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Category: About Trees

Articles involving trees, shrubs, bushes, woods and hedges plus related subjects

Topiary Tips and Sites to Visit

Topiary Tips and Sites to Visit

Some evergreen shrubs lend themselves to topiary and simple sculpture shapes. From simple Box hedges as knot gardens to large geometric shapes you can train and prune to get effects with a large range of plants and shrubs.

Good Plants to Start
Yew (Taxus) is a traditional topiary subject that stands hard pruning with it’s fine textured needles and moderate growth rates.
Juniper is a fine textured evergreen with tree, shrub and prostrate forms that respond to pruning.
Holly (Ilex) is a glossy leaved evergreen with various leaf forms depending on variety. It is slow growing and can be trimmed quite hard.
Box (Boxus) is useful for smaller sculpted shapes needing fine detail. It is slow growing.
Cupressus are often used for spiral shapes or cloud pruning.
Bay (Laurel nobilis) has coarse aromatic leaves that are popular for training as a round-headed standard.

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Copper Beech Hedge

Copper Beech Hedge

Copper beech is not copper coloured until autumn when the leaves turn to a burnt brown colour. There are green leaved beech hedges and purple leaved copper beech. The leaves stay on the tree until spring when new buds are fit to burst.

Hints about Copper Beech

  • The leaves can be a dark purple colour or a bright green but both turn to a similar shade of brown.
  • Beech can be pruned hard and shaped in to hedges or loose topiary.
  • Beech is also sold as Fagus sylvatica (purpurea for the purple leaved variety)
  • Young whips(single stemmed saplings) or 2 foot high trees can be bought inexpensively for hedging or to turn into bonsai.
  • Read about Beech root and branch review.
  • This is my favourite poem about Hedges by Les Barker

Reg was a lonely glow worm,
All alone in the big city night;
Lady glow worms didn’t like him,
Never really thought him too bright.

She was just a red glow in the gutter,
Alone, perhaps lonely like him;
His heart simply melted like butter;
Her light made all others seem dim.

But tonight he would not be requited;
Her warm love could never be Reg’s
For he was a lonely glow worm
And she was a Benson and Hedges.

He asked did she come here often,
Asked if she fancied a drink;
She might perhaps like a light ale;
No reply; not a nod; not a wink.

She was just a red glow in the gutter,
Smouldering; sultry; aloof.
Not one single word did she utter,
And Reg never guessed at the truth.

His heart was aflame with desire,
But her fire was a pyre; it was Reg’s;
For he was a lonely glow worm
And she was a Benson and Hedges.

He desperately wanted to know her,
There in the big city night;
And there, like a moth to the flame,
Reg was drawn to the light.

She was just a red glow in the gutter,
A beacon of love in the mist;
She lay where some smoker had put her
And Reg could no longer resist.

He burned more than his fingers that evening;
Now he carries a torch with scorched edges,
For he was a lonely glow worm
And she was a Benson and Hedges.

>He fell like a fool for a cigarette,
For passion can have strange effects
And his contact lenses were missing,
And a tortoise had trod on his specs.

She was just a red glow in the gutter,
Unmoved by wit, wisdom or wealth,
Sat a firefly on fire and a-flutter
And seriously damaged his health.

All she left was a small pile of charcoal;
Remember those embers are Reg’s,
For he was a lonely glow worm
And she was a Benson and Hedges.

  Visit Les Barker’s Website
http://www.mrsackroyd.com/

Rhododendron Care and Deadheading after Flowering

Rhododendron Care and Deadheading after Flowering

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It is hard to know where to start with Rhododendrons and the 850+ species. Perhaps a good book will help the beginner get an overview.

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Failing that there is membership of the RHS specialist section The Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia Group.

www.rhodogroup-rhs.org/ This society controls ‘The International Rhododendron Register and Checklist’ of the named 29,000 +varieties, cultivars and group names.

Gardenerstips

  • Look out for plants with the Award of Garden Merit including the following Lepidote species Augustinii, Edgeworthii, Keiskei, Racemosum and Yunnanense.
  • Elepidote species are generally larger and AGM’s include Niveum, Morii, Fluvum, Arboreum and Decorum.

Soon the display of colourful Rhododendrons will falter and be over for another year. I still like the leaf colours, textures and shapes and Rhododendrons are easy to for.
There are some good tips to get a great show next spring, it is never to early too start.

rhodo-seed-heads

Deadheading Rhododendrons

On the above photo the petals have just fallen and the long,  tubular seedheads are just beginning to form.
It is not worth letting the seedheads fill up and develop as you are unlikely to be trying to breed your own from seed. So any energy put into the seedheads is energy lost from next years plant and flowers.
If you look closely on the next picture you will see that at either side of the seed spikes there are leaf buds. Generally there are two leaf buds for each dead flower.

pinch-twist

It can be a long job on a large Rhododendron but I pinch out the seedheads to divert energy back to the shrub and give the leaf buds space to develop.
Pinching the often sticky seedsheads, I give a twist to break the stem just above the new leaf joint. It only takes a little practice, you soon pick up the knack without causing any damage. To me it is therapeutic on a warm spring afternoon to be helping channel the natural energy into plants that have given so much pleasure already.

leaf-buds-left

Here you can see the seeds have been removed and added to the compost heap. The light green new buds will generate leaves and new branches that can develop in the space now vacated.
Failing to deadhead is not to say leaving the shrub to its own devices will be a failure but as we are growing for ornamental purposes every bit to care helps. In the wild Rhododendrons manage quite nicely thank you without this TLC.

Rhododendron Care after Flowering

Try some commonsense housekeeping but leave the pruning shears in the shed.
New flower buds for next year are formed on Rhododendrons during summer so I try keep them well supplied with water.
Rhododendrons are shallow rooted so they like a drink and an occasional feed of ericaceous fertiliser.
After flowering and a wet spell in late spring I often give the Rhododendrons a top dressing of peat (Agh! I hear some of you say but it is the natural ericaceous medium for Rhododendrons).
I also sometimes spray with diluted Miracle Grow ericaceous fertiliser.
Keep the area weed free. I find the canopy of Rhododendron leaves works well keeping weeds down.

Cure and Avoid Blackspot on Roses

Cure and Avoid Blackspot on Roses

Black spot

Black spot is an ugly and plant threatening, fungal disease causing problems with Roses. Due to ,my inattention my roses were ravaged this year!

Avoid Black Spot

  • Keep the ground clear of any diseased leaves or plant matter.
  • Burn affected leaves, do not compost as this just recycles the spores.
  • Use clean tools or dip them in fungicide particularly those that contact the sap like secateurs or loppers.
  • Buy disease resistant varieties of rose.
  • Allow air to circulate. Black spot likes humid conditions so water carefully.
  • Beware black spot can be transmitted from plant to plant. Good hygiene is vital.

Treating Black Spot

  • Remove and destroy infected material.
  • Spray with a systemic fungicide on both sides of the leaves and the stems of affected plants.

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Growing Ginkgo or Gingko Trees

Growing Ginkgo or Gingko Trees

Young Ginkgo

Ginkgo trees are sacred trees planted around shrines and temples in China. They do not flower but have male and female plants with male catkins and long stalked ovules.

Leaves of Ginkgo

  • The deciduous leaves are  fan-shaped with veins radiating out into the leaf blade.
  • The sculpted leaves are usually  2-5 inches  long borne on short woody shoots.
  • The old popular name “Maidenhair tree” is derived from the leaves.
  • The green leaves turn buttery yellow in autumn.
  • Ginkgo leaf extract is used to treat a variety of  conditions, including memory loss, asthma, bronchitis,  and tinnitus

Growing Tips for Ginkgo

  • Most trees available in the UK are male. They grow 50-150 feet tall.
  • Ginkgo biloba do not tolerate shade and grows best in environments that are well-watered and well-drained.
  • Ginkgo retains a prodigious capacity for vegetative growth. One tree in Hiroshima regrew after the atomic bomb.
  • Ginkgo is capable of sprouting from buds near the base of the trunk. It also can develop aerial roots.
  • Fossils dating back 250 million years testify to the longevity of the species.

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Hypericum – St John’s Wort, Rose of Sharon, Aaron’s Beard

Hypericum – St John’s Wort, Rose of Sharon, Aaron’s Beard

Make your garden feel a lot better with this cure all….
St Johns Wort

Hypericum is a large family of perennial shrubs with creeping roots. This specimen is three feet tall and attracts lots of insects from mid June. Often called St John’s Wort it is named after St John’s day which is 24th June when it’s flowers are collected for medicinal purposes.

In mild climates the shrub can be evergreen with glossy leaves. With several varieties having an award of garden merit this is a shrub that is well worth growing.

Flowers and Cultivation

  • The single yellow flowers are often quite numerous as on this Hidcote variety. It is also known as the Rose of Sharon.
  • Flower colour varies from pale lemon yellow to an umber or burnt orange-yellow
  • There are 5 petals and a large number of stamen leading to another common name Aaron’s Beard.
  • They flower at the end of branches or stems and create a spicy scent of curry.
  • After the flowers there are fleshy red berries that contain numerous seeds
  • The wild flower can be quite invasive spreading by roots or seeds dropped by birds
  • Prune after flowering. They can stand a hard cut back and may even benefit.
  • Grow the ground cover Hypericum calycinium Briggadoon which can flower July -October

Herbal and Medicinal Uses

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Creepers From Boston and Virginia

Creepers From Boston and Virginia

Virginia Creeper

Do you want your walls to look like this in Autumn. If so then the Parthenocissus family are the plants for you.

Description of Virginia Creeper

  • Parthenocissus quinquefolia or Virginia creeper is a woody, climbing shrub that can reach great heights when supported by a building.
  • The flowers are small and greenish, produced in clusters in late spring, and mature in late summer or early fall into small, hard, toxic, purplish-black berries up to half inch long.
  • The large leaves are five fingered hence the quinquefolia name tag.
  • The plant clings by suckers and after the first few feet it will not need any support. The plant should not harm sound walls but to remove kill the plant first and let the suckers die back.
  • Creepers can kill other supporting plants by smothering and stopping light getting to them.

Virginia Creeper

Other Creepers

  • Boston Ivy Parthenocissus tricuspidata is not an Ivy but a Grape or Vitacaea, Very similar to Virginia Creeper the leaves are less palmate but colour well.
  • Chinese Creeper Parthenocissus henryana (AGM) is also referred to as the silver vein creeper and is renown for grand Autumn colour aswell as veined leaves. It is less rampant and more delicate than many other ornamental grape vines.
  • Parthenocissus inserta supports with tendrils more than suckers and scrambles over walls and hedges
  • Parthenocissus thomsonii has a slender habit and purple growths early in the year.

london 11.11 050

Creeper Growing and Problems

  • The fast growth has blocked out windows on this London creeper
  • Birds love the fruit but they are only produced in quantity during a hot dry summer
  • Insects will like the living accommodation provided
  • Grow from seed or cuttings
  • Be ready for regular trimming once established.
Dwarf Rockery Conifers

Dwarf Rockery Conifers

Dwarf Conifer

Not everyone wants a Leylandii hedge, in fact few gardeners want Leylandii at all. Fortunately there are other conifers and shrubs to suit most people. I have just introduced some new dwarf conifers into my rockery with a range of alpines.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Aurea'

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Aurea’ AGM

  • This is sold as being ideal for small gardens and rockeries
  • It will grow a pyramid shape with sprays of yellow tipped blunt shaped leaves.
  • Chamai, means ‘dwarf’ Aurea means gold and Obtusa means blunt shaped.
  • After 10 years it should be no more than 2 feet high by 18 inches wide
  • It is now planted in well drained soil in full sun but with some shelter from the wind.

Picea pungens 'Montgomery'

Picea pungens ‘Montgomery’

  • This I bought as a grafted shrub with blue needle like leaves
  • A slow growing blue coloured specimen due to grow to 20-30 inches in 10 years.
  • These pictures look a good bit taller than the shrub I hope to grow. Well here’s hoping the graft is on small stock.
  • Female cones are cylindrical, green when young, maturing to pale brown.

Cryptomeria Japonica 'Golden Promise'

Cryptomeria Japonica ‘Golden Promise’

  • Taking 20-50 years to reach 24 by 18″ this is a true slow grower
  • It should make a rounded shrub with green foliage turning creamy gold in the heat of summer.
  • By autumn there will be a purple tinge to the leaves but it is a hardy evergreen.
  • Also known as Japanese cedar.

Tips and Comments

  • I was inspired to try more plants after visiting Perennial’s York Gate Garden. They have many prostrate and vertical conifers on display but disappointingly will not let me show you the photographs. Not very charitable from the Gardeners Royal Benevolent charity!
  • I bought the plants at Slack Top nursery.
  • The visible labels are made from copper. You scratch the name into the soft material and they should age gently but remain legible. I bought them from Wilkinsons and hope they help me with the names as my memory fades.
Twin Oaks or Two Oaks

Twin Oaks or Two Oaks

Quercus bonsai

It takes a long time, a lot of skill and patience to grow an Oak bonsai like the one above.
With the right care and attention a bonsai will last for decades and longer.

Given that observation it takes a lot longer to grow a mature Oak in a forest or woodland.

Left to their own devices trees can take on extraordinary shapes.

may12 002

I like the oil painting Two Oaks by Jan van Goyen from 1642 available to view on Wahoo

Fruit Tree Training and Styles

Fruit Tree Training and Styles

Wall trained
Espalier trained fruit trees can make the best of a south facing wall. In this style of training peaches, nectarines and apricots can be grown.
Large areas can be covered by just one plant.The branches are tied in the horizontal position and pruned to stay in formation.

Space is saved in comparison to a round tree with a central leader by having only a narrow width away from the wall.

Cordon trained

Training against a wall or on strong wires using cordons is often a good method for growing Apples.

Chose your variety and root stock with cordons in mind.

Cordon gooseberry

This Gooseberry is trained as an upright.  This is often called a leg and is used to make picking easier. You can also get more plants into a smaller area. The style and method is the similar to that used for growing a standard.

Cordon training

I wonder how this V shaped cordon is growing on 2 seasons later. You can just see the second branch starting to grow on the left.

Fan train

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