Mer's Profile

I live in West Cork in SOUTHERN IRELAND. A really fab. part of the world - I feel v. privaledged to have a bungalow on a sea road, which is set to mainly grass, at present - about 1 acre. I mow the grass myself but have a gardener to help with the heavier work.

Escallonia is supposed to be the hedging of choice in these parts, because it is sea resistant. Now it seems to have been hit by this ?? fungal blight??. My gardener tells me that all the other gardens in which he works are suffering in the same way. All the escallonias have black spots on the slightly older leaves and are balding badly from the bottom up. It seems to be more virulant in the "golden brian" variety, rather than the common green. My gardener has been advised to tear out these hedges. Does anyone have any definitive advise and or alternative suggestions, please?

The property has been here since late 1960s, when presumably the hedges were first planted. Funnily enough we did take out one of old escallonia heges in the early part of this year and have planted new shrubs for a "mixed hedge", but I have a long escallonia hedge across the front of the property, bordering the sea road, which is very old.

The House is actually called "Fuchsias" - so maybe I will have replant the hedges with mainly fuchsias which of course are prolific in this part of the world.