Evergreen perennials

Discussion in 'Other Plants' started by joolz68, Jan 31, 2013.

  1. Verdun

    Verdun Passionate gardener

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    Jools, yes they're all manageable to 4 feet. I agree with sweet box, sarcoccoca, the fragrance is fantastic. You have some grubs that prefer acid soil....pieris....that won't like alkaline conditions. Cheap ph test and you will know. Pieris good in pots in ericaceous soil. Sorry, won't mention ph again.
     
  2. joolz68

    joolz68 Total Gardener

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    Ive just found this written:heehee: ....Sometimes, the berries sit on the plant long enough to ferment in the sun. That doesn’t deter the birds at all! I’ve watched flocks of birds slurp down alcohol-laden Firethorn berries until they were too high to fly, and too drunk to care. (Yet another reason to keep cats indoors!)
    I know now it as Pyracantha which i do want(orange berry) i will have to plant it in the front and keep the cats out thou:)
     
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    • stephenprudence

      stephenprudence GC Weather Guru

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      That explains alot!

      There's a few grown as shrubs around here, but this one is trained to climb a fence. Surprisingly adaptable to climbing, though naturally it'll just grow into a big heap :snork:
       
    • joolz68

      joolz68 Total Gardener

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      Ive got 2 ph testers and both are reading alkaline in one spot i just tried,can it vary from spot to spot?
       
    • redstar

      redstar Total Gardener

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      most of the suggestions are "really shrubs" as I was thinking reading the topic. Also consider demere lacy conifers of blue colors. I have a huge circle of the red dogwood they look so pretty today against the new white snow.
       
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      • Verdun

        Verdun Passionate gardener

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        Joolz, take a couple more readings in different places but it looks like pieris will not like your soil. I'm in same position. I grow them in ericaceous John innis in pots buried in the ground. The alkaline reading means you can grow dianthus..pinks..And these are wonderful evergreen perennials with lovely bluish foliage (contrast well with choisya sundance) and fragrant flowers summer long. Cheap enough too and in a great range of colours
         
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        • al n

          al n Total Gardener

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          You got a fab bargain there x
           
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          • joolz68

            joolz68 Total Gardener

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            Are you on clay soil aswell? :) i was googling earlier verdun and oak leaves,coffee grounds and pine cones were suggested to make soil acidic :dunno:which is no help to me this time of yr but i think im going to have to prepare the the ground with added sulphur?
            Im wondering what that bag of rock dust contains now,might help :th scifD36:
            I grew dainthus form seed last yr so i have plenty of them dotted about i think but ive not seen no lush foliage thou yet:dunno: plenty of shasta daisy foilage:)
             
          • joolz68

            joolz68 Total Gardener

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            I know Al n,id spent the night before trawling ebay and saving to basket..im so glad i didnt buy it all,ive saved myself at least £20:hapydancsmil:
            I was well chuffed with the phorium tricolour for a fiver(i can make 3 out of whats in the pot),i cant wait to get my tropical theme section planted this yr :)
             
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            • Kristen

              Kristen Under gardener

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              It may vary a bit from spot-to-spot, but unlikely to be significantly different (unless something contaminated the original samples you did).

              Second opinion test: do gardens near you have Rhododendrons and Azaleas in them? If not then like-as-not you are on alkaline soil.

              Most of my gardening rules get broken, to some degree: "Millions of pots are out because it takes too long to water them" ... but I have a few. "No plants that have to come in for the winter" ... I have lots of those!

              But my "Grow nothing in containers that doesn't like your soil" is an unbroken rule. My Mother grew Pieris, Camelias, and other acid loving plants in containers; they were a right faff, she looked after them lovingly, but to my eye the results were only "mediocre" and I vowed never to bother.

              I hear of people saying they have raised beds, with ericaeous soil, treated with Sequester of Iron regularly and so on ... unless you want to make it your passion to grow such plants my advice is to love them when you see them, but never to bring one home with you.

              IME you won't make your soil acid enough by treating it with Sulphur etc. You might be able to correct it enough for something that will perform better on Acid/Neutral soil, but only if that plant can survive on Alkaline soil to start with.
               
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              • ARMANDII

                ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                Spot on advice, as usual, Kristen.:thumbsup: :snork:
                 
              • joolz68

                joolz68 Total Gardener

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                Ive bought a few bargains that are going to be hard work by the sounds of it :sad:
                ,leaving them in pots in the correct compost i can live with if they can? :)i just want some evergreen i didnt think about soil :doh:
                I hope the christmas box dont need acid cos the spot i picked for that is where i took my PH readings
                 
              • ARMANDII

                ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                When watering any acid loving plants that are in containers use rain water and not tap water.:snork:
                 
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                • joolz68

                  joolz68 Total Gardener

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                  I knew that....for a change :biggrin:
                   
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                  • Kristen

                    Kristen Under gardener

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                    Pieris was the only one I've seen so far, I think??, that is fussy about its soil
                     
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