[fuchsia]

Hi folks,

I'm sure these are easy ones for the wise and knowledgeable people here...

My new garden is looking gorgeous but I'd love to know what these shrubs are.

First one - is it a camellia? Someone suggested it might be but I'm not convinced. The leaf shape and colour seems wrong for every picture I've seen, although maybe the soil needs some attention. The plant is about 4ft high and was quite ball shaped last autumn but has grown a bit shaggy since. I can do some more pics if needed.



Second one - a large shrub about 10ft high. The photo was taken 5 days ago and the flowers were out for a couple of weeks but are now drying and falling off. There's a crab apple at the bottom of the pic obscuring the stems.





Thanks!

[mumofstig]

First is a camellia (could be Mary Williams) and the 2nd is a Magnolia Stellata I think

[fuchsia]

Thank you mumofstig. So it is a camellia. I need to check out the soil ph in that corner of the garden as there is also a pieris and a magnolia. Is it normal for it to have a medium green leaf or do I need to acidify the soil a bit? It also has a pest I need to tackle. Final question, do you dead-head camellias?

Will just go and check out pics of Magnolia Stellata.

Cheers!

[Eblana]

All of the plants that you have mentioned that are in that corner Prefer acid soil (particularly the pieris) so I would guess that the soil there is acidic.  Try a ph test on it.  Try feeding them with Ericeous Feed or mulch around them with Ericeous compost.  I am very jealous of your Magnolia Stellata, it is fab.

[fuchsia]

Thanks Eblana - I've inherited a very lovely garden and am enjoying it enormously 

I did buy one smallish bag of ericaceous compost but it's pretty expensive and I wasn't sure if it would make much difference. I didn't know about the feed so I'll check that out too.

I've just done a quick search and I do need to dead-head the camellia.

[Eblana]

The feed is sometimes listed as Sulphate of Iron. 

[fuchsia]

Thanks Eblana, I'll put it on my shopping list for the weekend.

[JDGen]

Could the second shrub be an amelanchier?

[fuchsia]

Morning JDGen,

I've just done a quick search and that's a possibility I think. It seems amelanchiers produce a fruit/berry around June time so not long to see if that happens. It definitely didn't develop buds over winter like the tea-cup style magnolia did, but I'm not sure if Magnolia Stellata behaves the same in this regard. It had quite a dusky pink look before the white flowers came out fully and had a good autumn colour - wish I'd taken more pics!

Whatever it is, it's a very attractive shrub 
Cheers

[Goosegirl]

Don't think it is Magnolia stellata as the petals don't look right. I have just had a look at my Amelanchier (aka Snowy Mespilus) and the flowers are very similar (not sure about the stamens though), can't remember if it forms berries but it does have dusky-pink buds and a lovely reddish autumn colour.

[fuchsia]

Evening Goosegirl,

I'm inclining more to the amelanchier from what I've seen and read. When I went out to have another look this morning it looked as if it was snowing, as the remains of the flowers were falling off! It's appearing quite pinky coloured again now.

Maybe not all amelanchiers produce a berry? They're very small from what I've read and the birds get them very quickly.

As I mentioned before, it didn't develop buds over winter like my other magnolia. I need to read up on M. Stellata.

Thanks for all the help.

[catllar]

My first thought for the second one is Amelanchier  as well, especially as you mention autumn colour - that's why I planted one -  and the first one is definitely a camellia - lucky you! I learned last week that the cur flower branches last an age in water too - who knew?