The Fence!

My new fence is just one day old this morning. The old one had my pyracanthus growing through it to reach the sun on the other side. The only reason I am not having the pyracanthus dug out is I have a big enough garden to keep it no more than the height of the gravel board.

P is very vigorous and will invade the boards of your new fence .

Me,I prefer free standing trees to things growing up fences.

Our nearest is in a city which is in lockdown.

I'm just imagining being stopped by the police
"Is your journey essential, madam?"
"Yes, officer, I need to go to B&Q for some bargain paint for my shed"

Speaking of garden fences..... our local B & Q were selling off 10 litre tubs of a very well known brand of shed and fence paint/preserver yesterday for £3. I've only just done all my 23 fence panels and 2 sheds at the beginning of lockdown, but I've bought 2 tubs on the thought that they'll need doing again at some point and £6 is a lot cheaper than I paid this year. Don't know if the bargain price is in all B & Qs but might be worth checking.

I have seen too many garden rescue programmes.

I've watched more lately and decided that our garden needs some co-ordination.
There was an initial plan but somehow a lot of it just 'happened'.

I will get someone in to rescue it when I win the lottery.
But first I should buy a ticket.

phoenix

Have any of you noticed that if you rub the leaves of choiysia they smell of sage and onion stuffing?

What? Mine smell more like eucalyptus.

But I do believe we don’t all smell and taste things in the same way.

Hello. I have a new 30ft fence, but I am having it painted a greyish colour with greyish gravel. This so my camelia, honeysuckle, and red Robin stands out. Any pots will be black or painted black. I have seen too many garden rescue programmes.lol

I think I'll definitely keep the choisyia here on the patio, then, not put it by the fence.

Have any of you noticed that if you rub the leaves of choiysia they smell of sage and onion stuffing?

Chewbacca

How about a choiysia? Ticks all your boxes: doesn't care what type or condition of soil it has, evergreen all year round with variegated thick glossy leaves. White flowers in Spring/summer and it climbs slowly up fences and is easy enough to cut back and shape. Cheap as chips to buy. I've got 3!

My favourite shrub

The flowers smell glorious and I’m now having a second flowering. Even the leaves are scented. Mine is now 6 feet high. So easy to prune/shape too.

Crikey Phoenix meant prostrate, well spotted

Chewbacca

The ceanothus only lives for about 5 - 7 years and then just dies out. It's quite shallow rooted and can be susceptible to high winds blowing it over, hence it's best against a fence. But as it's quite cheap to buy (mine was less than £6) you've not lost a lot when it goes to the great compost heap in the sky,

Thanks for that info Chewy I have lost two over the years. I thought they didn’t like me ?

Spirea is nice. White flowers in spring and grows fairly fast. I'm another for ceanothus. It's a real bee attractor.

I second the warning about pyracantha. I’m terrified of my dog accidentally treading on one of the thorns and have lost track of how many times I’ve punctured my finger when pruning one. I’m planning to plant some photonia in my garden: evergreen, grows fast and the top leaves turn a nice red colour. Dog safe (you don’t want poisonous berries dropping into your neighbours garden if they have dogs although I don’t think pyracantha are poisonous (I need to check). I have a Passion flower that has taken over my garden and I need to destroy it as it’s choking everything in it’s path.

Ooh, go for a callicarpia - it has beautiful bright purple berries in the autumn, and blackbirds love them! Possibly other birds too, but I frequently see blackbirds having a feast in ours.

Perhaps I'll give it away.

I didnt realise it's a thug, it's so pretty!

I keep digging up Japanese Anemones and planting them somewhere else because they were flopping all over the path and then the blighters come back again.

DH came in the other day and said, 'I'm sorry, I was strimming alongside one of the paths and accidentally sheared off a pretty pink flower.'

Give the man a medal!

It'll be back.

It looks very pretty.

Oh dear, what have I bought?

I planted a teensy weensy little cutting of Japanese Anemone that a neighbour gave me. It's everywhere now! Creeping up between paving stones, onto the lawn, in between other plants; nowhere it won't creep. Keep your eye on it Callistemon!

And I'm sick and tired of yanking out the runners from Japanese Anemone; dear God they're invasive! What was I thinking when I planted that?

Oh no! I just bought one of those as well!
That can go into a pot as well, then.

But will need watering.

We're running out of space.

It'll be fine in a pit for a couple of years
No it won't! It will be fine in pot for a couple of years!

Oh dear, stirred up a bit of a hornets nest, sadly.

LauraNorder who are you going to get to shove a gloves finger up its roots? Sorry, couldn't resist!

I agree that a screen/fence needs climbers but whenever I watch a garden makeover programme on TV and Alan Titchmarsh leaps into action plonking all manner of high maintenance climbers against a new fence I want to scream, 'Nooooooo!'

In fact, I usually do.

It'll be fine in a pit for a couple of years Callistemon but will probably my need either potting up a bit bigger or transferring to the garden after that. They're very hardy; I've been trying to kill one off for 12 months now with no success. And I'm sick and tired of yanking out the runners from Japanese Anemone; dear God they're invasive! What was I thinking when I planted that?

Ps most suggested are self-supporting, but not the climbing hydrangea.