The star of the garden at the moment is Garrya elliptica, looking really gorgeous with hundreds of tassel like flowers. I can’t take any credit for planting it, it was already here when we came 22 yrs ago, the same as some of the planting around it.
As you can see the bush is absolutely dripping with flowers, I can’t detect any perfume so am wondering how it attracts any bees or is it wind pollinated? To the left is a rhododendron and to the right, another rhodo, behind is a large yew tree and to the right behind the rhodo is a Choisya ternata. These other shrubs give colour and interest in the spring in this corner but after that nothing happens until the choisya usually flowers again in the autumn along with some japanese anemones.
I usually trim the bush as soon as flowering is over as the flowers are formed on new wood, so I am thinking maybe a viticella clematis could be grown through the bush to brighten up this corner during the summer months. The clematis could be cut back as soon as flowering is over which would then free up the garrya to form its flower buds over the winter months, then that would be cut back before the clematis started to send out its new shoots. Please let me know what you think, will it work or will it impede the flowering of the garrya? I wouldn’t want that to happen as I really do think Garrya is gorgeous at the moment!
