I bought a Ceanothus a couple of years ago. The problem is that on
most of the branches there are no leaves on the inner half. It has
always been like this and looks very straggly. It has been a couple of
years now and it seems to be struggling. Does any one know if this is
normal or if not if there is anything I can do to get it looking more
healthy.
TIA
Steve

On 10 Apr 2003 13:43:46 -0700, (SteveC)
wrote:

I bought a Ceanothus a couple of years ago. The problem is that on
most of the branches there are no leaves on the inner half. It has
always been like this and looks very straggly. It has been a couple of
years now and it seems to be struggling. Does any one know if this is
normal or if not if there is anything I can do to get it looking more
healthy.

Is it against a wall or standing free? I expect you have the common
or garden centre variety - maybe it's the C. impressus.

I have one of those against a SW wall and consider it to have an
untidy habit. You didn't mention whether you think its blooms have the
possibility of compensating for its habit. They don't for me.

After the spring bulbs (grape hyacinths folks?), I'm a little fed up
with the shade of blue possessed by mine (other species may have
different hues).

Sorry Ceanothus, it seems to me you try to be garish but somehow end
up insipid.There are many species in your genus and I note that most
(perhaps all?) come from California. Hmmm. In the Chaparral and a
light different from our own, you might have some charm but with the
Aconitum carmichaelii just planted close by, you have a dangerous (in
more ways than one) rival this year singing the summer blues in an
English garden.

Hussein
Grow a little garden

spam block - for real addy, reverse letters of second level domain.

"Hussein M." wrote in message


Sorry Ceanothus, it seems to me you try to be garish but somehow end
up insipid.There are many species in your genus and I note that most
(perhaps all?) come from California. Hmmm. In the Chaparral and a
light different from our own, you might have some charm but with the
Aconitum carmichaelii just planted close by, you have a dangerous (in
more ways than one) rival this year singing the summer blues in an
English garden.

*sobbing* it is not my fault. You put me in this corner and I have done my
very very best. I put out my very best colours and you call me garish. I
din't ask to be brought here. I didn't ask to be planted here next to this
blowsy A.carmichaeli which hides my subtlty and has no shame. Very well,
so be it. I have loved my time here but if you deny the chance of existence
I must abide by it. I shall pray to the plant god when I am in that Garden
above and may all your leaves fall off

Ceanothus

C" wrote in message
m...
I bought a Ceanothus a couple of years ago. The problem is that on
most of the branches there are no leaves on the inner half. It has
always been like this and looks very straggly. It has been a couple of
years now and it seems to be struggling. Does any one know if this is
normal or if not if there is anything I can do to get it looking more
healthy.
TIA
Steve


I have one of these in my garden and it is very bare in the centre. When it
flowers though I think it is lovely and only wish it flowered for longer.
Here in Ayrshire it does tend to get by frost and I guess thats why its a
bit stark in places.

Saffy.
--
Please feel free to visit my homemade greetings cards website at
www.saffys-cards.8k.com

SteveC wrote:

I bought a Ceanothus a couple of years ago. The problem is that on
most of the branches there are no leaves on the inner half. It has
always been like this and looks very straggly. It has been a couple of
years now and it seems to be struggling. Does any one know if this is
normal or if not if there is anything I can do to get it looking more
healthy.

Are the leaves a good dark green? Does it flower well? If so, it's
probably happy. Mine (I think it's 'Cynthia Postan') is apparently
blissfully happy but also tends to become a hollow shrub; I've
discovered it responds well to moderate pruning, so I've decided to
sculpt it into an attractive shape to allow more light to the bed
underneath it and encourage new growth from the main stem.


regards
sarah


--
"Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view,
is silence about truth." Aldous Huxley

Some ceonanthus seem to do this
Some like one spot and not another
They need to be hard pruned or they outgrow their strength
My daughter had a stunning one in what to me was a lousy position yet mine
of the same variety in good soil conditions gave up the ghost after putting
on way too much growth


"SteveC" wrote in message
m...
I bought a Ceanothus a couple of years ago. The problem is that on
most of the branches there are no leaves on the inner half. It has
always been like this and looks very straggly. It has been a couple of
years now and it seems to be struggling. Does any one know if this is
normal or if not if there is anything I can do to get it looking more
healthy.
TIA
Steve

in article , bnd777 at
wrote on 11/4/03 9:05 pm:

Some ceonanthus seem to do this
Some like one spot and not another
They need to be hard pruned or they outgrow their strength
My daughter had a stunning one in what to me was a lousy position yet mine
of the same variety in good soil conditions gave up the ghost after putting
on way too much growth

If you hard pruned it, perhaps you killed it? I've always understood that
they *don't* like to be cut into too hard. OTOH, I've always had Ceanothus
that attempt to colonise the entire garden. Some of them seem to have
thuggery bred into them, so perhaps one just has to put up with that.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 10:36:09 +0100, "Ophelia"
wrote:

I shall pray to the plant god when I am in that Garden
above and may all your leaves fall off

Doh! I only have one and that was kindly provided by Mr Fig to hide
my greatest blemish - which you really do _not_ want to see.

Hussein
Grow a little garden

spam block - for real addy, reverse letters of second level domain.

"Hussein M." wrote in message
...
On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 10:36:09 +0100, "Ophelia"
wrote:

I shall pray to the plant god when I am in that Garden
above and may all your leaves fall off

Doh! I only have one and that was kindly provided by Mr Fig to hide
my greatest blemish - which you really do _not_ want to see.

*giggle*

Sorry Sacha I did not mean "hard pruned" as in to kill the thing
...........and no i did not kill it just needed pruning sooner than i thought
and thus it got too tall and heavy for a light sandy soil so started falling
over and thence it died
"Sacha" wrote in message
...
in article , bnd777 at
wrote on 11/4/03 9:05 pm:

Some ceonanthus seem to do this
Some like one spot and not another
They need to be hard pruned or they outgrow their strength
My daughter had a stunning one in what to me was a lousy position yet
mine
of the same variety in good soil conditions gave up the ghost after
putting
on way too much growth

If you hard pruned it, perhaps you killed it? I've always understood that
they *don't* like to be cut into too hard. OTOH, I've always had
Ceanothus
that attempt to colonise the entire garden. Some of them seem to have
thuggery bred into them, so perhaps one just has to put up with that.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

that attempt to colonise the entire garden. Some of them seem to have
thuggery bred into them, so perhaps one just has to put up with that.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
I just thought I'd say that ceanothus seems to have a mysterious attraction. I found this site while looking for varieties to choose from, as I want to plant another in my garden, despite having planted and then later removed two previous ones in the same garden in the last twenty years. I can't resist that blue when it seems to be in everyone else's garden in the spring. The two I removed grew too large and dense for their positions. The plan is to plant the new one in the far corner (it is a VERY small garden) to create a bright spot there. It will be able to grow as big as it likes there and the blue is always beautiful! Kristin.

five Ceonothus ' Puget's Blue ' i have brutally wall - trained ....they 4 years old this season i think.....so i'm expecting results .

Well said Ceanothus!