oh what to do? For a few years now the ivy has been growing over the walls and trellis, which at least give us something green to look at during the winter and not just bare walls, but the garden has been getting increasing shadier with the surrounding trees of our neighbours and golf course. So in order to get a bit more light in he garden we have decided to just have the ivy grow up the walls and chop it back from the trellis. When we moved in, we planted a Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Columnaris Glauca in the top right hand corner but has outgrown the space and has been pushing the shrubs at either side over. It was not only blocking out a lot of light but sucking up a lot of water which was also detrimental to the shrubs. At first we tried to raise the skirt (crown lifting) to see if that would help overcome these problems a little but last year we decided to remove it completely. It is quite sad because I loved the tree, especially when it was covered in tiny red male globose cones. Now this has left the corner looking very bare, the rhododendron completely one sided, the pieris lopsided and tall and straggly, and the spirea lopsided. Even the ivy is struggling to cover the walls. How do I prune the shrubs to get them looking good again? Or do I just wait for a couple of years and see what happens? Maybe shortening the pieris will encourage more side shoots – but it is getting a few new side shoots already? What can I do with that space now – maybe put in a corner seat which would be nice in the shade? Maybe a statue? At the moment I have just planted some Brunera macrophylla Jack frost and Aster divaricatus between the rhododendron and pieris and I will have another think.
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| Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Columnaris Glauca |
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| Pieris japonica Forest flame |
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| bunched up shrubs |
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| corner top right |
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| corner top right |