Whereabouts are you geographically? What kind of soil do you have - loam, sandy, clay, stony. Has the soil been improved with soil conditioners such as well-rotted manure or garden compost? Is there a layer of solid clay below which is stopping the soil draining properly? Which way does the bed face and what's behind it - wall, fence, hedge, other? Are the plants exposed to strong winds, strong sun?
Yellowing of leaves happens often as they age and fall but can also indicate chlorosis which means the plant is not getting enough iron or magnesium or maybe has a virus infection or may be suffering from water-logging at the roots - hence all the questions.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Thank you @Obelixx we are in clay, and suffer masses of wet in the winter and dry ground in summer. I did dig through compost when I planted all. I’m in London, uk. I’m de facing but That whole area is in shade from trees and fence, it’s sheltered from wind too.
That's a tiny space for all those large plants. You say you added compost, but that won't make a lot of difference to heavy clay. It just breaks down and disappears. Manure and leaf mould are the best things to add for helping with clay. Compost as well - but it needs to be added regularly, and is beneficial once the soil's in better nick. The problem is that it needs to be done before plants are put in. It's not easy to do it afterwards. That would help prevent drying out in summer too as it opens the soil up and improves it, which makes it more free draining in winter, and more moisture retentive in summer. The ground here never dries out in summer, but it isn't a problem if the clay has been amended, but it's the main reason for doing raised beds, as it makes life easier when starting with a blank canvas. Those clematis want to be huge, and so does the fatsia. They're competing with each other, and the nearby grass. Constantly feeding isn't really the answer either if the soil isn't working. You'd need to start adding more organic matter, unless you want to move something. Fatsias are quite easy to move. That would give the clematis more room, and you could add more stuff around it to give it a better medium too.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks @Fairygirl, I'll try to dig in some manure where I can. I must admit Im not tooooo sure what you're getting at regarding it being a "tiny" space? The fatsia has a 1m + deep border to itself and nothing but a couple of small ferns near. The climber to its left is a star jas thats planted about 6/7 feet away. The clematis in question is actually on the pergola area and has nothing around it apart from a couple of bulbs that i cant seem to ever get rid of (the bamboo is potted). I know fancy designed gardens are rarely as they seem in the pic below, but this is the sort of look i eventually want, which seems "busy" with big plants etc. Im VERYU lucky to be in london and have an 80 foot garden!
I wouldn't bother digging in manure as that will disturb plant roots and possibly damage them. I suggest you spread on a thick layer of it around each plant in the autumn after first removing any weeds. Then you leave it for the worms and other soil organisms and critters to work in for you over the winter.
You need to make sure the manure is well-rotted so 2 years old from a local stables or else the bagged stuff you can buy at GCs and DIY stores with garden sections.
Repeat every year and your garden and its plants will start to thrive.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
You could also give each of those plants a good dollop of manure now as it will provide a nutrient boost and start attracting the sormw and organisms to work for you but make sure the main, thick layer of manure is added in autumn and after a good rainfall so you lock in moisture if it's been a dry summer.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
Yellowing of leaves happens often as they age and fall but can also indicate chlorosis which means the plant is not getting enough iron or magnesium or maybe has a virus infection or may be suffering from water-logging at the roots - hence all the questions.
You say you added compost, but that won't make a lot of difference to heavy clay. It just breaks down and disappears. Manure and leaf mould are the best things to add for helping with clay. Compost as well - but it needs to be added regularly, and is beneficial once the soil's in better nick. The problem is that it needs to be done before plants are put in. It's not easy to do it afterwards.
That would help prevent drying out in summer too as it opens the soil up and improves it, which makes it more free draining in winter, and more moisture retentive in summer. The ground here never dries out in summer, but it isn't a problem if the clay has been amended, but it's the main reason for doing raised beds, as it makes life easier when starting with a blank canvas.
Those clematis want to be huge, and so does the fatsia. They're competing with each other, and the nearby grass. Constantly feeding isn't really the answer either if the soil isn't working. You'd need to start adding more organic matter, unless you want to move something. Fatsias are quite easy to move. That would give the clematis more room, and you could add more stuff around it to give it a better medium too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You need to make sure the manure is well-rotted so 2 years old from a local stables or else the bagged stuff you can buy at GCs and DIY stores with garden sections.
Repeat every year and your garden and its plants will start to thrive.