Hello all, I have been tasked to infill this area with the more of the existing planting but dont know what it is could anyone help? many thanks Daniel High
The stuff on the right is perhaps a Skimmia of some sort. Enlargements do not get close enough to tell. It does not have good leaf color. In addition, whatever caused it to die out and leave a bare bit in front will have to be taken out of the equation for the same fate to not befall replacement plants. From the look of it the plants were trampled out. However, the Brachyglottis on the left comes to the curb.
Thanks for the help Ron, i did think it was a skimmia but didnt think you could get one that colour or is it colouration due to bad condition? i ll take some more photos at weekend. Thanks again Daniel
From the curb location, bordered by a fence and pavement, I'm sure Ron is right that the plants on the right were stepped on or run over by shopping carts, perhaps even chained bicycles. See the sapling there, and the damage to its bark? Anything you plant here will be similarly abused. If you really intend to add the same species to the trampled areas, you'll have to clean up the soil surface, break it up some so it's not so compacted, add good topsoil or compost to amend it, and maybe a mulch that will improve the appearance while new shrubs take hold. I'm not familiar with either Skimmia or Brachyglottis, but the greener Skimmia does not look well nourished, and the leaves strike me as attenuated from insufficient water. If at all possible, install some challenging border just within the curb. Small iron border fence, large rock border, angled brick, or perhaps sawn logs. This will discourage people from stepping up into the bed, or pushing shopping carts up in there. Good luck.
Thanks for the help, think im going to breakup the soil, enrich with topsoil and plant two 2/3 litre Skimmia × confusa 'Kew Green' (after your help that what i think it is, lightest green skimmia) and bark mulch the area, i cant do anything with the edges but thanks for the advice may come in hand in future tasks. I also need to repair gaps in hedges not shown in the picture its a Cherry Laurel hedge(Prunus laurocerasu Rotundifolia) do you have any pointers ? do i need to cut back the hedge so the new infill gets lights? thanks again
Dwarf Chinese Holly, Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda' is really the way to go in this location. The only real maintenance necessary is to send someone around occasionally to pick up the corpses of anyone trying to trample it! :-) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/62906/ "Rotunda' Chinese holly is one of the most satisfactory shrubs available. This variety is quite different from other Chinese hollies in that it has a dwarf habit of growth and a rounded shape. An important advantage is that little or no pruning is required to produce a compact plant. 'Rotunda' will tolerate hot, dry locations that would injure other shrubs. It is viciously thorny and sterile (no berries). "<--will set fruit if pollinated by another Chinese Holly. "Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda' dwarf, a heavily spined plant, is among the shorter Chinese hollies. It's sometimes used to block foot traffic or animals because of its sharp spines. This holly is so tough it's almost bombproof."
