Rather nice looking Philadelphus.

Beautiful perfume too.

Much nicer than the hawthorn! I would sacrifice that and keep the Philadelphus.

I agree with Landgirl - ditch the hawthorn and keep the Phil.

Thank you all. Don't think hubby would stand for the Hawthorn going :-). It is a Paul's Scarlet and gets totally covered in blossom in the spring that he loves it and think he is fed up of me telling him I've got to chop yet another tree down due to previous owners lol. Taken 5 out already. I have opened up the other end of that borders, a 25ft border with nearly nothing In it now as that was mainly filled with blackthorns trees (they are not counted in the 5 other trees). I might try and move it to there. Thanks again Jen.

I wouldn't move it there until you've got rid of the blackthorn as much as you can though as this suckers dreadfully, sometimes yards away from the originals. (I seem to remember you found this out for yourself last year?) We've found suckers a fair way from the shrubs - even one in the lawn over 10 metres away.

But you could try cutting the Philadelphus well back after flowering and it should strike from lower down. They do get straggly if not kept pruned. They don 't mind being in a fair bit of shade and it wouldn't flower like that if it was miserable.. It could be very attractive under the tree and extend the season of interest.

(Did you know Philadelphus is Greek for brotherly love? A nice thing to have in the garden!)

Thanks Sue, no I didn't, you know me, not that knowledgeable about plants, but at least not quite as bad as was last year. I might then leave it where it is, heavy prune and give that other border a chance to see if did get all the blackthorn. I have at moment only got one left that is only a baby but growing up tight to my Norway maple so going to try weed killer on it as can't get to it. Quite appropriate meaning with all that is going on at moment in uk.

Lol - you've hit the nail on the head there!
I have a little book that tells you the meaning of lots of plant names - surprising how many are named after people! One that amused me was Rhododendron - it just means red tree!
Don't be so modest, you're doing brilliantly and have achieved a great deal in a short time.

You may have left it a bit late for a heavy prune so you might not get many flowers next year - time to prune Phildelphus is as soon as the flowers have finished because it flowers next year on the new shoots it grows this year. But you could try cutting several of the really old stems right down instead of cutting all of it a bit and that way you'll still get flowers, and some new growth low down as well. Then the following year take out another quarter of the oldest ones until after about four years you've renewed the whole shrub.
Cheers
S

Hi Sue, thank you for that. That book of yours sounds interesting. I like books like that, I have a few on history of words and sayings. I have not been on GOY for few days. Things with my neighbours have been not been good, now not only will they not cut the hedge but they have started drilling and hanging signs and lights into our garden wall their side without asking and they have started a war with the shop next door. Also over the height of hedge as it now is over 20ft behind shop and only 3ft from the shop building which is a victorian building. They have also started a war with the owner of the land the other side of them over rights of way ending with them putting up locked tall gates at the end of their drive and its all going to court. What with weather and the feeling that I now live in a battleground, I have not wanted to think about the garden for a little while. Any nice weather, they are out there with power tools going to about 10pm every night. The only good thing is I have found out that they now plan to put the house of the market so at least there will be an end. I realised I probably pruned it late so won't get any blooms next year but hopefully by the year after it will put on a good show. :-).