Trees

I'm one for an easy life, so I'd also consider pollarding it to a height where you can easily manage it yourself, if you are able, next time. Willows can grow very quickly and on ours were regularly see 10ft plus shoots per year. These shoots can get quite thick and heavy which makes tackling...

The split is the only thing I would be worried about and it looks like it was quite a while ago. If you can see fresh damage at the bottom of the split, evidence of spreading, then I think it might benefit the tree for that part to be removed.

Thanks!

Its not vandals Michael, I'm pretty sure it was done by the tree surgeons.I doubt they would spend time suspended up a tree doing it without a reason.

Many thanks

You could maybe have a look at Abies Koreana. Certainly you would not have an issue of them getting too large as very slow growing, undemanding and I have 2 which I have had in planters for years and still quite happy. Snag is they are not cheap but long lived and if you had to move house you...

How many thousand would you like? They are as prolific as sycamore. They are supposed to be slow growing, but the ones here, very quickly get up to a couple of feet high if I do not see them. Transplanting them would slow them down though.

Brilliant, thankyou @pete, that is so helpful. You can tell I don't do this routinely. I feel more confident now.

They'll gradually grow together and become self supporting. All those 'main' branches will get heftier as they mature and thicken up. You would just trim the top and sides to maintain that rectangle, and it will keep thickening in the same way as a conventional hedge would do. Hornbeam will...

Your silver birch look pretty good to me. It is quite normal for older specimens to develop warty areas on the trunks with age. I would be inclined to thin out some of the thin twiggy stems to allow a good air circulation through the crown. As above comments, it looks as if the main leader...

Well, I staked it, firmed it in and pulled it straight. I've raked in some bonemeal to the surface, watered and given it a good mulch of a compost / manure mix.It was so wobbly before I did it. And from memory I remember it was staked really badly. Just a little thinn metal pole that raised...

Don't worry @fairygirl, I was only kidding! Although I have beefed it up a bit now. Hood preparation makes perfect sense.And everyone, Thanks for all the help !

How odd @Palustris . Perhaps it never really grew out and down the way it should have. Sometimes there's no real rhyme or reason is there? Hope the other shrubs don't fail though.

Looks like it's in a similar stage in life as mine. I'm excited to see where it gets to. Wanted one for years!

I think you should succeed with cuttings taken Nov-January. Strip the bark 40mm from bottom and plant in fine silt soil. Keep wet and in shade . It likes damp conditions, boggy ground. Even logs left behind when clearing have been seen to root !

It's bare root season now, and you'll be able to pre order some whips from a decent hedge supplier for very little outlay. You don't have to order a huge amount to do a nice little run on the inside, which will then fill out well. Ordering now would also give you time to prep the area, which...

I can understand the problem @ClematisDbee . There's no guarantee of any kind with neighbours, whether they're tenants or purchasers, unfortunately. It will certainly help if you have something they may not want to handle too much, but there's also the question of maintaining it yourself. It...

Thankyou, I had a quick look tonight and could not move the tub, so it looks as though the camellias won't be decanting at all, but the tub is a bit ugly. At least the plants are getting adequate moisture at present. I need to disguise the tub though. Will try to get a photo.

Agree with @infradig; those logs don't look suitable for burning and by that I mean entirely unsuitable.

That's apparently how it got it's common name @Escarpment .