Gorse

We were digging and tidying part of the neglected flowerbed yesterday while it was SNOWING and half the bed is now prepared!
Question: part of our garden will be wild growing and I am thinking about introducing some little gorse plants in there, as I like the colour and the fact that this lovely yellow colour would be around for much of the year and especially very early on in spring (seen them in full bloom by the roadside in December!). Also they are such a "Scottish" thing to have
What do you think of them? Will they become too invasive? Will my neighbours hate me because they invade their gardens too? What about the fact that gorse seems to be more flammable than most? Will I be able to reduce that risk by rapidly cutting out dead wood (as much as possible, as I am aware there may be an "access problem" as the plants grow more mature...)

(Thinking about it, they would be a wonderful child deterrent too in a garden... )

 

Gorse, whin or furze. Lots of different local names for this colourfull heathland plant.

I like gorse as well and if you can be rigourous about keeping it in shape and cut out any dead stuff it make a very nice shrub. Like it's cousin, Broom, it is legeumous (has symbiotic bacteria nitrogen fixing nodules on the roots) and established plants don't take kindly to root disturbance or being moved so choose small plants with a good rootball or simply grow from collected seed. Very easy to grow but need good drainage and prefer light sandy soils. Shouldn't be a problem for the neighbour even though explosive seed pods have a fair range.

 

Yep, the area where we want to try them is quite light soil. I was planning to try seeds, take cuttings and try to root them and if I can find any small plants try dig them up and re-plant them, but I have also read that the roots don't take kindly on disturbance so the digging up of little plants is the one method I have the least trust in it being successful actually.

Good to know others like it too - I have read so many bad things about "Scotch Broom" on US and New Zealand websites that I thought poor broom is just a weed and nobody likes them...

 

If you're going for a really Scottish wild-life area - don't forget your thistles!! Your neighbours would probably rather you did though!

I'm putting teasels in mine - not particularly Scottish, but who cares - they grow fine here! Also guelder rose (viburnum opulus) a small native tree with lovely berries, hawthorn, blackthorn and various others as a hedge. Rather than list it all here - it would be ok to email me and talk about it! We're particularly hoping to attract birds, as we've had to rabbit-proof the area, so no hedgehogs, etc are going to get in - shame! I've been told frogs and newts (which I've seen nearby) will get through - so here's hoping.

 

Oh tell me about rabbit-proofing...
There's a junkyard on the other side of the garden fence (the rear bit) and this one hosts quite a few rabbits. I have seen the occasional one breaking through into the garden and I hate the thought they will have a go once I am planting and hoping things will grow! My only hope is the fact that planning permission has been granted for the junkyard to become a housing development, with work due to start soon - it might drive the rabbits out of the area!

And yes, thistles will come into the wild area too. Yesterday I planted out some bluebell bulbs to the front of it and under our mature conifers, fingers crossed they will bloom in a few weeks, I bought bulbs "in the green"...

 

Pity the conifers aren't scots pines!! I seem to remember that from your photos a while back - it was yours, wasn't it?

 

I did post pictures of the garden in the snow some while ago, that's true... I love the conifers but I feel always a bit sorry for the neighbour as the trees are blocking out the light to most of his garden! As the conifers are bordering the south side of his plot :(

 

Just out of interest this is spanish gorse - don't know full botanical name. Picture taken of house accross the road which was semi wild as the lady was well into her 90's and just had to let it go.
May be of inteest to you.

 

Sorry ! I should have reduced size.

 

oooh lovely...
The Scottish version seems a lot spikier and more hardy by the look of it. Been to Irvine at the weekend (don't ask - actually we were on our way to Gourock to Scotland's nicest garden centre!) and there are loads and loads of gorse bushes all over the exit from the dual carriageway towards the town centre, and in full bloom they are simply stunning!
Reason may be that I am a "yellow" person - I like evrything that flowers in yellow - found some daffodils yesterday when planting the bluebells, the daffodil bulb had hidden behind the pampas grass and it seemed such a waste for me so I took all the flowers off the bush and brought them inside to now shine away atop the mantlepiece - anything yellow is just so cheerful!

 

lovely picture, Waco! I love stuff growing so naturally! If you want to, you can edit your post, delete the photo, and put in the reduced version! But such a nice picture looks good that big! :D