How many gardeners begin their garden project trying to cover their plot with as many plants as possible? It’s a desperate race to cover ground with the plants you want in your garden before the unwanted weeds reclaim the bare soil. The scale of my own garden project was such that it took about 5 years before most of the ground was ‘planted’. It then took a further 5 years for the shrubs and trees to thicken up sufficently to actually properly cover their assigned space. But now, after 10 years, there are plants which are suffering noticeably from insufficient light, and if they are to prosper changes need to be made.
The title photo above shows the conifer hedge in 2000, a year after planting.
Poor light manifests itself in various ways but amongst flowering plants. They either don’t flower at all, or don’t flower for long enough or simply don’t have as many flowers as they are capable of having. Whereas conifers and shrubs which suffer poor light conditions will loose their foliage on the ‘dark side’ and go very ‘twiggy’ and these twigs will quickly die off making the area look pretty ugly. Unfortunately, with conifers, these twiggy areas are very reluctant to grow back and replenish with green. Instead these areas will remain an eyesore unless shielded by another plant a lower plant.
After just 10 years some conifers need to be removed if other plants are to prosper
When I was creating Winsford Walled Gardens we had terrible problems from high winds swirling around inside the walls, and so I designed a conifer hedge using the wonderful varieties that are so readily available in an ultimately succesful attempt to reduce the cyclonic winds. The conifer hedge is a popular source of ideas for visitors. This winter I had to chop down 4 trees from the hedge. In previous years I had procrastinated about the resulting gaps but this year something had to be done. I also reduced the potential gap by relocating a tall, thin Thuja ‘Holmstrup’ (small footprint) that was being suffocated be adjacent shrubbery. The result is actually a great improvement. Not only do the remaining conifers have enough physical room, more light will reach them.
Conifer hedge after. Notice the absence of flowers in the centre of the Viburnum.
Notice the absence of flowers in the centre of the Viburnum. Due to the proximity of conifers too large for the location. Planting too many conifers, too closely together, is a common mistake for all gardeners, when they are impatient for quicker results. Immediately before the Viburnum is the much narrower Thuja ‘Holmstrup’ relocated to join its larger ‘brother’ on the left. The Thuja was being ‘crowded out’ in its previous location.
Most noticeable of all is the amount of light that reaches the flower beds behind the hedge which has improved noticeably. This light level was not affected by the hedge during the summer when the sun was high, but now (late October) and during the winter, and especially in spring. the low sunshine is now able to reach the border behind much earlier and more often – encouraging even better growth in future.
The Conifer hedge following the removal of 4 trees during late-October 2009
The Conifer hedge following the removal of 4 trees during October 2009 is still very much a feature of the Gardens throughout the year. Only now, following some removals the existing plants will grow better and flowering plants behind the hedge can now enjoy any winter sun that was previously denied to them. And in spring this will encourage them to shoot earlier and flower more – for longer.
