Would anyone have any experience of using gorse in gardens? I
particularly need information on growth rate, how it responds to
pruning, how invasive it is, how it spreads itself, any recommended
cultivars (of the handful that exist)? many thanks if you can help. I
have serched google but in vain so far.

Many thanks

P.

"papanix" wrote in message
...
Would anyone have any experience of using gorse in gardens? I
particularly need information on growth rate, how it responds to
pruning, how invasive it is, how it spreads itself, any recommended
cultivars (of the handful that exist)? many thanks if you can help. I
have serched google but in vain so far.

By and large "Gorse as a garden plant" is a contradiction in terms. {:-((

Franz

The message
from papanix contains these words:

Would anyone have any experience of using gorse in gardens? I
particularly need information on growth rate, how it responds to
pruning, how invasive it is, how it spreads itself, any recommended
cultivars (of the handful that exist)? many thanks if you can help. I
have serched google but in vain so far.

Just outside the entrance to Inverewe Garden, there used to be a very
attractive narrow hedge of gorse, about three feet high and trimmed
tight.

I love gorse and let several bushes of the wild single ulex europaeus
grow in my last garden. It sets a lot of seed so can be invasive; but
the seedlings are very easy to pull out by hand in the first two years.
Old plants can get leggy; then its best to hack off the old plant and
let a few of its seedlings come up in situ to replace it. They dislike
being transplanted, and grow fast. Wear leather gloves to work with it.

There's also a sterile double-flowered form, ulex europaeus
florepleno. I acquired a small potted plant last year which took a while
to establish itself when I planted it out, but I noticed the other day
that plenty of flower buds are forming. My plan is to keep it trimmed to
a dense cushiony shape.

Janet.

The message
from Rod contains these words:

/wuzzy/

It's a brute if you ever do need to prune it or dig it out - sticks to your
clothes, your hair and everything else.

The flowers make very pleasant wine.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
papanix writes:
|
| Would anyone have any experience of using gorse in gardens? I
| particularly need information on growth rate, how it responds to
| pruning, how invasive it is, how it spreads itself, any recommended
| cultivars (of the handful that exist)? many thanks if you can help. I
| have serched google but in vain so far.

My guess is that it is very condition dependent. The cases where
I have heard of it being worst are in very stony (rocky), soil,
where the roots get between the rocks and are unremovable. It is
massively invasive in New Zealand, but the native plants aren't
adapted to the level of competition normal in Europe.

Given its rarity over much of southern, eastern and central England,
I doubt that it would be a problem in the richer soils (i.e. where
you CAN dig it up). But I am not speaking from experience.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from papanix contains these words:

Would anyone have any experience of using gorse in gardens? ...Snip

Our front garden is open plan and quite long. When we bought the
house the narrow bed against our neighbours drive was planted with
roses. These were old and needed to be removed. However they were good
at stopping the paper boy/postman/whoever from taking a short cut
across our lawn and flower bed so what to replce them with? Finally
we decided on Ulex europaeus florepleno.

They were great and looked marvellous, especially in the early spring *but*
they must have been happy as they grew very fast. This meant I spent a lot
of time keeping them trimmed to avoid them growing over our neighbours drive.
In the end they grew so large we had to take them out. Yes hard work - well
summed up by Rod.

(Some of the prunings came in handy as cat deterrents on flower beds - fine
until they had rotted a bit and one forgot about them when weeding). ((

So given a place where they are happy certainly this strain grew well,
very well!

I woud have another but only one and in a spot where it can grow and
only need pruning once a year!

Jennifer
(in Bristol )

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message ...
"papanix" wrote in message
...
Would anyone have any experience of using gorse in gardens? I
particularly need information on growth rate, how it responds to
pruning, how invasive it is, how it spreads itself, any recommended
cultivars (of the handful that exist)? many thanks if you can help. I
have serched google but in vain so far.

By and large "Gorse as a garden plant" is a contradiction in terms. {:-((

I've experimented with it, just for fun, in a mixed shrubbery, and it
looked very fine -- you can have flowers at almost any time of year;
but I grubbed them out in the end because there are so many wild ones
round here that they always looked as though they had got in by
accident. In a town garden, it wouldn't have that disadvantage: it
could make rather a good and pretty-vandal-resistant hedge, as it
responds indestructibly to pruning, neglect, poor soil, drought, maybe
even nuclear holocaust. The spines are cruel; but if you like them,
I'd go for it.

Note that I had to grub them out: they spring up happily from the base
if you merely cut them to the ground, or set fire to them. They're
highly inflammable, so some of the books recommend keeping them away
from buildings or wooden fences.

They spread only by seed, so they're not really invasive as long as
you're prepared to get the seedlings out as they appear.

There are two or three cultivars, including a double-flowered form;
but I don't know their names. If you go out into the country looking
for suitable mother-plants for cuttings (ouch!), you'll probably
notice some variation in "leaf" and flower shade: I think the nicest
is the more lemon-yellow flower, if you can find one.

There are three species in the wild in Britain: the commonest can
reach eight feet in height, while the Dwarf Gorse is sometimes
prostrate.

The wood is tough, and I once half-made a walking-stick out of it.
Somebody I know made a Welsh love-spoon out of it, carving it when
still green and easy to work.

Mike.

The message
from Jennifer Sparkes contains these words:

I woud have another but only one and in a spot where it can grow and
only need pruning once a year!

Shall I try and find a seedling for the Runcorn Zetmeet, Jennifer?

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Jennifer Sparkes contains these words:

I woud have another but only one and in a spot where it can grow and
only need pruning once a year!

Shall I try and find a seedling for the Runcorn Zetmeet, Jennifer?

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Given its rarity over much of southern, eastern and central England,
I doubt that it would be a problem in the richer soils (i.e. where
you CAN dig it up). But I am not speaking from experience.

I would hardly call it rare in the South and East - Wuzzy in Devon,I've
seen it in Somerset, and loads of it in the Ashdown Forest and in East
Anglia, the Brecks positively bristle with it.

Indeed, it is growing wild beside the road not a mile from my door here
in South Norfolk.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

papanix wrote:

Would anyone have any experience of using gorse in gardens? I
particularly need information on growth rate, how it responds to
pruning, how invasive it is, how it spreads itself, any recommended
cultivars (of the handful that exist)? many thanks if you can help. I
have serched google but in vain so far.

Many thanks

P.
It's a brute if you ever do need to prune it or dig it out - sticks to your
clothes, your hair and everything else.
--
Rod
http://website.lineone.net/%7Erodcraddock/index.html
My email address needs weeding.

: Would anyone have any experience of using gorse in gardens? I
: particularly need information on growth rate, how it responds to
: pruning, how invasive it is, how it spreads itself, any recommended
: cultivars (of the handful that exist)? many thanks if you can help.
: I have serched google but in vain so far.
:
: Many thanks
:
: P.

I had a young gorse plant, one off the moors, and it spread far too much for
my small garden and started looking scruffy after a couple years

Robert South West England