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jueb

By Jueb

Kent, United Kingdom Gb

After taking down some huge conifers, I have a new border to plan. The border is quite deep and in dappled shade. I am thinking of planting a mix of evergreen and deciduous plants such as camellias, pieris, hydrangea paniculata, viburnum plicatum, garrya elliptica, and perhaps one or two acers. Which shrubs would you choose for the back of this deep border, i.e. just in front of the fence? Appreciate your thoughts...




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That's quite a lot of shrubs which get large over time - what does the area measure in depth and width? Camellia and Pieris like neutral to acid soil too...Garrya elliptica prefers to be up against a fence or wall, its known as a wall shrub, but with that mix of large shrubs, there's a danger you won't be able to see it at all as everything matures and gets larger. Knowing the size of the area is important for other recommendations... as is knowing whether the tree stumps have been bored out or are still present.

22 Mar, 2018

 

Bamboo is correct with her planting info but the most important thing she has hit on is, have you taken the old tree stumps out? Yes, it is expensive to have them ground out but the problem may come back to bite you in later years with rotting wood, toadstals and other unwanted fungi.

22 Mar, 2018

 

And when they have gone you'll need to get the soil back into good heart again as is will likely be very nutrient poor.
I have seen Garry elliptica grown as an attractive small tree but its generally better trained as a wall shrub and takes less room up. If you have it and can put it in a suitable place the catkins look wonderful illuminated at night from a window or streetlamp. But don't plant anything more than about 18" tall in front of it.

22 Mar, 2018

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