Verbena and cotoneaster advice please.

A bit random to put these two plants together in one post, but I could do with some info on both, please.

I've got a verbena bonariensis that I haven't touched since it stopped flowering. So it's about 5 foot tall with brown flowerheads, and the leaves on the stems are still green. What do I do now? I thought I read it was a bit tender, so what's the best thing to do to protect it? Leave the stems on to protect the base of the plant? Cut it down and mulch the base? Where does it start growing from in spring? The base, or the old stems?

The other question I've got is about cotoneaster horizontalis. I really want to get one and train it up a North East facing fence. The bottom half of the fence hardly ever sees the sun. The top half does ok in summer, but the rest of the year is in shade. Can you grow this cotoneaster in shade? All the sites I've looked at for advice say different things about growing it in shade. I don't mind if I get slightly less berries because it's in shade. I just need a really narrow, trainable, prunable, well behaving shrub/climber for this fence. The usual suspects like roses, ivies, etc would be a bit difficult to keep in check. I can't have anything that might push through the fence slats, or rely on the fence for support, or become too bushy in depth.

Ta.

Jo

 

Hi Jo. I wouldn't do anything with your Verbena until Spring, and then cut it back. Some people like to cut herbaceous plants down in the autumn to make them look tidy. This is fine in the South. But being in the North I prefer to leave the foliage on as it gives the plants a bit more protection.

Whilst Verbena is a bit borderline hardy, and not that long lived - you will never lose it. Its a prolific self seeder. I like to just lift the seedlings and move them to another part of the garden that could do with them.

I suspect that Cotoneaster will grow anywhere. Its a plant that I have but not one that I rave over.

 

I'd have said just the same things there, Peter !

I have both and yes, the cotoneaster will survive anywhere because it's as tough as old boots.
So too the verbena bon, yes it's a perennial but this winter mine's got green shoots popping out all over the plant because it's so mild, but i do a bit of both - cut it down to about 12" above ground some winters and other leave it as it is - as i've done this year !
By leaving it, this year a lot of the birds are going onto it and pecking at the seedheads

If you like verbena bon you'll love verbena rigida - this is basically just a shorter version and not as floppy - it's my favourite of the 2 - if i had to choose !

 

Louise - do you grow Verbena rigida as an annual or a perennial? I do think it is lovely but not as easy as bonariensis. I have overwintered them several times under glass, but they takes a long time to come back into growth again - so I have given up.

The one I do like is V. 'Homestead Purple'. Like most verbenas its not hardy, but will winter under glass. Its flowers are much bigger than any other Verbena and if planted in the border it will clamber through other plants. Cuttings are very easy. There is a red coloured version called V. 'Claret'. I have never grown it, but it looks nice and I would like to know if it is as good as 'Homestead Purple'.

 

V rigida grows as a perennial here, Peter, even last years minus 12 didn't kill it, amazingly !!!
V 'Homestead Purple' and 'Claret' also grow as perennials but the minus 12s did kill them - so i know that in this region rigida and bonariensis are hardy down to minus 12 and the others i just mentioned only down to minus 5.

The individual site will have a huge amount to do with a plants hardiness, i garden on thin poor soil that's very well drained and that, is the secret !

Jo sara, your two plants will be fine in your garden, the verbena will grow from either area !
As i mentioned, mine are currently sprouting from the stems but if i'd cut them right down to the ground they would emerge as new from the ground in spring.
The cotoneaster horiz. is quite a slow grower so don't expect anything speedy from it !

 

Thanks, Peter, and Louise for the info. The cotoneaster being a slow grower might be a good thing. Means I can keep an eye on where it's going and manage it.

Jo

 

Lucky you Louise with Verbena rigida as hardy - thats the difference in our climates.

 

Yes it is, what's your soil like there ?

 

My soil is clay. At its worst its really awful - cold and sticky. I have improved it with sharp sand and organic material - but you still can't get that far away from its clay base.

I was interested to hear someone from RHS Harlow Carr, which is only a couple of miles from me and on the same clay, say that because of the climate and clay Harlow Carr was a late summer garden. That's my own experience too.

 

That's logical really, the soil will take longer to warm up if it's thick and solid - here it warms up very quickly because it's so thin and poor.
In dry periods, winter and summer, i have to water the gardens here because the front and back will be bone dry in next to no time.
My front is a cottage garden and the back is lawns and shrubs.

 

Never knew you had to do anything with them! I stuck mine in the garden when I was a total novice and left them to it. They've done wonderfully well, both of them.