Final Thoughts:
“Shrubs in the garden, perennials from seed and garden surprises” by Mala Gunadasa-Rohling
A nice surprise greeted me one morning a couple of weeks ago – I looked out the window at the weeping willow that hangs over one corner of our garden from the neighbours (a very nice ‘borrowed’ plant) and saw that the lower branches were covered in beautiful pink blooms! During last summer, without anyone noticing, the clematis that grows along our fence had reached up and grown into the weeping willow, and was now in full bloom.
I have a beautiful forsythia bush in the garden, in direct view of the office window. It has lovely fresh green leaves and extremely graceful, tall arching branches. This bush wasn’t pruned last year, (unlike the chopped back one right next to it) and was left to grow into its natural shape and height – about 10 feet tall! This would be great if the weather cooperated: I expect annuals and some perennials to be affected by a heavy rainstorm and flop over, especially the topheavy ones like paeonies, delphiniums, and the delicate, wispy wildflowers I am so fond off. That is why there are always instructions to stake them…But shrubs? Shouldn’t woody shrubs stand up by themselves? I always thought so, but not in the case of this forsythia! On a rainy day, or even the damp, misty days of a Vancouver spring and summer, the days that seem like 200% humidity, the moisture collects on all the leaves and branches and folds them over. My lovely bush looks like a sad, overgrown mop turned upside down in the garden. Pathetic. Almost horizontal, it leans precariously over the other plants around it, threatening to knock over the lilies coming up beside it.
What happened to this bush? Why would it grow so tall? It was probably overfertilised, resulting in far too much fresh, lush growth last year that hasn’t developed any woody structure and so flops around badly. It would have better to grow half that height and have the strength to support itself properly. It is also growing in a rather shady spot – it probably needs more and stronger sunshine to prevent the lax habit, just like seedlings get leggy if they don’t get enough light.
The best thing to do for this plant is to give it a severe pruning right after flowering (oh, did I mention that these nice long stems barely had any flowers on them at all this spring? And I was so looking forward to a lovely show of bright yellow…it never materialised). Remember that forsythia roots from cuttings very easily, you could quickly have a whole hedge of it. It actually makes a very attractive informal flowering hedge – just keep it fairly low, no more than 4 feet tall.
The other shrubs in the garden are doing very well, except perhaps for the rhododendrons. These look a little sickly and sparse…seem to be losing a lot of the lower leaves, and the rest are a bit yellow. This is probably because of bad drainage, most of the garden is a bit of a bog, so much so that I can watch the corner of the patio sinking into the ground after a rainfall.
The ceonothus bushes are doing fine, as are the witch hazel, hebes, hydrangeas and skimmias. The Pacific dogwoods are not almost the size of small trees, very attractive in shape and form. They are a bit late in flowering this year, only now are the first pale, creamy blooms appearing.
Growing perennials from seed is particularly rewarding, as the results will last for many years. My Shasta daisies, lavender and lychnis will be blooming very shortly and I’m really looking forward to them! The daisy buds are numerous enough to risk cutting some and bringing them indoors, as they are supposed to last quite long in a vase. The lychnis, with its soft, hairy silver-green leaves should make a great contrast to the brilliant, magenta flowers. I love the bright colour of this flower, and there is a lovely white version also which I must get.
As for the lavender, who doesn’t like this plant? Easy care, will grow in poor soil, doesn’t need much water, and just a trim at the end of the season to tidy it up if you wish. The fragrance is unforgettable, as is the colour. Delicate yet hardy at the same time. As useful as you want to make it (you can make soap and cosmetics from it, use it for scent sachets or potpourri, even cook with it), it also looks lovely just sitting there in the border or in a pot on the patio. I have just finished reading a book where the author tells a story that takes place in the lavender fields that used to cover the hills of southwest London in the 1800’s. A particularly touching story of a young girl and her sick baby brother takes place in these fields…I will never be able to look at a lavender bush again without remembering Lucy and Horatio. It is truly amazing how your perception of plants changes with experiences like this – where a flower has a part in a good book or movie, or even more strongly, if it is part of a friend or relatives treasured garden…if you can possibly get a cutting or seeds from these plants, or resort to buying a similar plant from a nursery, even if it is the ordinary, everyday variety, it is guaranteed to produce more pleasure and memories for you than anything that doesn’t have this ‘background’ or ‘association’. Make sure your garden is filled with your own personal favourites to really get the most enjoyment from it.