On 2014-02-11 12:58:33 +0000, Spider said:

On 10/02/2014 23:04, Sacha wrote:
On 2014-02-10 18:56:15 +0000, Spider said:

On 10/02/2014 17:18, David Hill wrote:
On 10/02/2014 16:59, Spider wrote:
On 08/02/2014 17:33, lol wrote:
OK its a little conifer in a front garden
ftp://www.ldwilmer.pwp.blueyonder.co...dments/fir.jpg
Question is how do we go about identifying it?
These things all look the same to me, want to know how big its going
to grow
and if we can safely leave it

Many thanks,
Lol




I can't name it off the top of my head, but my immediate neighbour had
one exactly like that. It eventually grew until it was interfering
with
the telephone cables. It had to be removed.

If you decide to get rid of yours, make sure there isn't a TPO (Tree
Preservation Order) on it, or you could be fined for chopping it down
without permission.


It annoys me when you see packs of 6 "Miniature" conifers all about 8 to
9 inches tall, but all of which will grow to 10 to 20 ft in the next 10
years.



I know exactly what you mean, David, it drives me mad, too.
Of course, they're meant to be used for 'bedding statement' planting,
but when they grow past that usage, gardeners put them in their
borders without appreciating the consequences. These mini conifers
should at least be labeled so gardeners can research the ultimate
height before choosing to plant.

I thought they'd gone out of fashion back in the 70s when those and
heather beds were all the thing. I hated both!



Quite so. I didn't hate it exactly, but there were many poor examples
of that kind of planting which, I'm sure put a lot of people off. I've
seen it done well and it can be quite attractive, but I wouldn't want
an entire garden of conifers and heathers.

We're having three Lawson's Cypress lopped very soon. I've held on to
them for a long time because they offer good shelter to very small
birds. However, They are now casting so much shade that a couple of
paths have thick moss on them all year round. Both paths have an
incline, so they've become very dangerous. They will be lopped at
roughly 6-8ft (I've given the tree surgeon aesthetic licence) so that
their trunks remain as part of a mixed hedge.

I'm not a great conifer fan, though there are a few I like very much,
Pinus patula being one of them and cedars. What I particularly disliked
back in the day, was the fashion for stubby little conifers, often in a
vile (to me) golden colour, dotted around among tracts of heather in
lots of different colours. It just goes to show that is 'fashion' in
garden terms. I know of few people who would plant up a garden in that
way now unless they're particularly fond of heathers, of course!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon