The bay tree came with the original garden. It’s got two equal, close stems, and was clipped into a tight ball. Clipping like this cuts the large leaves, and the whole plant has to be gone over again with secateurs to remove the cut leaves. Also the growth gets very tight and constrained, with thick knots just inside the cut surface. I would like to maintain the overall size and shape, but loosen the whole plant up.

3 Aug 17

Tinkering through the summer seems to be working quite well, as the plant is growing strongly.

The hibiscus is not flowering this year. I can’t remember whether it flowered last year.

Aug 2017

It’s not flowering again this year. It’s said to flower on this season’s growth, so I’ll try pruning it hard next spring. Perhaps it’s not getting enough sun.