GDNG - clematis, cerinthe major, rabbits,

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Current News : One Thread

ET

2136 Saturday 31 March 2001 Thorny problems Gardener and lecturer Helen Yemm answers your questions

Climbing disaster

I have an elderly, early flowering clematis that dominates the view from my kitchen window. Nine months of the year it makes an untidy, sprawling bird's nest of bare branches on a crumbly wall. Can I cut it right down? Or should I get rid of it? Rhona Clark, Torquay

THIS sounds to me like the classic Clematis montana problem. This huge clematis, which has lovely white or pink, four-petalled flowers in May, really does need 30ft of space - the books are not joking. In a small garden and at close quarters, it is hard to tolerate when not in flower, since the bottom few feet of the plant rapidly become naked and woody.

I suggest you cut it right down immediately after it has flowered, and clear away all the old, dead growth.

The clematis will do one of two things: it may die of shock; or, more likely, it will start to shoot again from its vast roots and cover your crumbly wall by the end of the year. This new growth will produce some flowers the following year if you let it.

If this treatment works for you, you could then take the decision to repeat the procedure every third or fourth year, thereby letting the clematis gain a little maturity between blitzes. In the in-between years, you could prune some of the old flower shoots out of it each June, to maintain a measure of control.

Of course, you can take the whole thing out. But then you have to find an easier replacement - and don't even think of "evergreen" honeysuckle, or that other nightmare, Russian Vine.

Major attraction

This winter we have lost our lovely plant, Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'. Most gardening books do not seem to list it, and we are having trouble finding a replacement. Do you know where I might find one? Sonia Copeland

Cerinthe major burst upon the scene in the late 1990s, pandering perfectly to our obsession for all things blue, plum and purple in the border.

It is certainly one of the most eye-catching of plants, combining a dusky eucalyptus-grey leaf with shades of ink-blue and mauve in its flowers.

It is also a non-stop performer, its prolific seeds germinate straight away to produce new generations of young plants that come through mild British winters untroubled, in defiance of its "hardy annual" status. But this horrid winter has had a devastating effect, and many of us are wondering how this spring will look without it.

I expect you will find that your plant left plenty of seed around that will germinate later in the spring. As a precaution, I would always keep some seed in an envelope somewhere safe, so that you can germinate a few plants indoors in late spring. The black, bead-like seeds are big and easy to handle - even for windowsill gardeners.

Meanwhile, the seedsmen and the garden centres have cottoned on. Both Thompson & Morgan and Suttons now have cerinthe in their lists, and here in Kent and Sussex, Notcutts and my local nursery Merriments could barely raise enough small (very expensive) plants to satisfy demand last year. So take heart. I am sure that cerinthe will be all over us like a rash by mid-summer.

Hopping mad

Last year rabbits ate almost everything in our new, rather exposed garden. Short of putting wire netting around each shrub, which looks awful, what can we do? Are there any plants that rabbits really won't eat? Mr and Mrs Marsh, Penrith, Cumbria

We have this problem in Sussex, too. Our solution was to put a gated chicken-wire fence around the area we care about, burying the wire horizontally under the turf on the rabbity side. We are now growing a hedge of interesting evergreens on our side, which will eventually hide the chicken wire.

In early spring, rabbits will have a go at almost anything, but ours avoid anything in the primula family, bluebells, irises, lupins and comfrey of various kinds. As far as shrubs are concerned, they don't like our azaleas and rhododendrons, buddleja, lavatera, cornus, broom, mahonia, some viburnums and rosemary. The Royal Horticultural Society (01483 224234) provides a useful fact sheet which lists plants most likely to survive.

Gardeners will try anything, too. I find that a cylinder of chicken wire placed around vulnerable shrubs for a year or two, while they develop thick woody stems, seems to be sufficient. Little domes of chicken wire will protect emerging, soft-stemmed plants for these critical weeks - by early summer, the rabbits have other food and seem less interested.

Write to Thorny Problems, Helenyemm1@aol.com or The Daily Telegraph Gardening, 1 Canada Square, London E14 5DT

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2001


Moderation questions? read the FAQ