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How long does a lavatera take to grow after being pruned in spring

SplandySplandy Posts: 161
in Plants
The left hand side of my garden has a quite bare border and a fairly short fence. Our gardens slope downwards and I feel quite uncomfortable and exposed in the garden as neighbours quite a few houses away can see me due to low fences and the slope of the garden. I've been considering putting in some large shrubs to make it feel a little more enclosed. I was looking for something which would look quite natural and perhaps be nice for wildlife.

I'm considering a lavatera but have read that they need to be cut back in spring to keep them under control. Possibly the same for a buddleia, which was a shrub I was considering planting down that side too. I don't mind that they lose their leaves in winter as I'm hoping the twiginess will still provide a more private feeling (I have a forsythia and and lilac at the bottom of the garden which still provide a level of privacy even in winter).

How long would it take for these shrubs to gain some height after having been cut back? It would be pointless if I have to spend quite a bit of time with no privacy again whilst waiting for growth.
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  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Both lavatera and buddleja can be cut to a foot high in spring and will be back to six foot tall by midsummer.
  • SplandySplandy Posts: 161
    Hmm, might not be the best option then. I'd end up with the same level of privacy in spring and early summer as I have now. What would happen if I didn't cut them back?
  • PianoplayerPianoplayer Posts: 624
    They would go straggly and woody, with bare stems and leaves/flowers all at the top.

    Have you considered some evergreens? You could do a mixed hedge eg pyracantha, grisellinia, elaeagnus.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Lavateras can also be quite floppy.  :/
    Evergreens of some kind might be better. Loads to choose from, and some have decent flowers depending on the species and variety, and whether it's shady or sunny. I'm guessing it's mainly a sunny site as you've considered the ones you asked about.
    Ilex [holly] is another to consider along with the above suggestions,  and also Berberis - many of those are evergreen. Many evergreens have more subtle flowers, but many have berries later, which is great for wildlife.
    Viburnums for slightly shadier bits if you have them, although they aren't terribly fussy if the soil's decent and moisture retentive. Some are deciduous. Flowers are good for bees and other pollinators, especially the earlier ones which flower from late winter.


     Buddlieas can be pruned in a tiered way - cut the front right back and leave the back a bit higher. That might suit for part of the space. I do it with mine as they form part of the boundary fence line. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • SplandySplandy Posts: 161
    I forgot to mention that my garden isn't particularly large and that's put me off the type of evergreens which are mentioned above. If I put shrubs in this border then I probably won't be able to put much more in there so I preferred the idea of these slightly more romantic looking, large flowered shrubs than a bland block of evergreen. They kind of remind me of car parks (sorry to everybody who loves them, it's probably in large part due to the fact that I'm not an experienced gardener and not imaginative enough to see how they might look mixed with other plants) and I find them quite uninspiring. 

    Anything prickly like Holly or pyracantha is out as the garden is used by my children too. Soil is clay and this part actually gets really sodden. I have a conservatory which has guttering that empties straight into this border. I can't afford to pay to have a proper drainage system put in because there are no drains at the back of the house. I'm hoping to put a water butt on to stop water flowing straight onto the garden. A sedge and a goat willow have self seeded here, and I think that they typically grow in sodden areas. I've had a few things here which have died (ceonathus, astilbe, delphiniums are a few I remember) but loads of campanula creeping around and a rose bush doing fairly well.

    I did buy a viburnum bodnantense dawn to try here last year but left it in the pot too long before planting in the garden and it ended up with lots of water sitting in the bottom of the pot and the roots rotted. I had hoped that it would look pretty in winter and the flowering branches would still provide some screening. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It would have helped if you'd offered all that info initially.  :)
    A photos would help too, because otherwise, we have no idea of the size of the site, so can only make suggestions.
    If ground is waterlogged, you'd need to amend that first though, otherwise you'd be limited to bog plants. It's a waste of time and money to keep trying things if the soil and conditions are unsuitable  :)
    I'd get the goat willow out before it takes over too. If the sedge is the invasive pendula one, do the same with that, before you have nothing else growing. Those two plants suggest the site is permanently wet, I'm afraid.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited March 2022
    If your lilac and forsythia are happy you could put in more. Lilacs come in white as well as shades of lilac. Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) is another flowering shrub that's tough and unfussy. And maybe philadelphus (mock orange blossom) although that's quite late coming into leaf.
    Edit: Weigela is easy and unfussy too. There's a variegated form and a dark-leaved one.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Splandy You mention Viburnham bodnantense Dawn. Would you still like to consider this shrub?
    Viburnhams can cope with different soils including heavy clay but nothing will cope with persistant waterlogging so drainage needs sorting first.
    V bodnantense Charles Lamont is the best form, if pruned correctly in spring at the base it takes up little space at ground level.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Splandy If you type into search Keeping a Viburnham x burkwoodii narrow then go to page 2 this might help.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    If you are unable to sort out that drainage problem and continue to have frequently wet soil, your choice of plants is going to be limited to those recommended for bog gardens.  Don't despair, some are really interesting!  Rogersia, Ligularia and Eupatorium cannabinum will give you height and colour, attracting bees and butterflies.

    Have a look at this GW article, and watch the current series of Gardeners' World where Monty is creating a bog garden.

    10 Plants to Grow in a Bog Garden - BBC Gardeners World Magazine
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


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