let's talk about shrubs

On yet another wet and rainy winter evening, 46 members of TGC and 1 visitor were pleased to welcome back Gillian Taylor in February for an excellent presentation titled ‘Let’s Talk about Shrubs’.

Gillian brought along a selection of tools she recommends for more mature gardeners to use to work both efficiently and with minimal difficulty for achy backs / knees etc. Alongside these were leaflets to take away giving information about the tools.

Gillian also brought along a selection of trimmings from various shrubs - and tested our knowledge by asking us to identify them. We didn’t do too badly!

Tools:

Jakoti Hand shears - these are used for numerous tasks including deadheading, cutting back perennials, lawn edges, light hedge tidying. Their ergonomic design means there is no wrist or finger strain, but best of all, they are self-sharpening, a wonderful attribute. Gillian recommended them as a delight to use.

Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Easyreach Pruner - Has a long reach for both up and down work.

Burgon & Ball Razor Hoe - has short or long handled options. Check Lidl pricing for the short handled version.

Kevlar Sleeves - great arms cover and protection for working in the garden during the summer months when you need to wear lighter clothing. Retail for about £6.50 per pair.

Peat-free Compost:

It’s recognised there are industry challenges with peat-free compost as it doesn’t retain nutrition or water like peat. It also creates surface crust making watering assessment difficult. To prevent a crust developing on the top of pots, Gillian suggested using a thin layer of horticultural grit.

Gillian noted there is an RHS Peat free advice line that’s available to both members and non-members. On their website are information boards about working with all different types of compost.

Coir is a possible alternative, but its supply is being bought up by China and as a result prices are rising.

Gillian’s suggested watering technique for peat-free compost is to water from above, not bottom-up soaking. Pre-wet for 1 minute, wait 2 minutes, repeat 4 times over 5 minutes. If compost dries completely, it repels water and plants die. Also, the tiniest drop of Fairy Liquid in the water may help the moisture ‘stick’ better to the compost.

A recommended mix of 30% peat-free, 30% leaf mould and 20% each of grit/perlite may be better.

Shrubs:

Gillian noted the great benefit of having shrubs in the garden is they take up room, cover the ground and are less work than having all perennials and annuals.

Recommended low-maintenance shrubs

Potentilla fruiticosa: flowers May-October without deadheading

Viburnum davidii: 5 colours in one plant (green, red, yellow, white flowers, blue berries)

Sarcococca: winter scent, good near doors/paths

Camellia varieties for different seasons

Climate-resilient options for future years

Lagerstroemia (Crepe Myrtle) now hardy in sheltered spots

Coronilla glauca surviving 5+ years in protected areas

Nandina domestica producing berries consistently last 3 years

Pruning Techniques

General pruning principles are to prune immediately after flowering for most shrubs and remove 30% of old stems from the centre to let the light in.

Generally, take an all or nothing approach: either cut the shrub to ground level or leave full height. Avoid cutting shrubs to half-height as this can kill them.

Specific shrub pruning

Buddleia: chop to 3-4 feet in autumn, then to 1 foot in March

Forsythia: cut long stems back to new upright shoots after flowering

Hardy fuchsias: wait until April, cut to 2-3 inches

Euphorbias: can cut to ground in May, will reshoot in 8 weeks

Plant Combinations & Design

Gillian talked about combination planting of either shrubs together or climbing plants through shrubs. Ideas for successful colour combinations included:

Purple and green (Berberis with Euphorbia)

Orange and blue (Ceanothus with Choisya)

Photinia with Euonymus for hedging

Clematis through shrubs technique - plant clematis 2 feet from shrub centre and use cane to direct into shrub initially. Group 3 clematis work best (Arabella recommended)

Box alternatives due to box moth

Lonicera nitida: quick growing, easy to shape

Euonymus varieties: Green Spire, Green Rocket, Jean Hughes

Teucrium: evergreen, clips well, needs free drainage

Yew varieties including horizontal-growing ‘Wisley’

Future Gardening Trends

Climate adaptation planning

James Hitchmough planning for 2070 climate (similar to middle France)

Mediterranean plants becoming hardy (Echium, Bougainvillea on Isle of Wight)

Ventnor Botanic Garden’s self-sustaining Mediterranean section is worth a visit in May

New plant trials

RHS Wisley testing Lagerstroemia varieties

Rhododendron ‘Blue Box’ - dwarf variety (£30 each, grafted)

Portuguese laurel ‘Sofia’ - refined alternative to standard laurel

Recommended suppliers

Thorncroft Clematis for British-grown, mature plants

Local nurseries for smaller Philadelphus varieties