Eastern Border
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This bed is on the low lying ['downhill'] eastern boundary of the home garden, beyond the wild flower meadow. It runs from the wilderness area close to the road along to Black Pond and is 80 m2 in area :
The bed is hidden from the morning sun by the fence but enjoys full afternoon sun. The topsoil is full of humus but not very deep before the pan of clay is reached and is decidedly moist.
In 2015 this was a mass of overgrown shrubs infested with pernicious weeds [read brambles, bindweed, nettles] and a much suckered wisteria which was essentially a weed. In the area were six rhododendrons, all apparently just the rootstock of what would have been lovely cultivars and hence probably Rhododendron ponticum, some golden lonicera [presumably Lonicera nitida 'Baggesen's Gold'], a yellow leaved privet and a mass of self-layered green and red barked cornus. It took several years to bring the shrubs back under control and clear the bed of weeds from end to end but little plant material was thrown away : it was either moved elsewhere [cornus down to the south glebe] or given away. R. ponticum is, of course, classified as an 'invasive non-native species' but it is permitted in gardens. Rather than destroy it we have taken the view that it should be retained in the medium term while new rhododendrons are established so that the ponticums can be removed [or at least reduced in number] eventually.
Full details of the plants, including two rhododendrons planted in 2019 as part of the R. ponticum replacement plan, can be found in the Eastern Border plant list and the context of this area within the garden can be found on the Plan and Areas page.
