and also replanting. The mahonia on left is over 20 years old. This was bought for my late Mum by my Aunty and regular gets hacked back as it grows out onto the path and onto the main gadren and it's very prickly and hurts. Lovely when in flower and the birds love the berries it produces. More of the conifer. This was taller than the garage. We've previously hacked this back. It was also completely swamping a smaller conifer that was in. We also checked for birds nests before we did any work. No idea what this is but it sometimes has an unpleasant smell like dog poo:vom: but gives us greenery. Again, we've previously hacked this right back. Edited July 9, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 The afters -lols Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 wow!! that's my sort of gardening, nothing as satisfying as a good hack back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Wow that's some serious pruning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 Doesn't it look dreadful now though I also wanted to really hack the plant that's left next to the stumpy conifers (on right in middle pic) but DH wouldn't let me. Am sure it would be better as there's a lot of dead wood at the back and side from where the conifers grown into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 no, it'll soon perk up! what is the light like - full sun, shadier on one side than the other etc etc? that will help you decide what to plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 BC, do you think we should hack back the plant mentioned? My view is if it doesn't recover I can just plant something else instead. Garage side where the conifers are get very little sun. Also forgot we did have a Cordyline australis 'Purpurea' between the conifer and the mahonia but the winter killed it off. The other side gets the sun from mid morning. We've also a very old eucalyptus on that side to the left of the laurel(?) We're not sure if that has succombed to the winter as well as nearly all the leaves are brown although it could just be wind damage. How do we tell? Thanks for any help and we're coastal as well Just remembered that pre chickens we used to have loads of Crocosmia all along the edge of the patio which I loved. Wonder why I don't have any now At least my fern will remain uneaten this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 well if you dont like the plant, hack it back hard - you'll either get it under control and can keep it that way and grow someting nicer, or you'll kill it and you can plant something you prefer! or if you really dont like it, take it out altogether and be done with it. something we did with a row of leylandii - dont know if this might work for you? we cut them back completely so we were left with just 7 or 8 trunks, about 12' high, and then strung wires across them and planted various stuff. This meant we could get more light into that area of the garden, and still have a bit of cover from the road at the bottom. we planted stuff like honeysuckle which does more or less anywhere, and solanum which is fabulous - blue flowers all over it. can take pix if you want. remember that where the conifers are you will need to feed the ground - conifers leach out the nutrients, drop their needles and generally create a starved soil so before you replant its worth digging in a lot of muck (or chuck some in the holes you dig for new plants and mulch with it. if you do that, dont use fresh chicken manure it's too harsh for plants. but you can use well-rotted stuff, or buy something from the garden centre. not sure about the eucalyptus, you could try s"Ooops, word censored!"ing a bit of bark with your nail - if greenish underneath, not dead; or try snapping a twig - if it bends it's alive! stuff I've found does well by the sea: hardy fuchsias (perennials, not the ones you chuck away at the end of the summer); escallonia; mahonia; ceanothus, cotoneaster, weigela, berberis, buddleia, clematis, honeysuckle, roses, jasmine etc etc. basically your common or garden stuff which everyone has! hope I'm not teaching you to suck eggs!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 Thanks BC My late Mum was the gardener so I've not really anyone to ask and we have neglected the back garden even before chickens. Not done much more than keep what was in, let it get too big and then hack back every few years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 That is extreeme gardening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 the other thing is to decide what you LIKE - eg, colours, shapes, spiky or blowsy, scented, do you want to attract bees & butterflies etc, and then look at lots of pics to see what fits your bill and what matches your site. the RHS encyclopaedia of plants is really good if you want to try and plan - it has plants by colour/size/time of year they are in flower etc etc and with a pic of each one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 Thanks again BC Would love to atract the wildlife back into the garden. I know a buddleja is an obvious choice but they always seem to get too big and out of control when we plant them. Same with lavenders so we end up getting rid of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 The secret with buddleia is to cut it back in early spring to the first outward facing buds. This means cutting it to about 6 inches from the ground. It flowers beautifully on the new wood, growing amazingly fast to five feet or so but never getting out of control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Thanks Dani Would planting it in a pot in the ground work as well. Obviously a bigger one than one it came in though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 No, it won't thrive in a pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I *think* I've read recently about some buddleias developed for pots, smaller than normal ones - might be worth a google. but like OSH says they are manageable in a border, just chop them down in Feb/March. they're better if you do anyway because the flowers are lower down then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Thanks Dani and BC Looks like the eucalpytus of 25 years ish is dead. Was planted by my late Mum as well All the branches with brown leaves on (normally wind damage to leaves only) are dead. Can't see any green on any areas where I've s"Ooops, word censored!"ed the bark away either. Plan is to saw most of it down and see what happens. We've always lopped it to around six foot anyway so keep fingers crossed please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Best of luck, Ann. Remember eucalyptus has terribly invasive roots so if it's anywhere near the house perhaps it's just as well. Dani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Thanks Dani. Luckily it's over half way down the garden. I bet they put warnings on now about how they grow as well. Was little more than twig thick when it was planted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 Just thought I'd do a very small update. No signs of new life on the conifers yet but the other shrub we hacked has suddenly sprouted some new shoots. Due to DH's stay in hospital at the beginning of the month we've only just dug in some new soil and manure today so hoping to get some new plants in next weekend. Purchase of chainsaw has been on hold as well so we haven't cut back the Eucalpytus yet either. Good news with the Eucy though is that we do have new vigorous growth from lower down as I'd miss it if had gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 good news about the eucy, they are lovely if kept under control. good luck with the rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 Well, we went plant shopping today armed with your list BC from your border thread. However, only managed a Hebe from it! Not sure if we've chosen well but time will tell. Anyway, we bought: Lobelia Cardinalis Cotoneaster Variegatus Salvia Mystic Spire Hebe Kirkii Liatris Spicata Dwarf Dianthus Tickled Pink - no idea why as I don't like them particularly Astilbe Arendsii Fire Cordyline Red Star Minature Conifers x 2 - DH wanted these so I've made him plant them in pots! Am also going to get a couple of clmbers to go on the garage wall inbetween the windows but need trellis first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 sounds lovely! if you are still after a buddleia for a pot, there's a variety called Jazz,it was advertised in the Telegraph yesterday but I'm sure if you google it you will find out who sells it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 Thanks BC off for a looksie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 Just back from another garden centre with a Buddlia "Buzz" which is ideal for pots. DH is planting it in the garden though now as I type as he didn't want it in a pot Oh, and we also called in at B & Q. OMG at the prices They were charging at least double for everything we bought yesterday. The quality was horrendous yet people were buying loads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
