Ask Gerry
Trees and Shrubs : Choosing trees and shrubs
1 - 6 of 314 answer(s)
Fast growing deciduous trees
I want to plant fast growing deciduous trees to act as screen and wind break but dont want roots to damage old barn that is 5.0 metres away. Can you recommend suitable trees?
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Culloville, Skerries, Co Dublin Posted: 06/11/2012
At five metres, there is no danger from the general run of smallish garden trees, such as birch and hornbeam, hawthorn, hazel and grey willow, but not the big forest rees such as beech, ash, oak or lime.
Willow if the ground is wet, hornbeam if it is heavy and the others if well-drained.
Cornus size?
I would love to get a Cornus kousa "Satomi". Do you know who supplies them? ( I have enquired locally without success)
Also, how far from a wall should it be planted, and how high is it likely to grow?
mulcahy, Cork, Co Cork Posted: 04/04/2012
Cornus 'Satomi' grows to about five metres in time and can be planted within three metres of a wall.
Johnstown Garden Centre in Naas might have it or be able to get it.
Hedging
I would like advice as to some of the most suitable shrubs to use to give me an evergreen hedge that could be maintained at about 60cm x 150 cm.I am replacing existing Thuja hedge as it is impossible to keep it at a reasonable size.
buzzard, tullow, Co Carlow Posted: 17/02/2012
Holly, yew or Portugese laurel would be good choices, and they can be cut back hard if they get too big eventually.
Hardy shrubs for patio?
I am planning to replant my patio beds in the coming weeks - do you have any suggestions for fairly hardy and relatively small shrubs (up to 2 ft)?
SnowPatrol, Galway, Co Galway Posted: 02/02/2012
There are very few shrubs that small, sucha as hebe, erica, calluna, santolina and helianthemum, and if you have little space you might be better with non-woody plants that stay smaller, such as bergenia, lambsear, cheiranthus, geranium, dianthus and osteospermum.
dogwoods
I have been advised by a local nursery to plant dogwoods instead of alder for a wet part of my garden. I want to form a hedge /screen . What in you opinion is the best and which would look the best?
help, abbeyfeale, Co Limerick Posted: 31/01/2012
Much depends on the size of the area. If it is good sized area then plant alder to fill it, or dogwood for a smaller area. The dogwood to plant is Cornus stolonifera. which is best in wet ground.
Or plant both, some taller alder at the back and a scatter of red-twigged dogwood in front.
pink flowered shrub
looking for a shrub that has small pink flowers that appear before the leaves
patch, Woodford, Co Galway Posted: 30/01/2012
Viburnum farreri, or fragrans, flowers pink, scented in autumn to spring.