Gardening Hints..

[Who2]

So back to that tree of Aida's, it's growing and I don't really care what type it is anymore.
But as GQT never answer any of my questions..

Do You 'green-fingered members, think I could do a bit of topiary on it ?

I was thinking of shaping it the same as my Obelisk, 'what do you think ?
I have shears and also a Braun 12" hedge trimmer.


All responses will be helpful, cheers!.....

[newcastle]

You could try.....

article-2176583-1424F6D3000005DC-620_308x185.jpg

[Horus]

Most trees and shrubs can be pruned back, but shaping is another thing. Usually shrubs or bushes with lots of leaves will shape to some degree or another, but what I think you will find with your tree is that it will 'coppice' in other words as you remove a larger branch it will then throw out straight shoots from the cut branch, these in turn over the years will become branches again and so on it goes so I suspect your tree will become very dense if pruned. I have two Silver Birch trees that I keep tightly pruned they are well over 30 years old and they look quite nice, one looks very ball like in shape and is thick with leaves in Summer. I always remove any lower shoots on the main trunk and when required I take out some main branches to keep it under controll, but I prune all the outer branches about every two years to stop them growing outwards too much. You should be able to make out the top of this tree just behind the garden furniture and in the Winter image you can see how the branches fill in to make the shape. You can also see how the top part has grown upwards and requires pruning back to maintain the shape. You should also try and prune it back in whatever is your dormant season so it does not bleed sap and avoid removing too many braches at one time, shape it over several years.

[BENNU]

What a lovely garden, Horus.

[Horus]

Kind of you to say so Bennu, but the credit must all go to my late wife, she loved her garden, I just did the heavy lifting. Now days I am just the caretaker.

[newcastle]

Very impressive!!

A riot of colour.

I think I could relax there....with a jug of iced G&T to hand.

[HEPZIBAH]

Horus, that garden is beautiful.
Credit may well be due to your late wife creating it, but credit is due to you too for being a faithful caretaker.

[carrie]

Absolutely fab Horus, are those huge hanging baskets I see in the distance?
Sound of the fountain, peaceful, I could spend many an happy hour there.

[Who2]

Come round my place I'll supply the beers, thanks for the advice.
So work in progress...

[Horus]

I think I could relax there....with a jug of iced G&T to hand.

Or a nice bottle of Merlot in the evening.

Credit may well be due to your late wife creating it, but credit is due to you too for being a faithful caretaker.

Sadly Hepzi I sometimes lack the enthusiasm, she was always changing the garden and every couple of years it would look completely different, waterfalls instead of village pumps, Teak table and chairs instead of coloured benches, she even had me stencilling Honeysuckle flowers on that left hand wall.

are those huge hanging baskets I see in the distance?
Sound of the fountain, peaceful, I could spend many an happy hour there.

Carrie if you mean the ones with the small bushy blue flowers? they are not actaully a hanging basket, but rather flat backed pots that I fixed to the fence and they were planted with bush Lobelia. If you mean just behind the seats then yes that is a wooden planter I made that had a large pot on the top and a ring of smaller pots halfway down so the flowers cascaded downwards. In these pictures the background sound in the garden is from water splashing into an upright Greek urn and then splashing onto pebbles in the small pond, I designed it so that the village pump appears to be constantly gushing water, all very peacefull.

Come round my place I'll supply the beers, thanks for the advice.

You are welcome Dr and who knows, I may take you up on that one day.