Thanks, everyone for the advice. I'll try tackling it with insecticides, it could be aphids that I just can't see. And water - lots of rain coming today will give it a head start.
There is no point using an insecticide when you don't know what the problem is. You're just killing beneficial insects too. If there's aphids, you can hose them off. I've personally seen this particular cat p*ssing up against my hedge - from several feet away, and it reaches several feet in height, however, I'd still reckon the problem with that specimen is lack of water in at the base. Remember that even heavier rain at this time of year won't necessarily get in at the base - the others might be getting more due to the angle of the paving etc. Check the soil moisture with your hand after rain.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Don't ever rely on just rain, even in Cheshire! Most of it will fall on the canopy and then drip to the stones below and not go down the teeny hole so you need to direct water directly down the planting hole.
It may well be the angle of the stones is better for draining twoards the others or just a difference in available ground supply but water table levels are low in many places because of last year's drought and the relatively dry winter and spring.
If you do spot aphids, just hose them off with a blast from your hosepipe or leave them for the birds to feed to their nestlings or other insect predators. Once you get the watering sorted out the ants will move somewhere drier and no longer farm the aphids.
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)."
This happened to a bay I had in a pot. The scale insects/mealy bugs (can't remember which) infested it because the bay was under stress due to lack of water. I made it a project to pick off every one, cut off the dead bits and watered.
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I'll try tackling it with insecticides, it could be aphids that I just can't see.
And water - lots of rain coming today will give it a head start.
If there's aphids, you can hose them off.
I've personally seen this particular cat p*ssing up against my hedge - from several feet away, and it reaches several feet in height, however, I'd still reckon the problem with that specimen is lack of water in at the base.
Remember that even heavier rain at this time of year won't necessarily get in at the base - the others might be getting more due to the angle of the paving etc. Check the soil moisture with your hand after rain.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It may well be the angle of the stones is better for draining twoards the others or just a difference in available ground supply but water table levels are low in many places because of last year's drought and the relatively dry winter and spring.
If you do spot aphids, just hose them off with a blast from your hosepipe or leave them for the birds to feed to their nestlings or other insect predators. Once you get the watering sorted out the ants will move somewhere drier and no longer farm the aphids.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/scale-insects
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.