hibiscus

A friend of mine is thinking about planting a hibiscus hedge at the front of her house so she can have a girly cottagey flowering hedge of all colours!!
Is there any reason why that wouldnt work?
It is a not very sheltered spot in full sun.
Any opinion appreciated!
Thank You!!!!
xxxxxx

 

I inherited two hibiscus shrubs with my garden, and have planted an adopted other! I LOVE them - I have one deep single pink, a double lilac, and a beautiful cream and maroon (for want of better descriptions!). The pink one is now a good 7 - 8 ft tall. How big is your friend hoping for in terms of her hedge?

Another thing to consider is that they are late into leaf, have a pretty short flowering spell, before dropping their leaves as fast as they came, so you are left with pretty indescript bare branches for a fair bit of the year. Maybe growing climbers - clematis/honeysuckle the=rough them would help to prolong their season ?

 

As a hedge for the reasons above it will be poor ie very late into leaf, slow growing etc.

Why not think about Rosa rugosa or similar, atleast it will have year around intrest and will mesh together.

 

I have to say that I recently dug up a very disappointing Hibiscus that I had in my garden. It was VERY deciduous. Last to come into leaf, first to drop them and flowered for a very short period of time. It spent most of its time looking like a bunch of twigs.

How about a Camellia hedge? Lovely glossy evergreen leaves and flowers and some are quite hardy. They do need acid soil though.

[ 12. December 2007, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: NurseWhen ]

 

Just come back from Gran Canaria and many of the apartment blocks have hedges around there perimeters of Hibiscus beautiful flower but short lived and the branches look a bit open why not try an evergreen type of hedge and put some clematis through it good luck

 

Good evening, all.

Just to clarify the "two" Hibiscus that are predominantly grown in the UK.

The first is the H Syriacus, commonly known as the Rose of Sharon. This is the deciduous, twiggy, matt-leafed shrub which gets its leaves late, flowers even later and then gives us the ghost as quickly as it arrived. The two most commonly seen are the pink Woodbridge and the blue Blue Bird. This shrub is hardy.

The second is the H rosa-sinensis, commonly known as the Chinese Hibiscus. This is the evergreen with glossy leaves and such an array of colours and shapes of flowers, there are sites just for them alone. This shrub is not hardy and is usually grown in the UK as a conservatory/house plant and put outside for the warm summer months ... should there be any. :rolleyes:

The ones grown outside of the UK are the latter where frost is minimal and sunshine and warmth maximum.

The former are grown here also but are as enticing a they are (not) in the UK ... near our Lidl here there is a hedge of double pinks for several hundred metres if not more and they are the worst things that could have been planted, in my opinion, when we have the options we do available here. I had one double pink for one season and gave it to my friend with lots of land where it could "disappear".

Something new for me NurseWhen ... I didn't know Camellia could be hardy in the UK and I lived in Bucks and the IoW where they may have survived.

I think Pro Gard's idea of Rosa rugosa is an excellent idea ... I had that in my first house in Bucks and it is as he says "has all year round interest and will mesh together" ... it was one of the best hedges I ever had.

 

Evening, Marley, I just pipped you posting ... but we're probably saying the same things as we are both Hibiscus gals.

Mine are still budding and flowering, so can't do any cuttings for you yet ... and the new "sleeping Hibiscus" Turk's Cap is in full bloom ... so I'll put your name on that as well.

 

You are always in my thoughts for Hibiscus, Marley ... whether you ... or I ... can keep them alive.

 

Actually LoL, there are a few full hardy Camellias and they are all very lovely.

http://www.hardyshrubs.co.uk/11.html

Another lovely, hardy, evergreen, flowering shrub for hedges is Viburnum

 

Thanks for that site, NurseWhen ... I have favourited it. I obviously don't have a problem with them here ... well, actually, it can be too hot and dry! :rolleyes:

Now when I think of it, I lived in Alabama for 14 years and Camellias grew there and we had dreadfully cold winters.

I agree with the Viburnum.