I wish the "native" plants would become "thugs" in my garden, Have tried seeds, plugs which of course are expensive, they got scoffed by slugs. Last year I added peace poppies. Had one which promptly got eaten. So, yes, why is a London Council telling you what you can plant in your garden, is this usual?
DorsetUk I have no idea why a London council is insisting that I do this in a private garden.
Nutcutlet ragged robin is pretty but can be a thug if it is happy and so can Fritillaria meleagris as were I live in Dorset at the moment it is now in among all the daffodils even though the pheasants eat them. Both are however very pretty and I am happy to let them seed around as my garden is large where as the one in London is formal and easy maintenance.
Difficult one. Plants in their native habitat to do very well. The only natives that don't do well here are the ones that don't belong in dry East Anglia. No chance of ragged robin becoming invasive in my garden
It sounds like I grow anything which is easy to dig up and not let anything set seed. My mother bought a new house in North Dorset and the the council had insisted the the developer put and enormous amount of native hedging in the garden. The hedging not only went around the whole property but also completely covered the front garden and was about 30' across and impossible to cut, as nobody could reach across it and as it was up a 3' bank a tractor could not cut it either. My mother was told that she had to replace any hedge plant that died with the same hedge plant. Luckily we found that the council could only insist with this for 5 years, so we have now thinned the hedge so that it is possible to cut it. So perhaps this 5 year rule will apply to me as well.
For your " drop dead gorgeous" tree go for Silver Birch, the "Queen of Trees". Buy 3 whips and plant them together in a clump, pointing slightly away from each other, and you will soon have a beautiful multi stemmed specimen, at very little cost, and about which you visitors will ask.." and where on earth did you manage to find that?"
Underplant with anenome blandas, snowdrops, crocuses or some such.
Make sure you give it a position where it can show off in some isolation.
Primroses and cowslips look lovely - they will spread but slowly. Personally, I like native plants and enjoy violets popping up unexpectedly, but, each to his / her own.
We have a native tulip, and a native daff (but mostly in the West). Snakeshead Frit is native - even in some parts of E Anglia. However, what about tracking down a disease resistant Elm Tree, takes a bit of research but you can get them. They need planting (since the whole population was decimated) and they have a beauty all of their own! Just a thought!
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I wish the "native" plants would become "thugs" in my garden, Have tried seeds, plugs which of course are expensive, they got scoffed by slugs. Last year I added peace poppies. Had one which promptly got eaten. So, yes, why is a London Council telling you what you can plant in your garden, is this usual?
DorsetUk I have no idea why a London council is insisting that I do this in a private garden.
Nutcutlet ragged robin is pretty but can be a thug if it is happy and so can Fritillaria meleagris as were I live in Dorset at the moment it is now in among all the daffodils even though the pheasants eat them. Both are however very pretty and I am happy to let them seed around as my garden is large where as the one in London is formal and easy maintenance.
Difficult one. Plants in their native habitat to do very well. The only natives that don't do well here are the ones that don't belong in dry East Anglia. No chance of ragged robin becoming invasive in my garden
In the sticks near Peterborough
It sounds like I grow anything which is easy to dig up and not let anything set seed. My mother bought a new house in North Dorset and the the council had insisted the the developer put and enormous amount of native hedging in the garden. The hedging not only went around the whole property but also completely covered the front garden and was about 30' across and impossible to cut, as nobody could reach across it and as it was up a 3' bank a tractor could not cut it either. My mother was told that she had to replace any hedge plant that died with the same hedge plant. Luckily we found that the council could only insist with this for 5 years, so we have now thinned the hedge so that it is possible to cut it. So perhaps this 5 year rule will apply to me as well.
For your " drop dead gorgeous" tree go for Silver Birch, the "Queen of Trees". Buy 3 whips and plant them together in a clump, pointing slightly away from each other, and you will soon have a beautiful multi stemmed specimen, at very little cost, and about which you visitors will ask.." and where on earth did you manage to find that?"
Underplant with anenome blandas, snowdrops, crocuses or some such.
Make sure you give it a position where it can show off in some isolation.
Maybe planting a selection of species least likely to succeed is the way to go. A few chalk grassland plants maybe, or sandy beach types.
I couldn't do it, it would feel like murder
In the sticks near Peterborough
Primroses and cowslips look lovely - they will spread but slowly. Personally, I like native plants and enjoy violets popping up unexpectedly, but, each to his / her own.
I love them too Brenda
What I would resent is being told what to plant in my garden
In the sticks near Peterborough
We have a native tulip, and a native daff (but mostly in the West). Snakeshead Frit is native - even in some parts of E Anglia. However, what about tracking down a disease resistant Elm Tree, takes a bit of research but you can get them. They need planting (since the whole population was decimated) and they have a beauty all of their own! Just a thought!
Yes, agree about the Silver Birch, I have a Paper Birch which also has lovelly bark, both would make a nice feature tree, or ornamental cherry.