I'm actually gearing up to buy something now! I measured the area directly under the trees, and it's about 4m x 2m. So assuming that the epimedium spread is the diameter, should I get 3 of the 2 litre frohleiten, or shall I go with the much cheaper 9cm pots and buy 10 or 20 of them? It looks like this:
Then, could 2 of the 2 litre rubrum look good on front of the trees here in the photo below? With a spread of 0.1 - 0.5m. Or I could buy little 9cm pots. This isn't flowerbed, it's just flat earth that originally had grass growing there.
And I'm still in two minds about this periwinkle coming through the fence. Is it good to leave it, or is it just messy and better cleared and left bare (the weeds/cats don't seem to be such an issue in that narrow strip). Any opinions very welcome.
And I'm still in two minds about this periwinkle coming through the fence. Is it good to leave it, or is it just messy and better cleared and left bare (the weeds/cats don't seem to be such an issue in that narrow strip). Any opinions very welcome.
The periwinkle, if you can keep it within bounds will at least keep it weed free for now? You have enough to plant and do at the moment. If you clear it you can bet that weeds and cats will probably end up being an issue.
More experienced members here often advise to take it a bit at a time.
I am thinking now, perhaps to buy 2 of the 2 litre pots of the best-spreading frohnleiten variety and hope I can fit them in (it did seem OK when I did a test dig), and then quite a few of the cheaper 9cm pots of the rubrum variety which also spreads but a bit slower. I might try some of the rubrum in the flat area on the right hand side also.
And get the 9cm size pots of the ferns and hope they grow.
I think I will leave the periwinkle for now. If I really want I could remove just that small bit coming in front of the trees. Very good point about not trying to do it all at once - I have enough to do!
It's been a real help to come here when I was feeling overwhelmed and get everyone's input, I really appreciate it.
The main thing now I am unsure of is when to buy and plant the epimediums and ferns (the frohnleiten would hopefully arrive in 3-5 days, the ferns and epimedium rubrums could take up to 28 days to be delivered from purchase). I'd like to get on with it now, but not if it's a bad time of the year when it's cold and I should be waiting until spring.
Sometimes a big pot of a perennial can be split into several pieces for planting. I don't know whether that would work with epimediums, but it might be worth considering, particularly if you find that you can't dig holes big enough for 2l pots.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
@JennyJ, yes it works with epimediums. If the soil was heavy clay I would keep them in pots and nurture over winter. Variables are hard to post advice about.
Things in pots if good value and you can take care of them, they are worth buying. We had the same problem but I was able to see and buy plants locally when it was an, "on the edge", time to plant. And dry shade is easier than an open soggy non improved clay.
The easy Epimediums are very forgiving plants.
We had a neighbour behind our garden who did not garden, and needed something to plant in a narrow bed below/behind us on clay. I gave them sections and rhizome clumps of Epimedium perralderianum. It covered and spread and filled the 1 foot by 5 bed within the year. I did give him a lot of little bits. But it took, I do not think he even watered it much. A more open position that a shaded bed with conifer roots to contend with. He was so happy, no more weeds.
Sorry for the waffle it is not a difficult plant to cut into sections. And grows well.
@JennyJ that's good to know I can split a big one, I didn't know that.
@Rubytoo glad to hear they are forgiving, they are going to need to be!
Your neighbour's experience sounds ideal, just the kind of thing I'd like happening for me. Fingers crossed...
OK I think I am going to get the 2 litre of the frohnleiten, and quite a few 9cm rubrum, and 9cm ferns, and plant them all right away when they arrive and hope for the best. The soil is not clay-like or soggy at all, in fact to my untrained eye it seems like a good soil, seems quite rich, easy to dig into, so hopefully they'll like it.
Thank you everyone for all the help and recommendations!
To start off, I have planted epimedium frohnleiten and epimedium rubum under the trees and a couple of polystichum plumosum. I got them online on sale, and the epimediums look pretty healthy I think.
@Pink678 Great you have made a start. You will in time be able to split your Epimediums. Do you know about their care? There is one important job to carry out this spring. If you look down at soil level you will see new shoots and flowers emerging. What you need to do is carefully cut back all the old stems in your photo to ground level. This can be a fiddley job as the new shoots and flowers are very delicate and you don't want to cut these. If you look close the older stems are thicker and rounded. Not all Epimediums are treated in this way E Spine Tingler only remove scruffy leaves would be my thought.
I think you have done the right thing just to start with a couple of plants see how they progress. It is already possible to see the nice contrast in leaf between the two plants and what you can do in the future. Epimedium Rubrum has lovely Autumn colours too. Leaf shape and colour are the most important things to remember when planting in these conditions. Flowers are a bonus.
In time ferns can also be split but it will be sometime before you will be able to do that. Suze
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
If you can remember to keep them moist and when you get new fronds on the polystichum you can peg one down or place a few stones along the leaf. As long as it has damp soil contact you will find it will produce ( what I like to call) fernlets along the leaf and grow roots. You can then sever it and cut into sections and pot on or replant.
You can also take a frond and place it on a large seed tray or pot if you prefer. This will need to be kept damp. You can place in a large plastic bag. Or one of those cheap seed trays with the clear lids to fit.
Posts
The periwinkle, if you can keep it within bounds will at least keep it weed free for now?
You have enough to plant and do at the moment.
If you clear it you can bet that weeds and cats will probably end up being an issue.
More experienced members here often advise to take it a bit at a time.
If the soil was heavy clay I would keep them in pots and nurture over winter.
Variables are hard to post advice about.
Things in pots if good value and you can take care of them, they are worth buying.
We had the same problem but I was able to see and buy plants locally when it was an, "on the edge", time to plant.
And dry shade is easier than an open soggy non improved clay.
The easy Epimediums are very forgiving plants.
We had a neighbour behind our garden who did not garden, and needed something to plant in a narrow bed below/behind us on clay.
I gave them sections and rhizome clumps of Epimedium perralderianum.
It covered and spread and filled the 1 foot by 5 bed within the year. I did give him a lot of little bits. But it took, I do not think he even watered it much. A more open position that a shaded bed with conifer roots to contend with.
He was so happy, no more weeds.
Sorry for the waffle it is not a difficult plant to cut into sections. And grows well.
Do you know about their care? There is one important job to carry out this spring. If you look down at soil level you will see new shoots and flowers emerging. What you need to do is carefully cut back all the old stems in your photo to ground level.
This can be a fiddley job as the new shoots and flowers are very delicate and you don't want to cut these. If you look close the older stems are thicker and rounded.
Not all Epimediums are treated in this way E Spine Tingler only remove scruffy leaves would be my thought.
I think you have done the right thing just to start with a couple of plants see how they progress. It is already possible to see the nice contrast in leaf between the two plants and what you can do in the future.
Epimedium Rubrum has lovely Autumn colours too.
Leaf shape and colour are the most important things to remember when planting in these conditions. Flowers are a bonus.
In time ferns can also be split but it will be sometime before you will be able to do that.
Suze
As long as it has damp soil contact you will find it will produce ( what I like to call) fernlets along the leaf and grow roots.
You can then sever it and cut into sections and pot on or replant.
You can also take a frond and place it on a large seed tray or pot if you prefer.
This will need to be kept damp. You can place in a large plastic bag.
Or one of those cheap seed trays with the clear lids to fit.