"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "JennyC" contains these words:


"Dave Poole" wrote in message
...
Janet Baraclough wrote:

I don't think they do "bushy". They're "architectural"

The terms aren't mutually exclusive :-) Well established fatsia
can
certainly be both bushy and architectural.

Quite right - it is the nature of Fatsia japonica to develop into a
large, well branched shrub. Without having a jab at Steve in any
shape or form, I doubt if anyone told the plant that it was supposed
to be 'architectural.' at the expense of appearing 'natural'. It does
not appreciate harsh, freezing winds for long periods and can look a
terrible mess at the end of a cold spell. However, they can recover
extremely well once poor weather has passed and by early summer most
if not all damage is usually remedied. Not so the variegated form,
which seems to be quite pernickety even down here on the south coast.
Either that or I grew it in very poor soil and failed to give it
enough water!
Dave Poole

Hi Dave,
My variegated one died last year and it looks as if the green one will be
following it shortly..........all the leaves are drooping down and it
looks a
sorry sight :~(

The leaves of healthy fatsias do hang down when they're feeling very
cold..as do some rhododendrons. When the weather warms up they spring up
again.

I've killed the variegated one too. TBH, I was relieved..it never
looked right during its brief spell in the garden, too much like an
escaped houseplant.

Janet


Though this is not dead, albeit very scruffy, it is a sorry state all
the new growth that started at the top of the stem just turned black and
died off early autumn. Over the winter 5 - 6 of its branches (or side shoots
to cover the picky) snapped off in the winter. The leaves that are left are
holed and brown at the edges and very droopy.

The weather is about 10 to 15 degrees at the moment but will drop down
to 3 in the night so the droop is evidently due to the climate . Do they
have a tendency to grow new shoots from the base or will or the growth come
from just the central stem ? Just wondering if it is worth infilling with
another?

Sorry to hear about the variegated..........

Jason