What would go nicely together?

Posts

• Ceres Posts: 2,698

  September 2023

  If you plant the photinia, it will eventually take over most of the bed but it will look quite stunning once it achieves mastery of its domain.

  If you want a medley of colour and form then play around with the placing of the pots and step back to look at the effect and once you have a pleasing arrangement, get planting. It's your garden and only you know what you want to achieve. If something doesn't do well or turns out to dominate a space then you can move it or replace it with something else. Gardening isn't an exact science and a plant that should be perfect for a particular spot might just turn up its leaves in disgust and keel over. It's supposed to be fun so get muddy, and put those lovely pansies at the front.
  

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  September 2023

  The phormium will get to around 3 feet in each direction, and that sedum is a low growing, ground covering plant, with quite small flower spikes, so it isn't really suitable apart from near the front. It'll tend to get shaded out by other plants. It's often used in green roofs. I'd use the phormium as a focal point , working with the other evergreens, but it's always worth placing the plants, in their pots, to get an idea of the look. If you add a few canes, or similar, along with the plants to give an idea of the eventual height, that will let you see how they'll look after a few years. 
  Carnations will get to around 18 inches - 2 feet. If they're dianthus, they're much smaller, and very useful for edging. Both need decent sun to do well. Tulips would work with those, but will need a good amount of sun or they'll lean towards it, so bear that in mind. Violas are best with some shade, but they can be fairly adaptable.
  I presume you mean Japanese anemones? They get pretty tall - depending on soil/climate, around 3 or 4 feet, so will work through the middle of the bed. Some people find the pink ones quite invasive. The whites are better behaved on the whole, but they do best with good moisture. The pink ones seem to be less fussy in that regard.
  I agree re the photinia, so make sure you can get in to prune if necessary. The Euonymus is quite well behaved so position that where you can have some taller plants behind [perhaps the anemones] and use it with the pieris as structure over winter. 
  
  I agree about the photinia, so you'd have to bear in mind access to prune and maintain it. If left, it will dominate, so you'd need to either leave a large amount of space for it, or keep it trimmed regularly so that other plants won't be shaded out, or be compromised in terms of available moisture.
  
  I had to look up the first one. It wouldn't survive here, as it seems to only be frost hardy when I looked, so I have no experience of it. You'd have to position that again where it works in terms of eventual height, and might work well with the phormium. Being variegated, it might clash a bit with the euonymus, so play around until you like the positioning.
  I assume your climate suits both of those plants? I lost that phormium in a colder winter when I grew it. I think it's less tough than many others, but it's wet cold they hate most. Having said that, I've not lost any phormiums until this winter, when there was a particular set of circumstances that affected them. They usually look bad by spring here and need cutting back, but they cope if they have enough drainage - raised beds etc. 

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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• Bramble55 Posts: 39

  September 2023

  @Ceres @Fairygirl Thank you 😊 

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• Bramble55 Posts: 39

  September 2023

  @Ceres @Fairygirl
  why is the label saying this small size, does it get bigger then? Sounds like it from what you're saying, want to make sure I put it in the right places. Thanks(sorry for sideways pics)

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  September 2023

  Sizes are only ever a guide. Your conditions and climate will dictate how big anything grows - especially shrubs and trees. When I looked at the sizes suggested by various sites that sell it, they suggested it would get a lot bigger than that unless pruned, and it seems to be fairly common as a hedging shrub too.
  
  5 feet by 3 feet is still a decent size of shrub, so it could dominate the bed a fair bit, although it'll take several years to reach that size, especially when there's other planting to give competition for moisture and nutrients. That's where soil type and climate etc can also make a difference, ie  in the growth rate   

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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• Ceres Posts: 2,698

  September 2023

  I always find that the RHS is good for plant size guides, and Crocus or any number of other reputable plant sellers. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/257506/photinia-fraseri-pink-marble-(-cassini-)-(v)/details If you google the plant name and pick the RHS site you will get reliable details about the plant.

  I think we have all been seduced by plant labels at one time or another and I am still wrestling with a laurel that was sold as growing no more than 100cm high, was been killed off at 240cm, and has subsequently regrown and is in the process of having its annual trim at chest level. It's always best to check the details before you buy unless you are feeling adventurous.
  

  
  

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