Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

lostinrates

The digger managed to lever out a few of my stumps. Not many, but some.

I have a short stretch I can put trees in to start screening AT LAST!!

I am thinking of a trip to architectural plants in Sussex. ( showing I'm feeling well enough for a day trip). I really want a few broadleaf evergreens. but don't know what. Because its garden proper I don't have to stick to natives and I can indulge in some treats for beautiful framing of my garden and total privacy.


All suggestions considered!!

Davesnave

Broadleaved evergreens?

Quercus ilex.......now I'm stuck!

I suppose you mean things like garrya elliptica, hollies, rhamnus alaternus argentovariegata, osmanthus, prunus laurustinus....etc. etc.

Fun and instant impact if you buy them big.

I'm too tight for that! :rotfl:

lostinrates

Azara microphylla, drimus winteri, Lyonothamnus floribundus aspleniifolius, orange bark myrtle, tamarix gallica, Maybe another arbutus.... My short list from architectural plants changes. I think a lot of mine are just going to be too tender for here. .

I_have_spoken

Mahonia, aucuba japonica - bit dull, I know!

DawnW

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

There is a hedge enclosing the actual garden, but as it hasn't been maintained its gone tall, but loads of big gaps lol.... so TBH it doesn't give any privacy so we were thinking of just cutting the whole lot down, exposing the garden, and then planting Holly, so it will hopefully form a thick hedge, but we can maintain the height so not to block the sun out the garden, which is happening now...and hopefully with it being holly it might beter the dogs trying to run through it into the actual garden...I will try and take some pics over the weekend of the path etc, so you can see what I am talking about lol..

Just a suggestion CTC, but would it not be better to lay the existing hedge and plant up the gaps with holly? It would certainly give a quicker result.

lostinrates

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Mahonia, aucuba japonica - bit dull, I know!

Not dull at all but I was looking at mahonia with someone the other day willing myself to love it and I just cannot. Its funny how some plants just donot touch the soul and some do, huh?

Rummer

:rotfl: too much latin! I am off to google :rotfl:

lostinrates

Rummer wrote: »

:rotfl: too much latin! I am off to google :rotfl:

I had to google some of Dave's too. Some. I went phew I knew that, some I went...OH, so that is what that crying thing is called:)

The ones on my list I have been lusting after for a while.

I also have fallen for a very unlir like evergreen. Its weeping, blue and not broadleaf, its not as weepy as an atlas blue cedar and too soft to be spruce-ish. It looks really creepy and spookey, like it might come and murder us in our sleep. But......I like it. It wouldn't screen much mind, but I do quite like the idea of it suckling behind something deciduous and jumping out in the dark months.....

Davesnave

Rummer wrote: »

:rotfl: too much latin! I am off to google :rotfl:

I got my first detention for Latin. It was exactly a week into my dull life in secondary education.

I remember thinking something like, "What use is it knowing how to say 'We shall lay waste the lands of the barbarians with our spears and arrows' in a dead language? And come to think of it, how many barbarians are there nowadays?"

Still, I know why verbena hastata is so named and why some leaves are saggitate, so it came in handy..... eventually! :rotfl:

choille

Have to agree CTC that you should not rip out your existing patchy hedge but plant in the gaps - jaggy stuff possibly. I find holly quite slow growing.

LIR - I would put your boiler on Gumtree for cheap/free list & no fees charged.

I like Monkey Puzzles - Chilean Pines for shape & they seem very hardy. Aspens are lovely for the noise - are those Aspens? Beech keeps it's leaves albeit they go rust, but individually do make a lovely tree. I must admit I do love my Silver Birches, but they lose all their leaves, but the bark is marvellous.

Lovely day here & slowly going about - still feel rather weak.

Tried to have a bonfire but couldn't get the paper alight - clay local rag thing.

Delighted that what looked like dead twigs have rooted on the windowcill - a rambling rose thing I snapped off in someone's plot we were surveying & a wonderful Buddlieh [sp?] that when flowering should be a dark red, not purple - most unusual one - another, 'Oh, dear, it just snapped off! 'one. Always gives me a thrill that, getting things to grow for free!

Rummer - sounds good - the camping plans & the herb bed.