Does anyone know anything about gardening?

finally got a landscaper booked in to tackle the back garden. the quote is suspiciously cheap but I've seen pictures of his work so.... :shrug: ? touch wood. hopefully can't fsck up the hard/soft landscaping too much, and we've now got lots of money left in our budget for planting/mature trees

Yesterday someone asked me what the Latin was for a Judas tree.
I said, “Well that’s a siliquastrum!”

Without a doubt getting a garden full of plants is the biggest spend —

a space the size of mine will cost about £1,000 to fill

Yet interesting that in that garden design programme most people only spend 10% (often a bit under) on plants.

I think most of the costs on doing my garden have been spent on well-rotted manure. Over 1200 litres of the stuff so far. I suspect Alison The Gardener's been eating it.

We were really fortunate to have an established garden plus cuttings from my folks.

Our front is a shit show tho that I expect we'll be horrified by the cost of. It'll sadly probably only get done to sell the house.

Judas, Juda-ah-ah

We were really fortunate to have an established garden plus cuttings from my folks.

My garden was, prior to the revamp which started in May last year, very well-established. If horrifically neglected - there were brambles growing up through the top of the Cherryish tree, which is about 12 feet tall. Since then, in addition to the 1200 litres of manure, its had 2 tons of blue slate, 1 ton of wood chippings, 220 hedge whips and enough turf and membrane to cover a decent-sized 5-a-side pitch added to it. And 21 roses to add to the existing 7.

Amusingly, despite the fact I've lived here for over 16 years most of my neighbours appear to be under the impression that I've just bought the place and that Alison The Gardener is my wife...

this:

http://www.bamboogarden.com/Fargesia%20r­obusta.html

Fargesia robusta 'Campbell'
(Campbell's form)
commonly called "Robusta"
Maximum Height: 12 to 15 ft.
Diameter: 0.75 inch

Best bamboo, bamboo, bamboos

#bamboo

(sorry for using the forum as a note pad)

In a similar vein, does anyone have any recommendations for nice ornamental grasses that cope with winter waterlogging and summer drought?

Speaking of grass I just looked at the forecast for the coming weeks and the temperature is looking ok so I’m sowing.

What is this tree? And is now a bad time to take the top half off it?

2 Attachments

Looks like a laurel. They are usually cut around June I think but i'm sure that we've cut ours at various times of the year without issue.

*standard disclaimer - IANAG

A Laurel of some description, I’d probably prune but I’m fairly saw-happy.

Laurels are tough as fuck, so the only risk is that you screw up the look of it.

cool. i will give it a wizz with the chainsaw

Anyone on the forum (or know of someone) that might be interested in a remote garden design project? We want to make a couple of improvements to our existing garden but don’t have the vision to put on paper to give to a builder.

wizz with the chainsaw

Well that escalated quickly

Glad to hear it. I have a massive bastard that's overdue a butchering.

Is it laurels that give off cyanide if you burn them?

I'd take the trimmings to the council recycling so all good.

My folks have one in France that isn't far off the size of our house. My dad essentially excavated the side not visable from the house and turned it into a spot to sit in the summer.

Yep,
were you to burn it.
just avoid inhalaing any of the smoke.

As conservationists, we often remove Laurel,
(left over from when it was planted as cover for game birds),
and ensure no-one spend any time next to the bonfire.

The cyanide is to prevent grazing animals eating the leaves,
and,
consequently any habitat piles built from cut-down Laurel
takes a long time to rot down.

How the F**k can they charge £595 for this "Haberdasher Horticultural Society Chore Jacket"???!!!

https://www.drakes.com/editorial/the-haberdasher-horticultural-society-chore-jacket

They should give me one free as I like gardening and used to live in Haberdasher Street N1 "back in the day"

Looks like a cherry Laurel also known as English or Common Laurel

Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is an evergreen species of cherry, commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is a shrub or a small tree with characteristic glossy, dark green leaves with a leathery texture. Leaves and seeds of cherry laurel contain toxic compounds, which can cause serious poisoning if ingested.

I have two pennisetum macrourum in my South facing heavy clay garden that seem to deal well with those conditions.