Does grass count? Plenty of native grasses in lawns... but maybe the council wouldn't accept that.
If you can get hold of it, Grass of Parnassus is a stunning native bog plant which is never invasive. I've tried it from seed but without success.
I suppose that the less invasive native plants are just more difficult to source for your garden - maybe not available commercially because difficult to propagate.
I love harebells in my garden. You can always pull them out if they seed where you don't want them.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
I actually think it is quite nice to think the council in granting planning for a house to be built includes a clause to plant native species,if all new houses built whether private or council did this it would go a long way to protect some of our native wildlife which is in decline.
Does your new garden have room to have maybe a patch of "native species" which you could keep separate from your plants that you actually want, then you could control any thugs within
Disagree with you S67. Most native wildflowers would not enjoy being in a small London garden and if they did happen to they would take over everybody else's garden as well, in short order. As for seeking out an Elm tree, I remember Elm trees well. Magnificent specimens but you would need a very large garden indeed to have one of them.
A good crab apple is Malus Evereste. A good garden tree, masses of white blossom after pink buds, Autumn foliage and crabs for the Blackbirds. A favourite of mine. I have 3!!
I would avoid hawthorn, personally. It's pretty in flower, but the flowers last just a few days (and they STINK), and then you are left with a heap of thorns and berries that are not all that good to eat.. Crab apple or even a medlar (Mespilus germanica) are prettier and easier to live with I think .
Or spindle berry, Euonimus europaeus, which you can't eat, it's as common as muck, but can be spectacular with its pink or red berries (but it might need a pollinator... I am not sure).
I had a crab apple it grew quite large and although the blossom was lovely the apples were a nightmare, nothing seemed to eat them and I didn't really want tonnes and tonnes of crab apple jelly. I now have a slow growing hawthorn that doesn't make a mess because the birds eat the berries.
Is it possible to grown some of the more aggressive native plants in containers so that you have more control over them.
Posts
Does grass count? Plenty of native grasses in lawns... but maybe the council wouldn't accept that.
If you can get hold of it, Grass of Parnassus is a stunning native bog plant which is never invasive. I've tried it from seed but without success.
I suppose that the less invasive native plants are just more difficult to source for your garden - maybe not available commercially because difficult to propagate.
I love harebells in my garden. You can always pull them out if they seed where you don't want them.
I actually think it is quite nice to think the council in granting planning for a house to be built includes a clause to plant native species,if all new houses built whether private or council did this it would go a long way to protect some of our native wildlife which is in decline.
Does your new garden have room to have maybe a patch of "native species" which you could keep separate from your plants that you actually want, then you could control any thugs within
Disagree with you S67. Most native wildflowers would not enjoy being in a small London garden and if they did happen to they would take over everybody else's garden as well, in short order. As for seeking out an Elm tree, I remember Elm trees well. Magnificent specimens but you would need a very large garden indeed to have one of them.
What about a crab apple?
YES i HAVE ONE OUT AS WE SPEAK, ALSO VERY PRETTY, WISH I KNEW HOW TO PUT PICS ON HERE
A good crab apple is Malus Evereste. A good garden tree, masses of white blossom after pink buds, Autumn foliage and crabs for the Blackbirds. A favourite of mine. I have 3!!
I don't know if the council would insist on the wild, native crab apple, or if you could get away with a cultivar like Evereste...
I would avoid hawthorn, personally. It's pretty in flower, but the flowers last just a few days (and they STINK), and then you are left with a heap of thorns and berries that are not all that good to eat.. Crab apple or even a medlar (Mespilus germanica) are prettier and easier to live with I think
.
Or spindle berry, Euonimus europaeus, which you can't eat, it's as common as muck, but can be spectacular with its pink or red berries (but it might need a pollinator... I am not sure).
The birds like the hawthorn berries.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I had a crab apple it grew quite large and although the blossom was lovely the apples were a nightmare, nothing seemed to eat them and I didn't really want tonnes and tonnes of crab apple jelly. I now have a slow growing hawthorn that doesn't make a mess because the birds eat the berries.
Is it possible to grown some of the more aggressive native plants in containers so that you have more control over them.