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Cheshire, United Kingdom

I have a small island (6ftx4ft) bed in my front garden. currently very ugly with pines weeds and half dead old bulbs. I intend to dig it out and replenish the soil. Then I am considering planting an amelanchier, a choisya and a magnolia with fresh bulb. we garden on a clay base the bed will have both sun and shade. Advice, coments and suggestions appriciated. It looks and sounds good in my head but I am no expert. Should it be OK?




Answers

 

My first thought is that all three can get quite big and 6x4 isnt big enough for all of them. I think I would choose only one of them and surround it with smaller plants , bulbs, lower growing shrubs, etc.

12 Apr, 2011

 

Agree with Inverglen - at that size, an Amelanchier should be put smack in the middle, and only surrounded by much smaller shrubs/plants than Choisya, which gets 5 x 5 feet high and wide.

12 Apr, 2011

 

And it depends how far the bed is from the house too. The amelanchier will get quite tall, 3 - 10 metres depending on species and how long you give it to grow.

12 Apr, 2011

 

My Choisya did not do well in the heavy clay in my garden - they do not like to have wet roots when it is wet and cold in the winter (I had sanded and prepared the planting area and bark mulched to no avail)

To echo the others, if you like Magnolia (there is much to like) it will get big. If you can get a large pot to bury the magnolia in that will prevent it getting too big.

12 Apr, 2011

 

thank you all for the thoughts

12 Apr, 2011

 

why not have a water feacture instead . just a thaught .

12 Apr, 2011

 

If you really want a magnolia what about magnolia stellata - that doesn't get big. But I agree with the others, you only have room for one of the shrubs in a bed that size.

12 Apr, 2011

How do I say thanks?

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