Forum home Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

PORTUGUESE LAUREL

Hi,

I have two long thin borders in my garden that have standard Portuguese laurel spaced 1m apart. Firstly I have been trying in vain to find some care advise about Portuguese laurel ideally how much water they need. 

But I am looking to place under the laurel some small compact evergreen shrubs that flower at various times of the year.  I have been thinking about a range of Hebe's maybe with some thyme and rosemary dotted in for variety. I have been tryign to find out whether hebes would be a suitable companion plant to work with the Portuguese laurel.

Does anyone have any advice?

cheers

Hells Bells

Posts

  • Invicta2Invicta2 Posts: 663

    For winter flowers I suggest Sarcoccoca, in spring you could have evergreen Azaleas if your soil is acid.

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    If they are really 1 metre apart, they are far too close. They grow into trees.
  • Portugese laurels can be pruned quite happily but otherwise grow large. Hebes require light. Sarcoccoca good mix as well as helleborus for winter colour. Spring bulbs, and summer try digitalis and heuchera. Saroccoca also will require pruning...depends on size of bed.
  • Thanks Claudia will look into those. The laurel is shaped into balls all the way along about half metre wide so they just touch and they are pruned so they never get too big. So do people think hebes would not do well under the laurel? Thanks all
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    I think you have to decide how much time you have for maintenance Helen.  I'd be wary of planting anything in front of them unless you're sure you can keep the laurels clipped. Is there any way you can make your borders deeper so that you can have more room for another row of something? If not, I'd look at bulbs mainly for spring and just some low growing ground cover. I have Gaultherias which are happy in shade and poorish soil, although they don't like it too dry which I expect the soil is with the laurels there.  

    Hebes prefer a decent amount of light to thrive, although there are lots of small green ones like Emerald globe which might be ok.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Thanks Fairy Girl



    Yes low maintenance is preferred so a compact flowering evergreen is the route I would like. Planted allium bulbs last season which did ok. The garden gets good light from about mid morning onwards. One side stays in more shade till the afternoon. I have been trying to understand how much water the laurels need and pair it with a low compact evergreen that has similar properties
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    There's a dwarf white allium which might do well there Helen. Think it's called Ivory Queen but I'm sure there are others as well. I had it in a previous garden at the edge of a narrow raised bed. It might be tricky to find something that fits the bill exactly for your site. Some of the alpine plants would probably do well enough in that position but they'd get a bit lost. I have small Hebes at the edge of another bed here, but it's raised and has planting which will take less moisture from the surroundings than laurels would. I also get a lot of rain image

    This is the Gaultheria. It has small white flowers like a Pieris which then become red berries. 

    http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w595/fairygirl55/PB130005_zps055d5438.jpg

     

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Hi fairy girl. Yes dwarf bulbs could be a nice one.so I need to be looking for evergreen shrubs that don't mind dryer soil as the laurels will be stealing the moisture? Thanks for all your advice very helpful
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Yes - the ground will tend to be dry so that's exactly what you need to look for.  

    If you can add some well rotted manure to the planting area it'll help with retaining moisture for anything you plant. A thorough watering and then mulch afterwards. That will give the plants a fighting chance. Then just keep an eye on them to see if they're thriving Helen. It may need a bit of trial and error though.  Best of luck image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Great thanks a lot great advice still quite new to gardening
Sign In or Register to comment.