Can I Chop

Hi,sorry its me again. This used to be a nice border with small shrubs, Crinondendron, Christmas Rose, Peony, Skimmia, Variegated holly,Phlox,Lupins,Dark green holly and hydranga.with lots of spring bulbs in between. As you can see Skimmia and holly tree have taken over also Crinon..... to the left which is out of sight and getting a severe pruning next spring. Can I chop down holly (which has now grown into a tree) :( and skimmia to small bushes again.

 

It still looks pretty good to me. I wouldn't try and reduce them too much - but both can be pruned down quite severely. In my village holly is grown as both hedge and tree - not sure why there is so much - but tis an old village - but it seems to take reasonably hard pruning quite well.

 

Thanks again Fran. The width of the border is the problem. There is just about 3ft between bottom end and conservatory.and better half moans about being scratched when going round to cut front grass.Also my smaller plants are all hidden.Even my phlox has to grow above them for light. The hole to the left is where I dug out the peony which is now quartered and in four pots.{looking good with nice red shoots showing.)
If only I had more room. You are so lucky you have a beautiful garden and so many different plants.How big is you ground? Your photos are just stunnimg. Off out with my spade and pruners now. I would really like to get it all organised before winter comes. Hope I don.t get too carried away.

 

I have pruned my holly tree into a standard and no longer get savaged when I mow and there is space below for more plants.

 

I Wouldn't cut the skimmia down till after flowering next spring/early summer.

 

Appearances are deceptive Laburnum, I got a long thin garden. 120' by about 20-30' the bottom half is my evolving woodland garden. Now if dreams came true I would have 1/2 to one acre - to play with but with my plantaholic tendancies prolly better not.

 

Fran, that brings to mind something I think Alan Tichmarsh once quoted from an old victorian gardening book
"However small your garden maybe,one should always set aside at least one to two acres for woodland"
I think "garden" must have meant something different then. :D

 

Oh Dear!! I think I have overdone it. It looks far worse on a photo. I didn't intend to be so ruthless,but when I started to cut back I found that there were 3 trunks growing from about 3 ft up from bottom. I think I chopped the top of it about 5 years ago and it grew out at both sides of the main trunk. I really had no option but to saw the two side trunks off and leave main stem. Trouble is, most of the growth was on side trunks.Do you think It is doomed?
Pete, I havnt touched the skimmia. It doesn't flower. just produces big red berries with large stones inside which birds pick off

 

A bit late to save it now

 

OMG :eek: Who that hatchet man??
I reckon that smirk is one of revenge!!

 

That'll probably come back, but its gonna look like that all winter :(
As to the skimmia, it flowers before the berries, but if you cut these type of plants back in spring they make new growth quickly, which covers up the cut areas. So they dont look so bad for so long.

 

Pete - twas indeed a different time, but you can get a woodland effect part of the garden, no matter how small :D The bottom half of my garden was a veggie garden when I moved in with some fruit trees right at the bottom. I then had a wild flower garden, poppies, cornflower,corn marigold, shasta daisies, foxgloves - backed by a hawthorn, dog rose and witch hazel hedge. Over time the hedge has become trees and it started to evolve so going with the flow, I've added silver birch, mimosa (from florida) and amalanchier and ferns

Laburnum - :eek: oh my goodness. Removing the top and pruning it back is one thing - but oh my - yes I think you could say he's overdone it. I have little doubt it will recover, but it will take some time. Shame such a pretty leaf to have in the winter. Ah well there's always next year

 

I know Fran I'm still grieving, but yours truly still has the grin all over his face,and got his fence painted which I think was the main reason for the hatchet job. However I must admit there were not many leaves growing near the trunk,just bare branches about 2ft long with the growth all at the ends, a bit like my rhododendron.
He is not being allowed to touch Skimmia!!!!!.
By the way Pete I have two other skimmia's which flower every year. a lovely low growing one with white flowers then is covered with berries.(Sx'Foremanii I think). The other flowers but no berries.(Reevesiana Rubella I think) male and female. the one next to the (once was holly tree) was sold to me as self pollinating. Never seen any flowers on it just big red stoned berries which are all starting to set now. Maybe it is not a skimmia. :( :(

 

Lab, even if its not a skimmia, you cant have berries without some kind of flower.

 

Hi Laburnum
Don't worry about the holly it will indeed recover,but as previously mentioned, not until next growing season. Pete is right, all fruiting plants have flowers, no matter how miniscule, the fruit is the fertilised ovary part of the flower, if you trim now, you will lose berries this year, do it in late winter/early spring & be gentle ....