Some of you may remember last month , when clipping the Cornus bushes to make our Christmas decorations, the stems of Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt which I put in a white vase.
Well, you should just see them now, look at all the new growth that they have put out, lots of leaves everywhere.
And not just leaves, tiny flowers wherever you look.
If you look at the other end, there are loads of roots forming!!
I really can’t bear to waste anything, so these will be used to form a hedge at the end of the woodland where we have a bank just covered with ivy. I’m now thinking of next autumn when we will have lots of the purple tinted leaves, followed in the winter by the bright red stems. I could split my wild snowdrops and plant them between the cornus, through the ivy, so the whole of the bank will be red, green and white for at least 3 months and it hasn’t cost me a penny! That’s my sort of gardening, do you agree?
Hey Pauline this is fantastic! I just love that dogwood of yours and am so envious of your brand new hedge ready to plant! 🙂
Your Christmas decoration turned into a Spring decoration, which turned into a summer and fall hedge, want more?!
What can I say Alberto, you seem to love the cornus as much as I do!! I was amazed when I took the stems out of the vase and saw all the roots forming, just couldn’t throw them out!
It’s certainly my kind of gardening!! The hedge sounds as though it’ll look stunning 🙂
Thanks Rachael,I’ll certainly keep you up to date with the hedges progress!
What a great idea and what good luck. You will have to show us photos.
I certainly will Carolyn, if it works!
How brilliant. I do love Cornus but don’t really have the space. I look forward to seeing the progress of the hedge.
It was a question of finding somewhere WW, so that I wouldn’t waste them, then I remembered the bank at the end of the woodland, just hope this all works!
sounds wonderful Pauline, the green ivy will make the red brighter, my dogwoods and willow stems I used as decoration have sprouted leaves too but no flowers, the willow has roots and has kept it’s colour, no dogwood roots and the stems have gone a dark mahogany brown colour, the evergreens are looking as fresh as ever, I just love free plants, Frances
Free plants are the best sort aren’t they Frances!! Will you do anything with your willow, would it form a windbreak for you? I put some water in my vase with the dogwood.that’s probably why they have formed roots, must plant them soon!
I put all mine in water the dogwoods just don’t send out shoots but I can push cuttings in the ground and most take, yes I will use the willow, I am starting to create wind breaks within the garden to help slow the wind a bit, Frances
So glad your willows will get used Frances, shelter belts are worth their weight in gold! When we first came here the north and east wind were burning the few Rhododendron bushes that the previous people had planted and all my precious new plants. What a difference it made, lovely quiet micro climates in various parts of the garden now mean I can grow more or less whatever I like, as long as they like heavy, slightly acidic clay with lots of shade!!!
Love cornus at this time of year – I think I shall go and raid my neighbours for some cuttings! 🙂
K
If only you were nearer Karen, I could give you plenty of cuttings complete with roots!They certainly brighten up the winter garden, especially when the sun shines on them, hope your neighbours let you have some!!
What a happy event, and lucky you have a spot for your hedge! Occasionally a stalk of something in an arrangement will root for me, but never on this scale – beautiful.
I think I was lucky Cyndy, in that I put them in water to keep the lovely red colour over Christmas and they still looked nice and fresh so didn’t get thrown out with the rest of the greenery on January 6th, all of a sudden they started sprouting and the roots explain it all !