[Trillium]

North American doesn't seem to have nearly the slug problem the UK has, probably due to our severe winters. We do get them, but mostly in particularly rainy years; otherwise, they're not really a problem here. We can mulch freely with little to problem with slugs.

[Thrift]

I think one lasting effect may be the loss of my pieris which is looking decidedly sad. Oh well, add that to the cistus, leptospermum etc that fell victim in January  

I think I shall have to have a re-think on shrub planting and stick to native species.

[paintedlady]

the laurel I refer to is a hedging plant (cherry laurel) which has larger leaves and grows enormous. Sadly it can be poisonous unlike the cooking type.

I've never used the leaves but when the neighbour's tree grows over my fence, I chop what I can reach back then when I've got round to shredding it, the leaves are dried and are very scented.  The leaves are also very similar to my bay tree in a pot so assumed it was the same.

[joyfull]

does it get long white flower spikes which are then followed by berries that start off green, turn red then go black? Blackbirds love these and they are a good source of Autumnal feed for them, however if it is cherry laurel the scented leaves and the bark are poisonous - do the leaves smell of almond when broken? If so do not chop or burn in an enclosed area. They are very quick growing and easily reach heights of 20 feet (I have about 30 at that height and some are only about 7 years old) and they can withstand below freezing temps quite well. In Northern America it is sometimes known as the English Laurel (even though I don't think it is a native to our shores just a naturalised one).

[paintedlady]

no white flowers, but fluffy yellow things.  I've never seen any berries, and the leaves definitely doesn't smell like almonds, more like .... bay/herby

[JayG]

..............a great big hole (in my bank account after paying the gas bill!) 


Oh, according to Wikipedia the bay tree is also known as "True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Laurel Tree, Grecian Laurel, Laurel, or Bay Tree."

Not sure that is at all helpful; if anyone is unsure but has kept the label then if it says "Laurus Nobilis" it is the one with the culinarily useful (if not actually edible) leaves and certainly withstands our winters pretty well although the leaves can get scorched by very cold winds.

[joyfull]

as opposed to Prunus laurocerasus which you don't want to use 

[purplebean]

I think one lasting effect may be the loss of my pieris

I think I need to get my glasses on as I did not read that as pieris 

[Thrift]

 

[diggerjoe]

I've two bays i use for cooking and much to OH annoyance both  survive the toughest winters in the garden both are looking good and one had so many buds that I reckon I'll be attacking it again hard in the spring - the myrtle though has caught it on the variagted side but only the new shoots on the dark green side seem to have caught a cold and they are not supposed to be hardy - if only they had set an example for the veg in storage. Can't tell with nature thses days what will get through a bad winter but its always nice to be surprised.