This afternoon I planted a Myrtle hedge. I purchased them/ retrieved from Northsider Plant Nursery or my vegetable plot to be precise. I picked some Myrtle seedlings a couple of years and potted them on a couple of times.
I hope the flower like my Mrtyle tree does. I am going to train to be an hedge and it's roots will prevent any slippage or erosion from the bank I planted them in.
All they cost me was my time nurturing them and digging the holes and a some compost.
Gardening doesn't need to cost a lot if you're not fussy what you grow and if you're prepared to propagate your own plants!
Any one else been planting their own hedging plants?
The Myrtle hedge should look very pretty if it flowers well. How long will it take to become an established hedge? We want to take out some roses from our boundary and replace them with a flowering hedge. Perhaps we should think about Myrtle.
ReplyDeleteI planted a hedge two years ago - and it's taking okay; I think this will be the key year though. I should maybe post a picture sometime.
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn't take long for it to knit together JayCee. Perhaps a year or two at the most. I hope it does flower. I try to plant things that have flowers. Rugosa is a good seaside hedge and so is Fuchsia. My favourite is probably Hypericum with it's pretty yellow flowers. Apparently witches don't like them? I don't know why. Now is a good time to buy bare rooted hedging and it's always cheaper that pot grown hedging plants.
ReplyDeleteI assume you haven't seen any witches to ask them because the hypericum keeps them away.
DeleteExactly Tigger.
DeleteI would like to see a picture of your hedge Mark. They thrive with a mulch of well rotted homemade compost/grass and hedge clippings. I swear buy pelleted poultry manure pellets. But anything organic and not so fresh will help the hedge to grow.
ReplyDeleteThat's some seriously rocky soil you've got there. Growing your own from local resources ensures a hedge you know is well adapted to the soil and climate. We've got several books on gardens for free; mainly on different kinds of propagation and which plants to use which techniques on. The best gardens are the free ones.
ReplyDeleteI planted the hedge to disguise block wall Tigger. It's on top of a banking above the field. I always give my plants plenty of homemade compost and soil. The gardeners of old use to make their own plants and compost and even used sieved mole skin soil. The best gardens are the free ones or they have cost very little.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your myrtle hedge. I used to go out with a girl called Myrtle Hedge. She was bushy and didn't talk much but I wasn't fussy either.
ReplyDeleteHa,ha. Believe it or not YP I get lots more blog views if it's garden or food orientated. Thanks for making me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI have been taking cuttings of hedging and growing it at my parents house as it seems to like the sea air outside and they all seem to root. I have to replace conifers that have been allowed to over grow. You cant cut them back as they are brown. They must come out. I am going for ever green. I think they are called griselinia. It is luminous green!
ReplyDeleteHi Sol. Griselina or New Zealand Privet grows here also. It's only down side or problem can be honey dew fungus which seems to like the wet climate. It's very easy to propagate. I have grown hundreds of griselinia plants from cuttings.
DeleteI used hazelnuts to start a windbreak on the windward side of my orchard and am planning on a multi-species hedgerow with Prunus nigra, Prunus americana, Aronia, quince, European Elderberry, hazelnuts and other fruit/nut species. I am tempted to add grape vines to help knit it all together.
ReplyDeleteHi Eaton Rapids Joe. It sounds like a good windbreak that will be liked by us humans and the local wildlife population.
ReplyDeleteHey Dave, another thought to the market stall. I have just bought a load of local plants from someone advertising on Facebook market place. I hate facebook, but they are locals trying to start a side hustle. They are delivering to me as we are in isolation as I have all the Covid symptoms. I am negative I have been to the drive through for a test but we are isolating anyways. They are going to deliver to us as they arent far away. But they do sales by appointment only at their little nursery. I wonder if that is something you could do. And sell at car boots. A market stall would not be for me. It would mean turning up every time and from my knowledge it can be quite expensive to have a stall. and you pay even in bad weather to keep your spot. I realise you are more remote than the people I am buying from, but their facebook advert is across the whole of Cornwall and they deliver once a week in a round trip. They have also bunged in some lavender I saw on their blog. I doubt it will do well where I live as it is too humid and we have boggy wet clay soil. I dont want plants that need attention. If they dont look after themselves they will be pulled out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Sol. I am off work self isolating because I am a close contact. I am going to concentrate on car boot sales this year. But I am going to be more eclectic and sell books, bric a brac along with some plants. Lavender is more of a Mediterranean plant and needs good drainage and probably put inside in a greenhouse or polytunnel. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI feel car boots are the way to go. It gives you a feel for it and no expensive insurance and out lay. One thing Covid has taught me is that my garden and being about to grow is really REALLY important to me.
DeleteYou're right Sol. The only thing is people expect things very cheap at carboot sales but like you say there isn't public liability insurance and market stall pitch to lay out for. I could not have a garden or my polytunnel when it's too wet outside.
ReplyDelete