On 20/07/2012 18:33, uklude wrote:
Thats a great point about midges I didn't think of that your right it
would be impossible to sit out and enjoy the summer evenings if we were
under constant attack by midges. Also the grass would be as much use as
it is now and tbh I wouldn't even dare walk on it at the moment.

If I dig out the bed that the Lavatera is in and turn in plenty of
rubble and sand about 30cm down would that be enough to solve it for now
or would the natural water table just fill it back up? I could put it in
a pot for now but would like to get it settled in a nice spot in the
garden as looking at pictures on the web they look fantastic when
established.

As for light when the extension is built we do risk loosing it all with
the hedges but its just a factor we will have to live with it would be
nice to have the sun but there has to be a comprimise. Finally in your
opinion will my laurels be at fence height in about 5 years?


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I think that because your soil is so waterlogged (I'm assuming it's the
same all over), even a drastic improvement to 30cm deep would not really
cure the problem. As you imply, it would probably just create a sump
which would refill with water.

I think your best immediate tactic would be to pot up the lavatera so
that it is no longer at risk.

Then have a chat with your neighbours and find out if all the gardens in
that build have saturated soil. If they have, find out what they have
done/are doing about it. What, if anything, they are able to grow. If
they don't have saturated soil, then you know it is just your garden.
That's not as bad as it sounds, because it means you can excavate and
put in drainage channels because there's somewhere for the water to go.
If the entire area is perennially soggy, then it's much harder to
drain the water off your site.

If you are able to drain your land, it will then become much easier to
add grit and compost to improve your soil. You will also need to feed
the soil as, by now, all the goodness will have leached out of the soil,
if it isn't actually anaerobic.

The other need your Lavatera has is *sunshine*. It is a sun-loving
plant. The sun is what ripens the wood and helps to promote flowering.
So, unless you can find a sunny, well-drained spot for it, you're in
trouble, unless you have a sunny open porch or similar. Yes, it's a
magnificently pretty shrub and deserves the best conditions.

As to your laurels, don't be in too much of a hurry to achieve height.
Density in a hedge is at least as important. Let it grow away this year
then, in the spring, give the tops a light trim. This will help to
thicken out the individual shrubs so that you start to get a more solid
hedge. Give a general feed and let them grow again. They may very well
attain fence height in five years. If that is your desired ultimate
height, make a point of cutting them back by about 20-30 cm in the
season prior to that expected height. This will ease subsequent
hedge-trimmings because you'll be cutting back into semi-hardwood
instead of fully hardwood.

It is also worth mentioning that laurels are usually clipped manually
with shears because powered hedge-trimmers tear and scar those large
leaves, leaving the hedge looking tatty. If you decide to ignore this
(some people just *love* power tools), be very careful that the
by-now-disquised fence doesn't kick the trimmer blades back at you! For
this reason, you may wish to grow the laurels a little higher than the
fence.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay