Creating winter interest.

Today I looked at convulvus cneorum. Another silver leaved plant. The name bindweed slightly spoils it.

I have gone back and revisited all the posts in this thread. I looked at Brunnera Jack Frost again. I like the colour but I think it would stand too high for what I want.

I am planning to plant lamium maculatum silver beacon under my front hedge. Would this work in my back garden. If it is too invasive its a definite no-no. I thought a silver ground cover and a silver shrub would complement each other.

I also looked at santolina. Green and silver varieties.

The main problem I seem to have isn't sun or soil but wind. All the plants I look at like shelter. In my garden there is no shelter.

G.

 

Different plant completely....cneorum is a beauty. I grow it in a few places here and always suggest it if appropriate. Im sure I suggested it to you Gary
Yes, in the bindweed family but has none of the vices. A shrubby, well behaved, slightly tender, tactile and incredibly beautiful esp in flower.. So, forget "bindweed". It is misleading.

Brunnera Jack Frost is a low growing plant growing no more than, say, 50 cm. I prefer Hadspen Cream though.
Lamium is a tad invasive.....some seed badly too.
Santolina? There are silver/grey, green and yellow. Lemon Fizz is a beautiful variety with yellow foliage. However, the grey santolines are pretty tough and wind resistant.....they grow here on our Towans which is subjected to salt laden and often strong winds and withstand them very well.
Artemisia Powys Castle is a great silver plant........not totally evergreen but a very tactile, aromatic silver that can be pruned to keep it compact
A silverish perennial.....well, a silver green one......at least in a dry sunny spot, is euryops pectinatus. In flower almost all the time with yellow daisy flowers.

 

A complete change of tact but how about a daphne as the feature shrub. Approx 3ft square and blooms profusely.

G.

 

Hi Jack, I bought a convolvulus cneorum about 5 weeks ago, attracted by what I had read online. I've put it in a large pot in the garden and moved it to a relatively sheltered spot for the winter. My garden gets a fair amount of wind too. It sounds like a really lovely plant to buy, but obviously I don't have any feedback yet for you!

 

Wot u like Gary?

Daphnes are very different from convolvulous and the others you mentioned requiring very different conditions and soil. You do need to determine what you have there then choose from suitable plants

Daphnes are superb for scent but very fickle. As a feature shrub, as a long term one, it is not reliable simply because it is a martyr to virus. However, if you can grow it well it is a winner and it is something I will always have here.

I would suggest a choice of 3....odora aureomarginata , Perfume Princess and Somerset. The former is a variegated evergreen and packed with powerful scent in spring. The second is pretty new but supposedly hardier and bigger but with even more scent from even more flowers. I currently grow PP in a container as well as another in my niece's garden. Both new to me .....but thoroughly researched....and both recently planted. Lovely large green foliage. Somerset variegated is bigger again, smaller leaves with good variegation and flowers a little later. Prob hardiest of all. I had this one until I impulsively decided to move it one summer and it subsequently died.....daphnes do not like being moved esp in summer and esp if pretty big. Havent been able to replace it yet!

If you want to plant it in a container I used john innes number 3, 20 to 30 % grit, some dried manure and fish blood and bone. In a semi shaded spot and in a decent size clay or ceramic pot at least 80cm high and 60cm wide. You dont need to see it, just smell it. The scent carries for several metres

 

@Irmemac How are you doing? I'm more than happy for you to be my guinea pig. Please let me know how you get on.

I came up with Daphne because I watched a video about evergreens on Crocus. She suggested the odora. Its a bit big falsme growing up to 5 ft. Crocus also do a smaller one called eternal fragrance.

Daphne × transatlantica 'Pink Fragrance ('Blapink') (PBR)' - daphne

Where the plant will go there is the likelihood of some tree roots. I haven't dug out this area because I didn't want to disturb them unnecessarily. If I can't find a plant I like that will take then I will go for a pot.

G.

 

Eternal Fragrance was a well hyped but, to me, disappointing plant. I think Pink Fragrance is similar but not grown it
Most daphnes will struggle quite badly there Gary......although many are woodlanders they do not like competing with other plants. If you want a scented evergreen there I suggest a sarcoccoca. It is a real doer with a strong fragrance around Christmas into late winter.

 

@Jack Sparrow I'm not too bad, thank you. Will definitely let you know how my cneorum gets on. At the moment it hasn't really done anything, it is still sitting very self-contained, but the foliage is a lovely silvery green. I put it in a very dark pot and like the contrast. I also chose it for its evergreen quality, as I like year round greenery.

 

My local garden center is selling phlomis italica for half price. Does anyone have experience of it? Would it work in a pot. I love the colour of the leaves. I can give it sun but I can't guarantee shelter.

G.

 

There is a field near me full of winter aconites. They look stunning. I have done some reading this morning. They pair well with snowdrops. They grow well under deciduous trees and bushes. That all sounds good to me.

What can anybody tell me about them? All comments will be appreciated as always.



G.

 

Best purchased in the green like snowdrops

 

I will have more questions on aconites as time progresses. One immediate question that springs to mind though. Along my front verge I intend to grow a row of Lamium maculatum beacon silver. This I will do at some point in the summer. In the meantime I have used this space to finish of my snowdrop and tulip bulbs. There might even be some daffodils. I can’t remember what I put where. Anyway. The nettles should be evergreen and should spread across the whole bed. Once everything is established would these spring bulbs still push through? Would they need to or would they just be surplus to requirement?

G.

 

Yes, those bulbs will still push through. No, they wont be surplus to requirements.
Should all look good

 

On Amazon there are 50 aconites in the green for £12.95 + free delivery. I have several ideas of where I might put them but as with everything else, the beds aren’t prepared yet. Whatever I bought would have to go in a big bucket for the time being. I would imagine it would be more cost effective if I waited until the Autumn and then bought them as bulbs.

G.

Alternatively I could just “borrow” a few from my neighbour. I’m sure they wouldn’t notice.

 

Hi Jack, do you have a " The Range " near you ?
Ours is selling pots of 10 just coming into bud for £1.69 , so 50 would only work out at £ 8.45 and they would be hardened off and fresh to plant out. If the planting area isn't ready you could leave them in their pots for now and plant them out later.