Just noticed the twisted hazel ( only a year old) is peeping out from behind the roses on the right, its in full leaf in this picture and not very tall yet.
This is a picture of my raised bed with the Flamingo Willow in the background earlier this year. They have the pink leaves in spring and turn whiter through the summer. Only clip back once a year, not a hard job, as you say they are informal in shape but easy to keep neat. Was really taking a photo of the masses of flowers on my blue rose but it shows it well. This bush is over 20 years old so you can train them to any size.
That flamingo willow is glorious. I've seen somebody near me use a few of them in a row, along a low front garden fence, where they can billow over the top and act as a screen - beautiful. If that's 20 years old too, it is just what I'm looking for - something slower growing and not large. Thanks for sharing your photo!
Sorry I am a bit late to the posted subject. But it sounds like you will be using the whole front garden for planting, perhaps a wide arch further away from the door over the garden path would give you a bigger planting area. It could still frame the front door but further away, so you sort of still have the effect of climbers around the door. Also a wider arch means less chance of getting caught by roses.
Sorry I am a bit late to the posted subject. But it sounds like you will be using the whole front garden for planting, perhaps a wide arch further away from the door over the garden path would give you a bigger planting area. It could still frame the front door but further away, so you sort of still have the effect of climbers around the door. Also a wider arch means less chance of getting caught by roses.
Thanks, Rubytoo - some interesting ideas and food for thought!
Hello, Thoughts about hedges for sparrows. I would not use the narrow border for the sparrow hedge. It is too near the path. My garden has a beech hedge in between my garden and the next door drive. Sparrows use it and love the safety they feel. But they have a large tree next door into which they can rush if they feel threatened. I put food in the hedge and I put seed on the ground (lawn). I leVe them alone in the last two daylight hours so they can get as much food as possible before nightfall. They go in to roost early. Then they all call to each other as they are settling down. I have about twelve who roost and across the road a similar hedge hosts many more. They need shrub protection against the killer sparrowhawk.
Hello, Thoughts about hedges for sparrows. I would not use the narrow border for the sparrow hedge. It is too near the path. My garden has a beech hedge in between my garden and the next door drive. Sparrows use it and love the safety they feel. But they have a large tree next door into which they can rush if they feel threatened. I put food in the hedge and I put seed on the ground (lawn). I leVe them alone in the last two daylight hours so they can get as much food as possible before nightfall. They go in to roost early. Then they all call to each other as they are settling down. I have about twelve who roost and across the road a similar hedge hosts many more. They need shrub protection against the killer sparrowhawk.
Thank you @Phyllis8 Do you mean my narrow border? My front garden is a totally blank canvas and will be completely redesigned. Good to know about sparrow habits, as I was fairly clueless until now! So it's best to have wider section of hedge for them to roost in then? Are there sparrowhawks in London?! I've seen plenty of marauding magpies around my area, but never sparrowhawks. Would you say there is a type of hedging plant that suits sparrows best? Since I'm starting from scratch, I'm really keen to get it right for them too.
If sparrows take up residence, you may well find that they will eat the blossom buds off your shrubs, so you will never see the blossom I prefer the sparrows, though. But it would have been nice to have both.
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It could still frame the front door but further away, so you sort of still have the effect of climbers around the door.
Also a wider arch means less chance of getting caught by roses.
I put food in the hedge and I put seed on the ground (lawn). I leVe them alone in the last two daylight hours so they can get as much food as possible before nightfall. They go in to roost early. Then they all call to each other as they are settling down. I have about twelve who roost and across the road a similar hedge hosts many more. They need shrub protection against the killer sparrowhawk.
Do you mean my narrow border? My front garden is a totally blank canvas and will be completely redesigned.
Good to know about sparrow habits, as I was fairly clueless until now!
So it's best to have wider section of hedge for them to roost in then?
Are there sparrowhawks in London?!
I've seen plenty of marauding magpies around my area, but never sparrowhawks.
Would you say there is a type of hedging plant that suits sparrows best?
Since I'm starting from scratch, I'm really keen to get it right for them too.
I prefer the sparrows, though. But it would have been nice to have both.