What is this and what should I do with it?
GardenAmateur
Posts: 75
As a complete novice looking for help with this shrub. I have 5 in my very small 1 bedroomed bungalows garden (excouncil ). I have tried to attach a picture but not sure if it's worked it's a large evergreen shrub, in March it had pretty white blooms which were ball shaped and now it's turned to April it has red star shaped flowers. Google suggests it's a pierellis. Whilst I quite like the shrub in theory, I have 2 in one bed which alongside an identified tree and a holly bush means I am very limited as to what I can do there due to the shade they create and the amount of roots they put down. If I prune them down will this over time reduce the height of the bush and also the spread of the root system? Or is my best option to get out my spade (or pay someone ) to uproot them?
Posts
Hi Kirsty there's lots you can grow in shade, my shady bed is filling up nicely, what do you want to do? unsure if you can really reduce bush without losing blooms, though there are lots of people here who know way more than me, how long have you lived in your home? Why not live with the garden for a year, just add bits you like (after checking they'll grow where you want them to) and see how thing develpo then decide?
to upload a photo, reduce the size of the photo as the site doesn't accept large images and start with the camera icon on the right above the typing box. Essential if you want to know what the shrub is and how to treat it. If it had white ball shaped flowers earlier, what you're seeing now will bracts maybe, not more flowers
In the sticks near Peterborough
Sounds like a Pieris. Pretty but I don't know about 5 in a small space.
Thanks to all the above posters . By replacing red flowers with bracts. It is definitely a perellis so now what do I do with the 2 I dont want? To answer Rose Mummy's question I moved in to the house in July last year I have a multitude of seeds and bulbs that need planted and I want some space to grow some veg so I am certain that I don't want these taking up space, I will keep the one that I unsuccessfully tried to attach as it's the largest and most attractive .
It's probably a Pieris, they are not red flowers, they will turn green later and next year start over again.
If you don't want them you can put in the green waste collection bags if you have those, or take to the tip,