On 14/12/2012 22:42, Sacha wrote:
On 2012-12-13 22:43:41 +0000, Spider said:

On 13/12/2012 21:13, Sacha wrote:
On 2012-12-13 19:29:05 +0000, Spider said:

On 13/12/2012 18:16, Sacha wrote:
On 2012-12-13 12:24:07 +0000, "Pete"
said:



"Sacha" wrote in message ...


I think there might be some confusion here. I didn't recommend
Amelanchier but people who are happy with it did and I made the
"Sounds good" remark. I don't know if will suit the OP's needs. One
other thought occurs to me and that is a Wisteria, grown as a
standard. We have 3 on a lawn here and the 2 best flowerers look
superb. The oldest is no more than 5' tall after about 5 years
and of
course, is on a 'trunk' with the branches weeping towards the
ground.

Pete's reply is 'greyed out' so I reproduce the whole thing he


"Sacha" wrote in message ...


I think there might be some confusion here. I didn't recommend
Amelanchier but people who are happy with it did and I made the
"Sounds good" remark. I don't know if will suit the OP's needs. One
other thought occurs to me and that is a Wisteria, grown as a
standard. We have 3 on a lawn here and the 2 best flowerers look
superb. The oldest is no more than 5' tall after about 5 years and of
course, is on a 'trunk' with the branches weeping towards the ground.
--
Sacha

Well -- I would not call standard wisterias naturally tall and thin,
although
some pruning could assist. (see one of my 20 yr olds ).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8130344...in/photostream



Very beautiful, but in need of Very strong support. I have had to
resort
to guy ropes
a la tent style !

Pete

Your Wisteria is simply beautiful. We're letting ours do something
rather different and allowing the branches to arch over towards the
ground. I saw this first at a friend's house in Jersey, about 25 years
ago. Their Wisterias had been in for a very long time and looked like
ball gowns, sweeping the grass with their blossom.

I wonder if Myrtus communis, would answer the OP's requirements. While
they seed, it's not so badly as to be uncontrollable or a nuisance,
imo.




But would it be hardy enough? I thought they were borderline hardy and
the OP is in the Midlands.

It depends very much on her particular area. We've had some lasting cold
snaps here that they've sailed through. But we're not talking months.
Greece, where they grow most beautifully, can be very cold but it's very
well drained. Personally, I'd be tempted to try it, if it's the right
tree for the setting in terms of shape etc. But I wouldn't be prepared
to risk a lot of money on it if the ground is soggy and holds winter
wet.



The OP is on slightly acid clay, so I'd be a bit worried about
drainage. All the same, if drainage were improved, it could work. It's
a lovely shrub and can be clipped to keep it within bounds, so it may
work.

Well, we're a mix of loam over clay over shillet and a garden where you
can't walk on the big lawn in winter but where, in summer, it has
fissures a man could put his whole arm into! We grow Rhodos and
Camellias but Hyams was told by Kew that they'd never 'do' here. So.......!



Yup .. anything goes! Plants don't read gardening books, and there's
the proof if we needed it. I think the OP could be fairly relaxed.
She's been given a reasonable list of plants. All she's got to do now
is say "if, skip, sky blue .." and if the sky is ever blue long enough,
she'll probably get away with it;~).

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