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Plants changing - winter or pests ??

nilgerami90770nilgerami90770 Posts: 8
in Problem solving
Hi guys, I’m a novice gardener and I’ve spent a lot of time and money the last couple years getting some beds and filling them with topiary trees and bushes. I’ve researched all plants I have to make sure I can look after them and for the most part I have been ok but I went into the garden earlier and I noticed a lot of the plants had changed a lot - I cannot tell if this is normal due to the winter cold ? Or if I have any pests etc that I need to control

these are:
red Robin bush- small black dots on these
olive tree - bushy and green but a couple leaves are paler and some have a bit of crisped edges
hebe- green but centre is brown and crispy 
Lavender denata- limp leaves 
any advice would be really appreciated ! I have well drained soil but it is still wet due to the rain etc.

many thanks

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I'd say the Red Robin has photinia leaf spot - it's very common with these plants and about 75% of those around here have it. It's not really harming the plant, just doesn't look quite as nice.

    As for the hebe, looks very much like a fox or dog has had a wee on it.
    The middle stems may die off, but as long it it doesn't keep happening it'll recover.

    The olive is fine.

    Not sure about the lavender - not one I have.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Yes,  remember even evergreens loose a few more leaves in Winter though they tend to loose a few all year round, just not all at once. The erratic weather has caused havoc with a lot of things. A lot of Hebe were killed outright after the snow and ice last December (2022). Even RHS  Wisley lost nearly all of their trial ones.  So yours could be suffering damage from that event. No plants stay perfect looking indefinitely. 
    AB Still learning

  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Your Lavender Dentata is half hardy. Did you have it through last winter? They like a sheltered warm spot with well drained soil.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    We often lose Hebes here in any winter. It's prolonged wet cold that sees them off more than anything. The variegated ones are more susceptible to cold conditions than the plain colours anyway. If the drainage is sharp, that always helps, but there's also wind to factor in with any plant. That can cause damage, even to very hardy plants if they're in an exposed site. That might be something you'll have to consider for any future planting. 
    Photinias look like that most of the time here too, especially the standards. They like milder, free draining sites, but with adequate moisture. If they're in an open, exposed location, they generally don't do so well. 
    Olives and that lavender wouldn't manage, so it will depend on your conditions as to how well they'll thrive in future. If they've been fine over the last couple of years for you, then they might be ok. 
    Your general climate is by far the most important factor - dry cold is easier than wet cold for many plants, so you may find some plants will always do better than others. It's often about experimenting too    :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I love that Lavender but it is an annual here.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    That particular hebe (Andersonii? or something similar) is one I've never managed to get through the winter, even on light sandy soil, so I expect it's been clobbered by frost. Same for the lavender, not hardy. I'm not sure about the olive - I thought they weren't hardy in the UK but I could be wrong, never tried to grow one.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think some folk manage olives in milder, more sheltered locations @JennyJ - towns, cities etc, but not terribly suited for more northern gardens like yours and mine   ;)  

    I certainly couldn't have them here or the lavender - don't think I worded that very well earlier.  If the OP is in a sheltered site, and they've manged the last winter or two, they could all be fine. Drainage will be key to them doing well, but they're in raised beds which will also help. Perhaps @nilgerami90770 will see the responses and give some extra info, and/or be reassured about the plants and their future health.

    I think the Photinia will be ok - they tend to do best when grown just as a shrub or hedge, and pruned each year to get the foliage colour. They certainly tough enough for most locations    :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I have 3  Olive trees here but I am in suburban  London.  That said, they are in my front garden as a kind of boundary between me and next door. They are on a slope  so even though it's clay soil,  drainage is reasonably good.  
    AB Still learning

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