Talkback: Shrubs for patio pots - Talkback

20/12/2007 at 16:07

Hi Adam, why not take out a bit of extra 'insurance' by wrapping the pot in bubble polythene and wrapping the plant in fleece, if it isn't too big to do so. If it is too big for the fleece why not put a layer of mulch round the base of the plant. Regards,Lorrie

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04/01/2008 at 00:00

Hi Adam, it gets really cold up here in north west of england, but despite this i have 2 bannana plants, cordylines, treefern, trachycarpus, phormuimsginger lillies, pineapple lillies, etc the trees i wrap with fleece & the rest of it just gets a thick layer of farmyard manure to keep it warm. I have done this for the last 8 yrs now and have some really huge specimens to show for it.

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07/01/2008 at 20:30

Thanks Paul. Insulating tender plants can keep the cold away, and a thick layer of farmyard manure certainly helps. However, the past few winters really haven't been that severe, so I wonder if this protection would be good enough if we got a 'really' freezing spell. Anyone remember the winter of 1963? (The snow lasted for weeks, and I even built an igloo you could get inside!)

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12/01/2008 at 16:20

I think these plants are really pretty. They grow well and look nice. I like the picture its very interesting and it has captured the flower at an interesting angle.

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19/08/2008 at 18:23

I have a Oleander growing in a pot outside. it has been there for for 3 years now and it has never flowered once. Can anyone explain why? (I do feed it and protect it during the winter)

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09/10/2008 at 18:17

if plants outgrow their pots and become a mass of roots with hardly any soil left in rootball would it gradually weaken and die if left in pot and given plenty of liquid feed i am referring to large shrubs that would require breaking favourite pots to remove thank you.

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14/09/2009 at 11:14

I've just ordered 3 Oleanders and I'm now having second thought due to their toxic problem any advice, oh! they will be in pots

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14/09/2009 at 11:15

I've just purchases 3 Oleanders now having doubts due to reading about toxic problems any advice !

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21/09/2009 at 12:59

Rely to Tom D: If you have young children or pets that could chew plants then I would be cautious. Oleander is very poisonous. This isn't a problem for most of us, as no one is likely to start eating leaves of plants around our gardens, but do consider any risks carefully. In Mediterranean countries oleander is widely grown among streets and in virtually every hotel garden, etc, and I'm not aware that they pose a great danger in these regions.

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04/02/2010 at 12:00

I think the problem with Oleanders is that they look great whilst we are on holiday in warmer climes where they are showy and make an area look really pretty but it doesn't happen in UK simply because our climate is unsuitable unless we have a 3/4 month glorious stretch. The first thing that suffers is new season buds which, at the slightest hint of cold weather, will turn black and die off. New season shoots will suffer the same problem thus denying buds and flowers the following year. I have 4 shrubs currently around 1 metre high, 3 years old and they managed to produce one half-open flower between them last year!! I've since decided to go for Azaleas and Bougainvillas instead, lesson learned!!

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23/06/2010 at 11:12

hi iam trying to look after my deceaced husbands oleander it is in a pot ,in the concervatory ,but the leaves are repidly going yellow ,what am i doing wrong ,and how can i save it

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26/08/2010 at 13:10

I bought an oleander in May 09 and it flowered beautifully. I covered the pot in bubblewrap and it overwintered in an unheated greenhouse (the winter of 2009/10!!!) This year it has flowered really well again but all the bottom leaves are dropping off leaving just a few leaves and flowers at the top. If I cut it down will new leaves and flowers develop for next year?

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28/11/2011 at 18:30

Thanks Lorrie. Useful suggestions. Extra insulation of the root zone is always useful, and I do always save sheets of bubble wrap for in case they come in useful. I know they don't look that nice, but if they keep the plant alive through a cold spell then it's worth it.

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