Need help identifying plants (new house)

[redfruit]

I have moved house and inherited a garden full of plants. I only know what some of them are, and this time of year it might be too early to identify them if they haven't flowered yet. There are quite a few I'm struggling with.. I want to know so I can decide what to keep and what can make space for things I prefer.

Ideally I will wait and see when they do flower but any help meanwhile would be nice.

Here are a few of them:

These 2 are very small, seem to be young plants.

These are bush/shrub types with flower buds like azalia and rhododendrons but don't think they are either. Flower buds look pink.

climber (over something else) honeysuckle?

Thanks for your help!

[veggiechicken]

Hi Redfruit and welcome
I'll have a stab at some of them:
1. Its a rockery plant that spreads well - sedum??
2. Kerria Japonica - with the yellow flower. Will be a tall, many stemmed plant that spreads
3. Pieris japonica = beautiful lily of the valley type flowers
4. Looks like Choisya - Mock orange. Could be the yellow leafed variety. Evergreen, beautiful scent.
5. Clematis - probably montana

[redfruit]

Thanks, that was a quick reply. I'll look those up!

[redfruit]

Good spots, they both look right from looking at more photos. The Kerria Japonica looks pretty, glad I waited to see a flower before I made any decisions.

[veggiechicken]

Just added 3 & 5 as well. I'd keep them all!
Added a possible 1.

[redfruit]

Thanks! I keep wanting to keep them but my other half wants me to get rid of some of it so I have space for bulbs etc that I had planned to grow this year. The old owner seemed to plant mainly things for low watering needs but I'd like a few more flowers as well as (flowering) shrubs. We'll see. The climbers may be able to stay in the background behind flower beds, and just prune some of the more overgrown shrubs.

May have to test out few more on you, your knowledge is impressive!

[redfruit]

oh on pieris japonica - there is already a Lily of the Valley (red and green leaves) but perhaps this is a different variety as it already has the red leaves.

Also a nice forsythia.

[veggiechicken]

To be honest, I either have or have had all of those plants so it wasn't too difficult!
I would keep 3 & 4 because they are evergreen and smell good but you may be able to prune them back if they're too big - or prune out the lower branches and plant bulbs underneath them.
no 5 will be beautiful when its in flower but can look a bit straggly. Its best growing through something else or on a trellis
No 1 is insignificant in the great scheme of things but is good ground cover on a rockery or you could plant small bulbs like snowdrops or crocuses within it.
Keep an eye on no 2. if may be just one of other shoots nearby. Its very pretty and bright and I like it but it can be a bit straggly too - tends to flop over when it gets taller - 6-7'.

[veggiechicken]

oh on pieris japonica - there is already a Lily of the Valley (red and green leaves) but perhaps this is a different variety as it already has the red leaves.

Also a nice forsythia.

Wait until the pieris flowers - there are several varieties and you may prefer one to the other.
Forsythia is good too - one of my favourite early flowering shrubs.

[Two_Sheds]

1. ?
2. Kerria
3. Choisya
4. ?
5. Clematis montana, I'm fairly sure

[vicky]

1 Tricolour sedum
2 Kerria
3 Choisya
4 Choisya (different kinds)
5 c. montana

[WendyC]

Would agree with previous posts except no3 is Choisya Aztec Pearl (not pieris) and no4 is Choisya Sundance. Looks like a pretty well stocked garden.

[Glutton4...]

With you there Vicky and Wendy. I'm pretty sure 3 and 4 are; Choisya ternata Aztec Pearl and Choisya ternata Sundance. Personally I hate their smell, but each to their own!

[redfruit]

They do look like good matches for 3 and 4 in pictures - think you must be right. Yes, it does seem a well stocked garden, I hadn't really taken in what all the plants were when we viewed it (plus it was back in winter then) so I've been lucky! There is already a large ceanothus too, which I had been wanting to grow. I've only had rented and small gardens until now, so had got more experience growing bulbs and seeds mostly.. so my knowledge of shrubs like these wasn't very good. I managed to identify 1 or 2 things in Homebase that are in the garden and from showing family but hadn't come up with answers for these.

Not noticed the smell yet (maybe that is of flowers?), the foliage looks quite nice especially on 4 choisya ternata Sundance, though both look set to have white flowers.. I might have chosen a bit more colour myself, but will probably wait until they flower and decide. There is a spirea and a Solanum jasminoides Aureovariegatum which will also be white.

Thanks everyone for your help. In fact here is one more to try:

[Two_Sheds]

I'm not great at shrubs either, but my first punt is:


quince