There's something small-leaved right by the base of the laurel but I can't see it clearly enough to say whether it's a Hebe or not.
Agree about the sedge, that really is a thug plant.
I shall take a better picture when the area is clear. Wow, well RHS said the Laurel was a thug, let alone the bits at the front. Crikey, that corner is truly thugflife, like a bunch of yoof standing outside an off-licence!
Carex pendula (pedulous sedge) does tend to self-seed like crazy and can have a deep root that's harder to remove as it matures.
I'd be a bit careful what you replace it with, under the big laurel, as it might drinking all the water and shading most of the bed. It might be a bit difficult to get a plant to compete it... If you try, it might be good to top the bed with soil and some kind of fertiliser.
The laurel can certainly be pruned to a shape you like as already described, but try and get those carexes out, They really are a major nuisance if they seed around.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Wow, you guys rock, so many great responses! Thanks so.. The lovely one with the unusual white flowers is a Pieris. Interesting, thanks.
Okay, well I secretly love macro photography, so, I will take some close ups, especially of the suspected purple elder - if it seems its ripe for trimming now.
I’d start by crown lifting the laurel to retain some height but make it less dominant in the bed. It may expose some interesting shapes in the branches. If you’re not keen on how it looks then, it can be hacked back more.
Well I've just learnt a new term, ironically that's what's I was going go do. But I had no idea I could sound well informed and use that phrase! Cheers
Responding to part 1, you can trim the laurel severely if you want, it will grow back even if you cut to old wood. However rather than end up with a green mound, I would see if you can turn it into a multi stem "tree" by removing all but the main stems from the lower 1/3. Then you'll be able to see underneath it and plant around the base of it, and it will look more attractive. That said, there are a million things more attractive than laurel, so I would probably remove it and plant something prettier like an Amelanchier, if the space calls for a large shrub or small tree.
The grassy stuff is Carex pendula: get rid of it, and be on the lookout for seedlings of it! The small shrub in the back appears to bev an evergreen Euonymus of some kind.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
you could cut the laurel from the front to leave a " fan " behind if you needed the privacy it provides
To a degree yeah. I think it's a bit like a major change at a hairdressers lol, take some off have a stand back and a cuppa, perhaps do some more, and stop when you're happy!
An I right it's best to wait until it had stopped flowering though?
Right, so these annoying carexes, priority to get rid!
Basically just try to dig them out then? Safe in the knowledge it might be a massive pain to do . Any other tips to remove them besides a spade, fork and elbow grease!
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I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Okay, well I secretly love macro photography, so, I will take some close ups, especially of the suspected purple elder - if it seems its ripe for trimming now.
The grassy stuff is Carex pendula: get rid of it, and be on the lookout for seedlings of it! The small shrub in the back appears to bev an evergreen Euonymus of some kind.
An I right it's best to wait until it had stopped flowering though?
Basically just try to dig them out then? Safe in the knowledge it might be a massive pain to do
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...