[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

Stat Brother said:

Bored - so here's the random bits of colour that now inhabit what was, 6 months ago, a jungle

Favourite little bit - loads of different greenery, no earth.

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Gonna win the First Dahlias Flower competition.
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Random purple thing, on the wrong side of the tracks.
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Gonna get more of these
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and the reason for the pics - look at the fookin size of this buddleia flower
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Jack Straw said:

It's coming on a treat, Stat. Don't dead-head the purpley thing (Verbena bonariensis). Let it go to seed and you will have more coming up next year. Insects love 'em, and even if they come up at the front of the border, you can see through them, so it doesn't matter.

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Stat Brother said:

Yeah I've got a few problem areas notably the 'crispy' Acer which has been unhappy since day one.

I couldn't get through the 'wild garden' area with pneumatic drill let alone spade and fork, so that area is on hold till Autumn.

It's also occurred to me I'm going to need to border in the lawn (and should have done that at the outset) before I seed it.
So now on the lookout for a shit-tonne of that stuff I really don't like.

Oh and it would seem none of the fence spurs are 6ft apart - ****s.

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Jack Straw said:

The "crispy" Acer is probably and Acer palmatum? They don't like full sun or wind. Water it like buggery (with a can!) each week, and if you can transplant it in November to somewhere with a bit of shade and out of the wind, this should help.
When you say "a border to the lawn", does this mean something more solid? If so, one way is just to buy enough turf to go around the perimeter of the lawn, and sow the rest. Should you do this, wait until the ground is wet down to 6" or it will go brown and shrink in five minutes.
Why do you need a tonne of Poppy seeds?

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Stat Brother said:

Ah thanks, I hadn't thought about turfing the border.
I want a decent edge to the lawn but really don't like those 3 inch wooden 'fences' you knock in to differentiate between lawn and border.

What Acer does like full sunshine?
It's in a perfect spot, afternoon sun, no wind, eyeline from the kitchen and back corner apex of the L-shape garden.

Failing an Acer what would be a great 'statement' plant that will eventually be 6ft sq. (Ish) minimum effort!


It's where I wanted to put the Bird of Paradise plant, but none of you would let me.

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Jack Straw said:

For a small garden, the only suitable Acer would be a palmatum. Most of the others would get far too big.
A variety of Acer palmatum which does withstand full sun is "Sango Kaku".
https://www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/acer-palmatum-sango-kaku-tree-p583
If I had to choose a "statement plant", I would suggest a Trachycarpus fortuneii or Chamaerops humilis. Both hard palms. Look good all year with no maintenance apart from cutting off the dead leaves once a year. The Trachycarpus would be a single stem whilst the Chamaerops would be more bushy, fulfilling the 6`x6` criteria.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/18291/trachycarpus-fortunei/details
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/3695/i-chamaerops-humilis-i/details

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Stat Brother said:

Someone needs to go back to post #1.


My loathing of hardy palms is what got us here in the first place.

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Green Cross Code Man said:

Ahem, post one is NOT a palm tree, it is a Cordyline. The suggestions are good from [MENTION=259]Jack Straw[/MENTION] but I would mention that Trachycarpus don't look great if in a very windy position unless the 'Wagnerianus' variety. The Chamaerops is a fine palm but has awful spines which hurt a lot. The Trachy is much more friendly.

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Stat Brother said:

They all look the same to me.

I'm not arguing the source, obviously, just wanted a nice shrubby thing.

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Stat Brother said:

They all look the same to me.

I'm not arguing the source, obviously, just wanted a nice shrubby thing.

I already have buddleia, ceanothus, choysia and Hypericum, so am hoping for that sort of thing but in a 'wow that's nice, not seen that before' stylee, as opposed to the genetic spaces eaters all of those ones are.

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Jack Straw said:

I've suggested "statement plants" when all you want is a bush!
Not evergreen, but make lovely "bushes";
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/6969/euonymus-alatus/details

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Stat Brother said:

I'm confused by the 4 photos for this one.
They appear to be 4 different plants!!!

If that's the case I want the red one, or something like that big, bold, eye catching and a little bit different.

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Stat Brother said:

I'm confused by the 4 photos for this one.
They appear to be 4 different plants!!!

If that's the case I want the red one, or something like that big, bold, eye catching and a little bit different.

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Dolph Ins said:

Another sugestion Abelia. Evergreen and 2 periods of interest, flowers and bracts. Pretty tough too.

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Jack Straw said:

That's the same plant! It shows you the different effects it gives over the year. That's why I chose it for you. A bushy statement plant!!

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Stat Brother said:

No it isn't.

One's a white, that's, white plant.
While the other is a red plant.


You must think I'm silly.

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Jack Straw said:

There's no fooling you Monty!

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