Plant Identification - First of many

Hello all,

I've been away a while from the forum, but glad to be back. I've recently moved house, which means new garden! About a sixth of an acre, so huge compared to what I'm used to ... My last garden I dug up everything & started from scratch, so I knew every plant & blade of grass. This garden is quite mature, so I'd like to work with some of what's there.

Anyway I've made a start on the front garden (as it's the one people often neglect) and out of everything that is there I'm keeping 3 of the plants ... As follows.

I think a Magnolia. I would presume that for specific type, a picture would've needed when in flower ...?



Next, my guess is a type of buddleja...? However the flowers don't have what I'd call the traditional cone shape. I have just dragged off loads of sticky bud weed and various other unsavoury weeds from this fella. Could do with knowing exactly what he for pruning reasons ...



Finally an Acer ... But am curious as to the type of Acer. By he way this is a great case of right plant in the right place! The shelter of the surrounding walls is perfect and it looks absolutely stunning! It will be the star of this border (already is)!!



Many thanks for any assistance and I hope you don't mind me purging this particular forum for info as this only the front garden!! The back has a lot more lovely looking specimens!!

Great to be back

Chris

 

Hi Chris,

Welcome back

No. 2 is a Hebe, sorry don't know the variety.

No 3 could be one of the A. Palmatum Dissectum group. There are literally hundreds of them out there.

Some nice plants you've inherited there. Can't wait to see what else you've got

 

Second one to me looks like Buddleja alternifolia.

 

1. Need flowers to be sure.
2. I would like a better pic.
Is it evergreen..might it be Hebe. One such as Hebe Midsummer Beauty.
Sorry Palustris ..definitely not Buddleja alternifolia...which has small balls of purple flowers. See link below.
Don't think compact growth habit fits Buddleja.

http://www.hayloft-plants.co.uk/imgs/RA10PBA02/480x480/np/18613.jpg



http://www.gapphotos.com/images/LargeWebPreview/0145/0145422.jpg

http://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/hebe-midsummer-beauty.html

3. Yes Acer palmatum dissectum purpureum....or named cultivar.
ie..... a Maple with purple, cut leaves.

 

Many thanks for the responses. Yes I think Hebe Midsummer Beauty looks likely ... A closer picture.



So Anthony although I won't be delving into the back garden any time soon, I have still identified some plants I'm keeping, especially the ones that look like they're happy, thriving & I like.

Here's the next one. Most flowers are now unfortunately gone, however loads of new green growth has started (it used to be a reasonably trimmed sphere!) so you can see how well the new growth has done ...

It looked stunning about a month back when it was in full bloom with little mini golf ball like purple blue flowers and it literally hummed all day like a motor due to all the bees!!

What is it ...



Here's one of the few flowers left.

Thanks again for everyone's help!!

Chris

 

It's a Ceonothus zappamusic.

 

Thank you so much Sheal. It amazes me how quickly responses come to these questions.

I've already had a little look on the RHS website about Ceonothus, and I think pruning depends on what type you have ... If mine stopped flowering approx 2-3 weeks ago, would you think it would fall into this category ... I.e. Should I give her a trim now? There's already a lot of new growth and I wonder if next years flowers will appear on this?

Ceonothus: Late-spring and early-summer flowering shrubs: Prune after flowering. Cut back long, flowered shoots by one-third to a half. If more bushy growth is desired, trim lightly again in late summer. (e.g. C. arboreus ‘Trewithen Blue’, C. dentatus, C. impressus, C. thyrsiflorus ‘Skylark’)

 

There's no reason why you can't trim it now. Although not long lived Ceonothus are pretty tough and they will produce flowers next year however much you prune, providing of course you're not too harsh with it.

 

Good evening.

Thank you for your work so-far! I've spent another night picking out weeds from the border of the front garden. However it's starting to look great so it's keeping me motivated.

I have another picture of another unknown plant. This is from the back garden and is growing near the pond (the pond is a long story in itself). I think it's growing in quite boggy conditions but is difficult to tell as I have managed to get near it ... I think it could be quite invasive ... This may also be responsible for giving me quite an itchy rash ...





Thanks everyone! Unfortunately I'm not a fan of this and I think it will be taken up. However I am curious as to what it is.

Chris

 

Hi Chris,

This ones a Lysimachia Punctata. Not a weed, a hardy garden perennial. It's one of my favourite plants, easy to keep in control.

 

Thanks Anthony.

I had tried to find out what this was through some internet research and came up with various possibilities (not including lysimachia punctata), however yep, you're right!

What a great forum this is! I think the RHS refer to it as a 'determined grower!' Lol. What a great description!

I'm really not keen but I think that's also because there's so much of it. Maybe a clump (like in picture 2) may stay, we'll see. Another point is from the brief info I've read it shouldn't or wouldn't have caused an itchy rash, so I'll be on the search for what did!

By the way, a pic of the challenge awaiting at the bottom of the back garden ... Half of the allotment type space. Loads of raised beds under that lot! Currently an overgrown mess but I'll get there!



Chris

 

Good luck with the new challenge Chris, it looks like you have bindweed there that will need dealing with.

 

Lysimachia is indeed a "good doer"/thug. I grow it as I have a huge garden but it is a bit annoying as falls over if windy/gets very wet while in flower and really needs staking.I'm getting rid of mine after it's finished flowering. Somebody has given me some Lysimachia Alexander which has variagted foliage. While not normally a great fan of variegation this Lysimachia is IMO an improvement on the ordinary as it has very attractive pink tinged foliage when 1st into growth and doesn't grow either as tall or as vigorously. Good advice from Sheal re your Ceanothus ( lovely shrub), in my experience they don't like being pruned hard but will take a hair cut, best done just after flowering.

 

H'mmmm yes that is bindweed! Oh boy am I in for some tough work!!

As we've just moved in to the house there's obviously a lot of decorating to do as well. The garden jobs at the moment are trying to maintain bits and clean up what I can in preparation for next year. That's why I've decided to focus on the front to start with as it's light relief at around 7.30pm when I finish decorating. We're also decorating with a 1 year old who at the moment is like a limpet!! Bless!! I promised my wife that she wouldn't lose me to the garden ...

However I think with the bindweed it needs urgent attention. Advance apologies to organic gardeners ... I'm looking to spray with something like gallup 360 a number of times over the next few months - I've read this is the best time to treat whilst it's flowering. Then once it's looking well and truly deaded, pull up and get as much root as possible, then cover with black tarp through until next year ... Any other suggestions or advice?

My thanks once again.

Chris

 

I've found with difficult plants like bindweed, killing it works faster when as much of the plant as possible is pushed into a drawstring bin bag, sprayed inside the bag then pull the drawstrings shut and tie them. This worked really well on some elder stems that were growing up inside a hedge. I would be inclined to dig out the roots rather than pull them as you may leave something behind that's still alive and ready to take over again.