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Hi, I think that's a skimmia, if it is, i think it maybe a little poorly, sorry

pash wrote (see)

Hi, I think that's a skimmia, if it is, i think it maybe a little poorly, sorry

No worries, thats the sort of advice i need, if there is no point leaving it till spring/summer i will get it lifted.

As promised here is a better pic of the layout.

Thats a great lay out spewy, good idea to see how it works for you before you start moving the paths around! I should imagine once the plants get a bit bigger there'll be all sorts of suprises tucked away as you follow the path round

I would have that Skimmia out as well spewy, I tried to cut one back but it doesnt shoot out from the bottom.

The Laurel, cut it back now, to about a foot from the bottom, it will shoot out in no time and make a good foot or more of growth this year, and nice and thick from the bottom.

May I ask what the red thing is in the back ground?

It could be a skimmia, but it looks as though it's suffering from waterlogging.

 This is a laurel when it's a hedge. Yours looks very young still. Ends of braches can be snipped off with secateurs to keep tidy and bushy. If you use a hedge cutter it can cut the rather large leaves in half which is not very attractive.

Lyn wrote (see)

I would have that Skimmia out as well spewy, I tried to cut one back but it doesnt shoot out from the bottom.

The Laurel, cut it back now, to about a foot from the bottom, it will shoot out in no time and make a good foot or more of growth this year, and nice and thick from the bottom.

May I ask what the red thing is in the back ground?

lol its a sledge. There is still lots of bits & pieces lying around from the moving day. I need to get the shed built

love the lay out, the sort of garden that as it matures will be full of surprises as you walk around a corner. That shrub no2 - doesn't look like a skimmia, Did you take the photo recently, if you did wait for spring - if it ever arrives, if you did take photo before leaf drop then remove it BUT it may be a gem that ahs just lost leaves in winter

Hi Spewy, really like the layout. Good advice given about waiting to see what you've got before uprooting everything. I inherited many plants when I first moved here, over time some I've kept and planted around and some have gone

I'd leave the second for a while and see what happens - wouldn't be surpised if it puts more leaf on, and might be a little treasure. Might well be a skimmia but...

But I guess it's a good time to ask what you want/need in your garden, what aspect it has and what the soil's like?

Speaking from experience, I tried to prune my skimmia, last spring, it never did shoot out from the cut branches, and is still not showing any signs of shooting.

figrat wrote (see)

But I guess it's a good time to ask what you want/need in your garden, what aspect it has and what the soil's like?

I would be happy just to keep it as it was. I know the first layout pic i posted was very small but it seemed tidier as everything in the garden was a year younger when the pic was taken. I am concerned that it will become overgrown looking.

On the soil - - - sorry all i can tell you is it is currently very wet

Once you learn about your plants you will be able to keep then under controll but they are, as yet, immature and you can fill the borders with cosmos and annuals and later with perennials as you become more confident.

Remember gardening is not a quick fix, like they show on garden shows, plants take time tp grow

Okay thats the shed built  

Here is the next pic, again if you could let me know what it is and how/when do i trim

 I know there is a few plants in the pic, i am asking about what looks like the the branches of a conifer

It isa conifer, I would just keep it in off the path, but I am sure there will someone here who knows more about them. 

The low-growing conifer looks like a Juniper to me. They grow more horizontally than upright. You can keep it trimmed back if you want to keep it. Ends up looking like a green carpet. IME it doesnt respond well to hard pruning, as it doesnt regrow from old wood, but it does provide ground cover. J.

The yellowing 2cnd shrub does look like a Skimmia. The yellowing leaves could mean that it's in too much sun. Normally evergreen, they are woodland understorey plants so shade/part shade positions are best. Also if your soil isnt acidic/neutral then it will struggle.

The flower buds on it though almost look like a Viburnum, they also cope well in part-shade/shade. Some of those are deciduous, others deciduous, but those remaining leaves do look more like an evergreen. J.

In the second pic. Front R. looks like Viburnum davidii, looks after itself mostly and behind it probably one of the whipcord hebes. They don't get too big and don't need attention. 

You've got a lot in a small space there and you may do better to remeove something you don't like much to make way for those you do. I'd lose that juniper if it were mine. They're lovely but spread a lot and lose attractiveness once you start cutting them back. If you don't cut it back you'll lose the paving.

I think the second picture is a very poorly skimmia - throw it away, they are not expensive and by the state of it, the condition it planted in doesn't suit, plant something else instead, as those before me have mentioned.  The 3rd pic looks like  a juniper horizontalis, which I think has just lost its RHS AGM as its a huge thug.  Sorry not to be more positive, but your layout looks lovely and these are possibly not the best to show off your garden.

Think I was talking about the 3rd pic. Never could count