What do you consider 'Sheltered Position' to mean?

[Susan BBPM]

I've created a new bed in my front garden that separates my lawn from that of my neighbour. The ideal plant for one spot in this bed (in terms of looks, soil, hardiness) is Californian Lilac. However, Californian Lilac needs a 'sheltered' position. My street runs NNW to SEE. Our prevailing winds are SSW / SW. So it would take the full force of the prevailing winds - albeit 'buffered' a bit by houses all around (It's not as if our street is hit be winds blowing across open land).

It's hardiness is ranked as 'H4' - which means it'll tolerate temps between -5 - -10 degrees. In a typical year that's fine, but we have lost a few recently planted 'H4' shrubs this winter due to the cold snap in December.

All thoughts, experiences and advice welcome. Also suggestions for an alternative shrub that is a bit more cold hardy or tolerant of an exposed position.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I would take 'sheltered' to mean sheltered from the wind, not sun.

The weather was particularly nasty last winter, I lost a row of broad beans, they are supposed to be hardy to -10. I don't think we got anywhere near that, but there was a combination of snow followed by frost that froze it onto the plants. The weather is changing, and if you already lost some H4 shrubs ... On the other hand, nothing ventured nothing gained, and I don't think anyone can accurately predict the weather more than a few days in advance. For me it would depend how much it was going to cost me, but I'm tight.

I like Choisya evergreen, smells good, flowers and foliage, and 'sundance' doesn't grow quite so huge and is a really bright golden yellow.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Choisya looks nice, but again, only H4 hardiness.

My gut is telling me the same as you - stick to hardier than we'd previously have needed. We have beds in the centre of the lawn which I plan to use mostly annuals - these will be just covered in either compost or a cover crop for the winter months.
But around the borders I want something evergreen. I want a barrier between me and my neighbour (he's nice but a nightmare when he gets talking as you can't escape him). I don't want a solid hedge as it would feel too obvious and rude, so I want to soften it and have the effect of the hedge without being too stark. So I'm thinking of a line of evergreen shrubs of varying heights - the bed I've created undulates so is 6 foot or so at it's widest and only a couple of feet at it's narrowest.

The cows used to escape from the farm on a regular basis and end up on my front lawn - it hasn't happened for several years now, but I guess it's worth having prickles that would deter them.

On my list:

A columnular ornamental cherry (only grows about 3 foot wide but will get tall).
A berberis (yellow flowers, red fruit)
Pyrachantha
Rhodedendron

I'd love something that had blue or purple flowers - similar to the Californian Lilac. Also something with very early flowers for the pollinators and to cheer us up in spring.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Sounds like a Choisya to me. We had one to the east of the house with about four feet of paving between it and the house, it filled the remaining four feet across to the fence and was about eight feet long, I cut it back from the pavement. There was a honey suckle next to it, Graham Thomas, that ran through it and along the top of the hedge. Best smelling side entrance I ever knew

 

[Tetters]

There's nothing tougher than a good old Forsythia Susan. Our place gets battered by the winds - also from the SSW round to WSW Right now, a mixed hedge we have is a glowing golden mass of flowers, in spite of the howling wind! Prickles are great, and there are loads of varieties of Berberis to choose from, purple, red, mottled/variegated leaves galore. The birds love them! The best and prickliest Berberis is the one called ''stenophylla'' - a great 'anti neighbour/ intruder plant!
This kind of barrier would make a good foil for the wind, and there would be nothing to stop you trying a Ceanothus (californian lilac, common name) in front. The ones I've grown survive the frost well, although we are usually a bit warmer down here in the ''sarf''

 

[Susan BBPM]

There's nothing tougher than a good old Forsythia Susan. Our place gets battered by the winds - also from the SSW round to WSW Right now, a mixed hedge we have is a glowing golden mass of flowers, in spite of the howling wind! Prickles are great, and there are loads of varieties of Berberis to choose from, purple, red, mottled/variegated leaves galore. The birds love them! The best and prickliest Berberis is the one called ''stenophylla'' - a great 'anti neighbour/ intruder plant!
This kind of barrier would make a good foil for the wind, and there would be nothing to stop you trying a Ceanothus (californian lilac, common name) in front. The ones I've grown survive the frost well, although we are usually a bit warmer down here in the ''sarf''

The forsythia looks amazing, but I have too much yellow already. But I'll keep it in mind for a location at the top of the hill of my NE facing back garden. It looks out over miles of open farm land. Thanks for the tip!

For the front I've ordered a berberis darwinii (yellow flowers, blue fruit). I've also ordered a couple of Californian Lilac. My thinking here is that I have a very sheltered spot against the house - south facing - where I can put one of the Lilac. I can then take regular cuttings so that if the one in my border dies I can replace it free of charge!!

You say you have a mixed hedge. When you say that I think of a neatly clipped barrier. But presumably I can have a much looser, more natural hedge with varying heights etc? Just plant my shrubs that bit further apart and let them grow into each other over a few years?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

If I wanted a mixed hedge I would plant much closer together, shrubs like that never really make a hedge. If it was planted with native, or long established species, holly, oak, ash, hawthorn,, field maple, hornbeam, etc., it would be a wonderful resource for all sorts of wildlife. We actually have a mainly hornbeam hedge one side and I am gradually introducing new things as I come across seedlings and seed.

 

[Tetters]

@Susan BBPM , a 'hedge' is whatever way you want it to be. It's a collection of shrubs in the same vicinity, and you can place them in your own most pleasing way. Using one plant to shield another from the cold wind is an easy method that will work. If you decide not to plant Ceanothus, you could always choose something like Syringa instead. There are different varieties, and the flowers and scent are lovely.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Sounds like a Choisya to me. We had one to the east of the house with about four feet of paving between it and the house, it filled the remaining four feet across to the fence and was about eight feet long, I cut it back from the pavement. There was a honey suckle next to it, Graham Thomas, that ran through it and along the top of the hedge. Best smelling side entrance I ever knew

Choysia sounds awesome but is it going to withstand our winters?

Here's what the RHS say about it. If you think it's worth giving it a go regardless then I will as I think they look lovely. And I love scented shrubs too.

Choisya

Learn all about choisya - choose the best ones to grow, where to buy, where to plant and care advice from RHS experts

www.rhs.org.uk

I particularly like your idea of the honey suckle growing through everything else. How would you do this if starting from scratch? Would you just plant it initially with something to climb up and when the other shurbs around it get big enough just let it grow into them?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

They do say they can get knocked about a bit, I can imagine, but I would expect them to recover. We had an eight foot gap between us and next door on the east face of the house with a fence and trellis with a gate in running across the north end and then at right angles , north to south, separating us from the neighbours. I parked my bike inside the gate, then there was a border under the fence with the honeysuckle planted with a trellis going up the fence , then the bed widened out a couple of feet and the choisya was about three feet from the fence, they both expanded. I remember planting the honeysuckle as a tiny, pot grown, wisp, when we left that house it had four or five stalks as thick as my wrist.
I had a fence with a trellis along the top we had just had erected as a base, but I was thinking, a few fence posts with a couple of feet of trellis joining them at the top might make for a good support both for shrubs and climbers to grow through in an open position