Photinia Red Robin

Photinia - christmas berry, red robin - make a lovely shrub or hedge. They have evergreen foliage which is a simple glossy dark green and new growth is often a stunning red that lasts through the year. Bears clusters of small white flowers usually followed by red berries. Trim with secateurs to encourage bushy new growth. Suitable for hedging, topiary or a stand alone shrub.

How do I prune my Photinia?

Photinia are a relatively quick growing plant and can grow up to a foot a year. It is best to trim them during the Spring/Summer to keep them neat and under control. If you want to grow your Photinia into a hedge, trim off new shoots (this can be done up to three times a year). This will encourage the bright red regrowth which is a prominent feature of the Red Robin. To trim, remove any dead or dying branches by cutting them all the way back to the stem. Then shape the Photinia by clipping off any protruding growth.

Full Standard Photinia

How do I plant a Photinia?

Firstly you need to decide where to plant your Photinia. They like to be planted in well drained soil and in full sunlight.

Dig a hole which is twice as wide as the rootball and the same depth. Mix a bit of organic compost with the soil, place the plant into the hole and then fill in the hole with your soil mixture. Pack down the soil around the plant to support it.
Give the Photinia a generous drink of water and continue watering throughout the growing season if the soil becomes dry.

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Prunus Lusitanica

Prunus Lusitanica, or Portuguese laurel are dense evergreen shrubs with elliptic glossy foliage. The leaves are reddish in younger plants with red stalks and turn a dark green when mature.The Prunus bears fragrant white flowers in early summer which smell of hawthorn. They are very easy to grow and maintain.

How do I plant a Prunus?

1. Dig a hole which is the height and twice the width of the rootball and break up the compacted soil at the bottom of the hole.
2. Place the rootball of the laurel into the hole making sure the top of the root ball is in line with the top of the hole. Fill in the hole, firming it down as you go to remove air pockets.
3. Water the plants in well and keep them well watered for two years.

How do I trim my Prunus?

Once the Portuguese Laurels are established, you will be able to start trimming them

• If you want the new growth in a certain place, simply cut back the branch so only a couple of leaves remain. A new shoot will appear within a few weeks. Keep doing this until you have created a good canopy.
• Once you have formed your perfect hedge shape all you need to do is keep it neat and tidy by trimming back individual branches as and when with a pair of secateurs.

Tip: Try to prune your hedge into an "A" shape - wider at the bottom and thinner at the top. This will make sure the bottom branches get plenty of light and air.

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Pyracantha

Pyracantha, or firethorn is a semi evergreen shrub with spiny branches that bare simple green leaves and corymbs of small white flowers in May and June. They make a beautiful and impenetrable hedge, especially when the bright berries appear in winter.

How do I plant my Pyracantha?

When planting a hedge, you generally want to place the plants close enough so that they almost touch.

• When digging the holes you need to make sure they are about as deep as the container the Pyrocantha arrived in and roughly twice as wide. 
• Using a fork, brake up the soil at the bottom of the hole and along the walls. Add a generous amount of compost to the bottom of the hole and sit your plant on top of it.
• Now you can begin to fill in the hole. Pack the soil around the roots and compact with your feet. This will hold your plants firmly in place.
• Give the Pyracantha a thorough watering. Make sure you keep watering the plant until it has settled in and is well established.

How do I prune my Pyracantha?

It is best to prune your Pyracantha hedge during the Spring and then twice during the rest of the year. (Make sure you wear gloves though to avoid those little thorns.) This will keep the hedge nicely shaped like the picture above. One point to remember is that the flowers are produced from the previous years growth so you want to leave as much of last years growth as possible when pruning to maintain the show of berries during winter.

If your Pyracantha has become exceptionally wild and overgrown, don't worry. They respond well to being cut back hard so you won't damage the plant by giving it a good cut back. If anything, this will only cause the Pyracantha to bush out more and give you a denser, thicker hedge - great for keeping out those nosey neighbors!

Will my Pyracantha attract wildlife?

Yes, many garden birds love to eat Pyracantha berries. The dense structure of the shrub also provides a great place for birds to nest.

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Taxus Baccata Hedging

Taxus, or yew are a classic English evergreen hedging plant. They form a very dense hedge with leathery dark green leaves arranged in two rows. In the Autumn, female plants bear juicy red berries.

How do I plant my Taxus Baccata?

• Dig a hole to about the height of the container the Taxus arrived in and roughly twice as wide.
• Place the roots of the plant into the hole, make sure that the top of the roots are level with the flat ground around the hole. (Taxus like to have their roots fairly close to the top of the soil.)
• Pack the soil back into the hole to support the plant and firm up using your hands.
• Give your Taxus a good watering until the small pools of water begin to form on top of the soil. Do this roughly every ten days for the first month after planting.
• Cover the ground surrounding the truck and stretching out to the furthest branch with a good mulch, such as bark mulch. This will break down and provide the Taxus with the nutrients it needs to flourish. Add more mulch every six months or so.

How do I prune my Taxus Baccata?

Taxus are fairly easy to look after as they do not require regular pruning. They can however be trimmed into a formal hedge or shape where required. It is best to prune the Taxus in early Spring before the new growth begins.

Taxus Baccata 80-100 cm

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Thuja Plicata Atrovirens

Thuja, or western red cedar are a quick growing, evergreen conifer which form an elegant conical shape. They have flat sprays of aromatic scale like foliage and often produce knobbly cones. They respond well to being trimmed and make a lovely hedge - perfect   for blocking out those nosey neighbors.

How do I plant a Thuja Plicata?

• Dig the holes slightly deeper and wider than the container that your thuja arrived in. (Quick tip: If you want to use your thuja for a screen or hedge, use a taut string to provide a guideline for your holes. This will make sure you get a perfectly straight hedging line.)
• Add some multi-purpose compost to the soil (around 50/50)  you have just removed from the ground and line each hole. 
• Place your conifer into the hole ensuring the top of the soil is level with the flat ground. Fill in the hole with your soil/compost mixture and press down until firm. (Ensuring the soil is packed in tightly will support the plant in high winds.)
• Once planted, welcome your thuja into it's new home by giving it a good drink of water.

Aftercare: Thuja are realatively tough plants and will pretty much look after themselves. They do require a little bit of nurture in their early years however. Regular watering during dry or windy periods should keep them in tip top condition. 

Once your thuja are at the desired height, you can start trimming them. This will cause them to bush out and form a dense hedge.

How do I trim my Thuja Plicata?

Thuja's are very easy to keep under control and all you'll need is a good pair of hand shears or an electrical hedge trimmer.
It is best to give you Thuja a light trim in Spring and then again in early Autumn. Simply cut back any protruding branches and remove any that are broken or dying.

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Would you like to purchase high quality, reasonably priced Leylandii?Would you like to purchase high quality, reasonably priced Leylandii?Would you like to purchase high quality, reasonably priced Leylandii?

Phyllostachys Aurea

Golden bamboo are great for blocking out nosey neighbours or eyesores. They are very easy to grow even in wet soil. We have a great range of bamboo for sale and they are very reasonable to aquire.

What can I use my bamboo for?

Screening or Hedging: Modern gardens are full of unsightly features such as garden bins or sheds. Why not hide all of these away with a lovely bamboo hedge. For this you need a fast growing, clumping bamboo, Fargesia is ideal for this.

Pot Grown: The majority of bamboos will happily spend their life in a pot or container and add an oriental feel to any patio. In order to keep your bamboo potted bamboo healthy; regular watering will be needed and make sure you repot the plant once it outgrows it's original home.
It is true that potted bamboos do have a tougher time in the winter months than those planted in the garden but this is easily rectified by wrapping a fleece around the pot to protect from frost or by moving the bamboo to a more sheltered location.

How do I plant my bamboo?

Bamboos are happiest in loamy soil, but if your soil is very heavy all you need to do is give your soil a good mulch and leave the worms to do the rest. Pack a little more mulch around the bamboo's roots when planting and try not to sweep away any fallen leaves ( these decompose and provide to natural chemicals that your bamboo loves.)

• Dig a hole which is of the same height as the bamboo's container and roughly twice it's width. This will allow the rhizomes to access adequate oxygen and nutrients and make it easier to lift your bamboo in.
• To fill the hole; make a mixture of soil and organic compost and fill out the walls and bottom of the hole. Pack your bamboo into the hole using the same mixture. Make sure you take extra care around the roots, which are rather delicate
• To welcome your bamboo into it's new home, you need to give it a good watering. (quick tip: give the bamboo 1L of water for every 4.5L of the original container.) After this water the bamboo a couple of times a week.

Help! My bamboo is going yellow.

Don't worry, this is completely normal. Bamboos are evergreen and will naturally drop some of their leaves in Spring. They will lose the old leaves gradually so you will still have a great screening and fresh new leaves will appear before you know it.

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