Fast-growing small trees for clay soil

Squiggly_Diddly

As it says on the tin...!

I've been recently rebitten (after many years) by the gardening bug & have a huge garden with a nosey(pervy!) neighbour on one side, who is out from 7am to 7pm in his garden (despite being too disabled to work as a gardener, but that's another story...). So I am working on ways to make my garden less overlooked from his side. It is 33ft wide x 100ft long & despite living in a coastal town, is clay soil (so either like a bog or like concrete). I'm not particularly exposed to sea breezes though as I'm 3 miles inland.

I am not sure what would be good to plant. I have some triffid-like tree that appeared around 4-5 years ago as a shrub (that I didn't plant!), and is now level with the roof of my house..!! I know I worked out what it was once, with the aid of a book, but can't remember right this minute. It produces catkin type things in spring that drop off, then seems to double in size each summer! I want to try & root a cutting of that & bung it down near the end of the garden so that will create a block on the view. I have a railway line at the end, so don't need to worry about blocking neighbours' light down there.

A lot of plants don't seem to thrive in my garden though, so I'm not sure what else to get, but I want things that are fast-growing -either large shrubs that will hit around 8ft, or small trees? My rowan tree has just died after 3 years of doing very little, and the lilac bush next to it is getting weaker & weaker. (If I prune that right back, will that help revive it?) A cherry tree also does not thrive, and mallow (lavatera) never did very well. However, bleeding heart and cistus both seem to flourish. And as for bindweed....lol!!!

Sorry this is so long, but any help or suggestions much appreciated, thank you

poppyoscar_3

What about butterfly bushes (I can't spell the bud......word LOL!!) They seem to grow pretty much anywhere and grow quickly, as well as bringing *ahem* butterflies to your garden!

susieb

Or eucalyptus

sunflower76

Could your unidentified plant be willow? If it is then you can get new ones by cutting off thin branches and sticking them straight into the soil. Willow is a big fan of lots of water so will be enjoying your clay soil.

If you want to buy willow plants cheaply then you can try West Wales Willows who sell willow twigs for palnting out very cheaply.

Davesnave

I used the common or garden non-variegated Pittosporum for a screening job along with the variegated buckthorn, Rhamnus alaternus 'Variegata' and those give me 365 day evergreen cover. Both are planted on clay. I guess the pittosporum is about 15' now, which isn't bad for a 20p plant in a yogurt pot from a market stall. The buckthorn, which isn't really thorny, got to about the same height, but was knocked down by heavy snow and needed a severe pruning.

Either of these plants would make an easy to maintain hedge & both grow reasonably fast, though you might want to put something quicker, like buddleja, in front of them for a while. Can't say whether they'd tolerate your soil, but Rowan struggles in my garden too.

Squiggly_Diddly

Sunflower, went through my gardening book again last night - no it's not willow, it's a Weeping Aspen. Otherwise known as the triffid in my house...

I saw a Golden False Acacia in the garden section of somewhere the other day, it was about £18 for something already 6' high - but sounds as though it could go to 80'....!! (so decided against that).

Pittosporum & eucalyptus look like promising candidates & a friend has said she has a a buddleia I can have. Also nicked a bit of her bleeding heart (dicentra) to see if I can root that

I'm on a mission - I want to be able to use my garden next summer without feeling as though I'm constantly being peered at. I got 4 cheap rose arches at Argos (on bogof, so £29 for 4) and have put 1 up so far. Will do the other 3 today if it stays nice And bought a lovely David Austin climbing rose.

Davesnave

I saw a Golden False Acacia in the garden section of somewhere the other day, it was about £18 for something already 6' high - but sounds as though it could go to 80'....!! (so decided against that).

The main reason for not using Robinia Frisia is that it tends to lose branches easily in winter and isn't that tough. After starting well, mine fizzled out at 18' and, last year, much of it died. Now, the rest has just conked-out. I would put this down to competition from the other trees, but I've just noticed a much bigger one in the Park looks decidedly unwell too. I'm wondering if there is a specific disease attacking them, so I'll look out for others and the state they're in.

Sounds like you are determined. When I came here, I had no real fence on one side, so it was a case of erecting 90' of 2m lap panels. Mind you, neighbour's rather attractive girlfriend used to sunbathe topless in those days, so I wasn't quite sure who gained the most benefit!

System

buddlia davidii has the lilac shape flowers and grows like mad. Buddlia globosa has cherry sized yellow flowers and is less invasive. Both screen well. Forsythia grows well and can be shaped to become thick. Lilac spreads well.

I have over a hundred plants/shrubs in pots and were I too stand them on something to increase their hight, they too although currently short, would act as a screen until they grew sufficiently.

Cheap or free trellis from your recycle site could be placed as a screen from which you could either hang pots or train something to grow on it if it is stable.

Squiggly_Diddly

Davesnave wrote: »

Sounds like you are determined. When I came here, I had no real fence on one side, so it was a case of erecting 90' of 2m lap panels. Mind you, neighbour's rather attractive girlfriend used to sunbathe topless in those days, so I wasn't quite sure who gained the most benefit!

Lol!!! I'm sure moneywise you certainly didn't benefit!!!! Luckily the 2m high fence panels run down to the bottom of the garden, but I always see pervy neighbour's head bobbing about over the top of it, so I am very determined..!!

I spent 4 hours outside yesterday, recycling some old 6'x3' trellis panels that I have cable-tied (I LOVE cable-ties) to something else to create a basic frame support for climbers. Levelled out a 15'x30' area of type1 that had been left in lumps & bumps by exOH, moved the fire-dustbin to that area too, as well as recycling an old wooden hammock frame by moving that to that area & hanging an empty crane bag from it as a temporary compost area. And put together 3 more rose arches, put them in the ground & tied string between all 4 ready to create a tunnel of climbing plants. Today I ache....

I think I might try & root a cutting of the triffid as the existing one is so vigorous it will obviously do well here (and I know the speed it grows). Then I'm saving myself money on buying a new tree

islandman, I'll look out for the buddleia globosa, that sounds pretty and would add a bit of variety. I was thinking I might see if I can get some of those wood-slat shelving units, varnish them up & nail a bit of trellis to the back to create a couple of tall "etagere" plant display stands. Homebase had large black metal troughs at £10 each which I thought were a bargain, will get 2 or 3 & fill with bulbs for next spring.

I am sooooooo on a mission & really enjoying myself again. It's been years since I enjoyed doing anything in the garden - I'm obviously at a stage in my life where I need to be in touch with nature

Thank you for all the advice so far. Much appreciated.

Davesnave

Populus tremula (Weeping aspen) isn't a tree I know personally, but it has got an AGM from the RHS and there seems general agreement that its leaves move prettily, so I guess if it roots easily.........Watch poplars near drains & foundations though!

Oh, meant to add Thornhayes Nursery has quite a nice concise tree list:

http://www.thornhayes-nursery.co.uk/cat_select.php

System

Find your local recycle site and register there.

Just say, "defensless female needs lots of garden items, (trellis, plants stands, tall shrubs etc) to barricade herself in and perves out". Please deliver