Sambus Black Lace

Would this look good next to a Rhoderdendrum.?Does it have to be full sun?Do you prune it hard now? Jean

 

It goes nicely with lime green
This isn't Black Lace but similar

 

I have a number of sambucas including Black Lace, I usually let them get going first of all then prune hard any time between late autumn and now. It seems drastic but they really will love you for it.

 

We prune ours hard to shape in March when we do the buddlieas and roses and it thrives on it producing deep black, shiny leaves. Don't be afraid to take the loppers to it.

 

Many thanks. I loved the geen plant what is it? I tried it next to a choisa sundance but the leaf texture didnt look right. What is this one?

 

The tree on the left is an Hinoki Cypress (Chaemacyparis Obtusa)
The name of the other eludes me
They will both grow fairly big, particularly the pine
This pic shows them better

 

The pine is Picea orientalis 'Aurea'. It is one of a very few conifers that I really like. While it remains fairly small, it is a wonderfully colourful surprise in spring and early summer. Later in the year the shoots deepen to a dark green, setting the plant up to provide its own contrasting background for the following year. Eventually it grows too large for smaller gardens, but it is much slower growing than the ordinary species and will give many years of pleasure before it has to be replaced.

Very, very nice Sambucus - it's a cracking shrub for providing contrast and when covered in flower it looks magnificent. That cultivar is 'Black Beauty', which may be just a tad more vigorous than the filigree-leaved 'Black Lace'. Either are darned good and because of their ease of growth and tolerance, they are superb for all but the smallest of gardens. If they get too big and unruly, chop them back in spring and away they go again

 

Thanks for the info Dave
The pine is, as you say, a 'cracker'
I fell in love with it when I saw a mature specimin at my local Garden Centre
It can grow as large as it likes where it is with me
The Sambucus is indeed quite vigorous, having taken only a few years to reach its present size from a small shrub only about a foot high. Again it can grow as large as it likes
I agree with you that it is stunning when in flower, and the black foliage is indeed black and contrasty

 

Many thanks. Where do you go to get info on plants. ie a description and how to plant etc. I go on the in ternet but many a time cant find what I want. What site do you use.

 

Jean, I find Google very useful for finding info on plants - though occasionally you come up with a blank.

I just put the full latin name in the search field, and check the UK radio button (only if that fails would I search the world) then GO. It will bring up pages, much of which are useless, but you will find a few names that are good and keep cropping up. BBC gardening, Crocus - I can't remember the others. I always open about 10 or 20 pages, read what they have to say - then mentally take an averge, because they will not all say the same thing. If you click WEB above the search fiels, you will get text, if you click IMAGES you will get photos, and if you click GROUPS you will get quotes from newsgroups and forums such as this.

One site I like is http://www.cgf.net/plants.php it is pretty comprehensive. And Bob Brown, who is a Chelsea gold medal winner, ranks things on a scale of 1 to 10.

I haven't found one site that gives all the information for all plants so it is a bit of an inefficient system. Try also the seed sites such as Thompson & Morgan etc. They often give growing instructions.