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Shoot hosts a regular online 'garden landscaping and design' forum event with award-winning garden design and landscape professionals from the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) and Society of Garden Designers (SGD). Three times RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold medal winner joined our last forum! See all the answers to previous forums below.
Total number of topics in this forum: 278
Question from
This is a blank canvas and would like to have some structure in this bed by my front door. initially I thought some dwarf conifers would be nice so bought a few to plant. After more research I found there growth would be far to much also I didn't think about roots and foundations!!. So I'm now stuck and thinking some nice interesting shrubs could be used instead? Id like low maintenance, but interesting all year round, looking for ideas please. Garden is south facing, exposed, soil I think is well drained possibly loamy as it is good topsoil and mixed in with some compost for the top 2 foot then shingle on top of heavy clay. I would like to put in a cistus x purpureus and maybe something tall at the back? not sure on what would work well together?
Question from
hi all
This forum hasn't been written on for a few years so hoping this might get a look in! We brought a house last year which had a very neglected garden made up of a mix of lawn, roses and ferns - very strange. it was very ratty and unloved and had horrendous ground ivy. we are in quite a steep valley and its heavy clay soil, and because of the low sheltered position its very hot and sheltered. Much more suited to tropicals - We've completely dug over the garden and put terraces in and the plants so far are all thriving - however I'm now stuck. i simply can't figure out what to plant and where. I'm usually really good at this stuff but this one is stumping me. I'd be grateful for any advice or thoughts you have on this. Photos below/ attached to show its current state.
Question from
Morning, so we've just moved and discovering what the garden changes into is a delight.
But, we have this huge cobnut tree, which apart from moss,bluebells and a bit of holly, nothing grows. It's shady most of the day and can get quite boggy in the rain.
The whole area must be about 15 foot square,so a substantial plot.
Originally I had thought of a wildlife pond, but now realised just how dark and dank it can get, don't think it's ideal.
So now thinking of gravelly (drainage) few paving slabs, rocks and ground covering plants, in kind of a cottage garden / rockery style.
If you think this is a wise choice of space, please could you advise appropriate shade loving, bog suffering plants.
I think the sun does hit the area late in the day, if this helps.
Thanks so much for your help
Ps if I've posted in wrong place, please forgive the newbie!
Question from
Hi, we cannot see an option to create more than 3 designs, any ideas what we are doing wrong?
General post from
Can anyone tell me where I can purchase one that isn't too expensive as I am finding them very hard to find and if so they are normally water features.
Question from
I am new to gardening and have bought 3 hedging plants
The catalogue said they were between 1.2&1.5 m wide and 1.2-2 m high, but the planting instructions say to plant Weigela Bristol Ruby 100-150cm,Forsythia intermedia Spectabilis 30-50cm and Spirea arguta Bridal Wreath 10-20cm apart.
Can anyone tell me if this is correct as I can't see how this will make a hedge 400-500cm long. Also they came in 9cm pots so I have repotted to large pots but can anyone confirm if I will be able to keep them to under 2m in height if they do grow?
Any advice appreciated. I'm new to this
Comment from
Hi , can anyone recommend some planting ideas for my rather empty rock / plant border . Heavy clay soil which gets the sun for most of the day . Gets very dry in the sun and very wet in the rain . Currently there are a few hebe,s some lady's mantle and creeping geraniums but not much else . When we brought the house it was just weeds , now they have been removed I'm excited to get planting , but I'm struggling for ideas . Any suggestions appreciated .
General post from
A yellow tree peony is very rare, so it’s sure to be a show-stopper in any landscape.
'High Noon' is an amazing golden yellow tree peony that blooms in early summer. This striking variety produces clusters of yellow flowers with red flare at the base of the petals. Nice fragrance; flowers have a pleasing sweet, distinctly lemon scent. It has the huge, semi-double blooms that denote this variety. The foliage is even attractive when not in flower.
Paeonia suffruticosa, or tree peonies, are loved by everyone who has ever seen them in bloom and they have been prized and carefully cultivated in the China for centuries. A deciduous shrub, not a tree, the tree peony has woody stems. A mature shrub produces many huge, long-lasting, silken blooms, which delight the eye. The showy flowers are 6-10" across growing on woody stems. The tree is slow growing and best in partial shade since the flowers tend to fade in full sun.
General post from
Japanese tree peony is shrub-like as it reaches a height of 3 to 5 feet. The peony plant grows slowly but the large, 10-inch flowers are worth the wait. The peony plants grow in ordinary garden soil with exposure to sun or partial shade. The peony flower is single and produced in June. Peonies are very drought tolerant, especially once established. Peonies will produce larger flowers if all the flower buds, except the terminal one, are removed early. Japanese tree peony for sale on China-Plants.com. Gracing your garden with big and fluffy peony petals.
The use in landscape: Border specimen. Peony cut flowers.
General post from
1. select an area
Clear an area that receives six to eight hours of sun per day. Consider the site carefully since Japanese tree peonies will live more than 10 years and are a long-term resident in your landscape.
2. prepare soil
Loosen the soil to 18 inches deep with a shovel. Remove rocks and break up large soil clumps. Mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost, peat moss or well-rotted manure to improve soil drainage and organic content.
3. mix fertilizer
Dig a 12-by-12 inch hole with a shovel. Add 1/4 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer and 1/2 cup of bone meal to the bottom of the hole. Fill the hole halfway full of soil and mix it with the materials on the bottom with a hand trowel.
4. cover the peony root
Place the Japanese tree peony tuber in the hole with the eyes pointing upward. Cover the tuber so that the soil covers the graft by 4 to 5 inches. This will cause the graft area to grow its own roots and create a stronger plant.
5. water your peony
Firm the soil down over the tuber with your hands. Do not press so hard that the soil becomes compacted. Compacted soil will cause water to run off the planting site instead of being absorbed by the soil. Water the planting area with a bucket full of water.
