Laurels in barrels and other laurel-age questions

Further to my other thread about laurels. I am planting some in some of them plastic oil drum sized barrels. They are about 2 foot in diameter should I plant one per barrel or two to create a screen.

Heres a pic to show what my plans are (the scaffold is a base for a decking)






and

will they grow big in them barrels? they are 205 litre sized

and

Whats your recommendation to fill them with, top soil? compost? a mixture of both?

Cheers Nelly.

 

I have grown laurels in large pots on my drive to form a screen. They have done really well even though i tend to neglect them a bit. I would only put one in a two foot drum. They grow quite quickly and bush out well.
Carrie

 

Hi Nelly,

It looks like a bit of a haven there, nice thinking. As John says, Pots that size will be dangerous on the decking, the laurles themselves will be heavy enough, and that plus the weight of the pot and wet soil.... There are some plants that will do the same job-some of them faster and be a lot lighter on there.

Screening is the best idea for immediate privacy, but you consider trellises with one of the clematis montana-their rate of growth is quite stupendous and would off er full cover within two years-even the laurel can`t match that speed.


The real question is are the laurels safe to go up there though.

 

Hi Nelly I have to agree with the guys large barrels filled with soil is going to be really heavy and being so close to the water it's an accident just waiting to happen.

Try screening or trellis work which is far lighter, planting a clematis montana is a wonderful idea as you might find you can plant it in the ground before your deck as it does indeed grow really quick ok it dies down in winter but come May you will be stunned with the masses of flowers and after flowering it grows like crazy.

If you do the above it will allow you a little space for a few pots of colour that you can change if you wish season by season.Good luck with your project.Hel.xxx.

 

Right sorry I never explained mtself properly....again :(

The barrels will actually be below the decking on the river bank its self and angled out slightly

like this



I chose laurels because thy are ever green, but am open to other suggestions.

I could possibly have more than one type in each barrel?

 

Oh and one for the brain boxes

The barrels are 205 litre, and Im getting soil in tonne bags how many tonnes will I need for 4 barrels?

 

I would say. A half of one.:thumb:

 

I was always told that a cubic metre was a tonne. That`s 40 x 75 litre bags of compost.

 

I`m going by peat based compost, and Ill stick with a half.:D

 

Oh now I see what you mean Nelly regarding the barrels!:dh:

How about some sort of evergreen variegated plant I mean you could knock-up a trellis work and plant Hedera Helix Goldheart in one of the barrels I had one of these growing up our house wall in our previous house and it was only growing in a belfast sink and boy did that grow well, we had to keep trimming it back from the guttering but it did look stunning and well worth the work keeping it in check.
http://www.gardensandplants.com/uk/plant.aspx?plant_id=1490


If you are still stuck on the laurel then there is always the below variegated laurel to have a go out although it's slower growing than the normal one, but to be honest the laurel isn't that dense come winter at least that is what I can gather from my own laurel and a neighbour's hedge of it.
http://www.findmeplants.co.uk/plant-prunus-lusitanica-0210.aspx

I think that variegated plant will look stunning in all seasons as long as it's evergreen and will add interest more so in winter.Hel.xxx.

 

Thanks for that what exactly does variegated mean? and will that climer climb up trees? because I have plans for the far bank too willows to be exact and would it harm them?

Cheers Nelly