Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Plants Wanted Or For Exchange => Topic started by: Michael on October 28, 2007, 09:08:32 PM

Title: Laburnum
Post by: Michael on October 28, 2007, 09:08:32 PM
Hello!

Can someone find me fresh seeds of the golden chain tree? I know its a common plant on Northern countries, but i desperately want to try it! I had made o swap with a kid (it is not from this forum) but that person never replied to me again, after i had sent my seeds... Oh well, I hope it is not too late to ask for those seeds!

Thanks ! ;D
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on October 29, 2007, 08:12:47 AM
I'll have a look in my garden for you Michael, I think there may still be some seed hanging in the tree.  Send me a pm with your address.
Luc
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Michael on October 29, 2007, 08:12:31 PM
Thanks Luc!
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Maggi Young on October 29, 2007, 08:16:59 PM
Sorry, Mike, had a look but no seed around our tree.
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Michael on October 29, 2007, 08:22:03 PM
Oh thanks Maggi, i appreciate the help! Do you have a picture of it in flower?
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Maggi Young on October 29, 2007, 08:36:11 PM
We'll have a photo somewhere... though it may be a slide....I'll have a look for one
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Maggi Young on October 29, 2007, 08:49:25 PM
I've found this shot, looking up into the blossoms.. taken at the end of May
 [attach=1]
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Michael on October 29, 2007, 09:19:28 PM
OMG OMG you live in Eden, Maggi! Wonderfull tree! Any fragrance?

Can i put your picture on my pc background, please?
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Maggi Young on October 30, 2007, 11:02:13 AM
Certainly you may use the photo, Mike.
There is a wonderful fragrance all over the garden when the Laburnum is in flower. It is a sort of "yellow" honey scent! Sounds silly, but somehow you know the scent is from a yellow flower  ;D
This tree is kept quite small; I suppose it is only 12  to 14 feet high, with a spread of about 10 feet, ( about 3m to 4.5m high x 3.1m wide) it is multi-stemmed, having three main stems.   I don't know what cultivar it may be, I don't think it had a label when I bought it as a young tree. It has very large, full, flower racemes and we love it very much.
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Paul T on October 30, 2007, 11:30:08 AM
Laburnum is flowering here in Canberra at the moment (although not in my garden as I don't have one).  It is around the corner from a friend's garden and I noticed it this morning when we were down there visiting.
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Andrew on October 31, 2007, 04:54:30 PM
Are you still looking for seed Mike ?

There is loads on the tree here.
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Michael on November 01, 2007, 07:50:38 PM
LOL yes i understand you perfectly Maggi! If people associate smells with taste (like sweet scented), why not associate certain essences to a colour? And i surely know the "yellow" scent! Like honey or something! It's a bonus! And i like the fact that it is a small tree!
Thanks for the info!

Well, yes i still want the seed (if it is possible). If Luc manage to send me his seeds, i could grow 2 different "clones" and check which one does better in my climate (i am afraid i will not succeed well with this tree here :-\) but i want to give it a try!!!
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Maggi Young on November 01, 2007, 08:11:13 PM
I must just add that Laburnum is a good subject for Bonsai work. It is easy to keep small in a pot and does not mind the restriction, flowering well... though it does need a lot of watering in summer. When I can find a photo of Ian's Bonsai Laburnum, I'll post one! Tree is in a chinese style square pot, about 25-30cms square/deep  and is around 50cms high.
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on November 03, 2007, 03:36:34 PM
Michael,

At the top of this pic you can see part of the Laburnum I sent you some seed of.
Happy growing  ;)
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Michael on November 04, 2007, 11:16:44 PM
Thanks a lot for all of you! This is another dream come true since i first saw a picture of this plant on a book and i thought it was a yellow wisteria. Just one more question: Does it grow fast? And can i train it to grow on an arch like a wisteria?
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on November 05, 2007, 08:33:42 AM
Hi Michael,
Mine was bought some 15 years ago on a stem - it doesn't grow all that fast, but then it's not in the most favourable of conditions : much competition, lean and rocky soil that dries out very rapidly.
But it does well for me anyway.
I think that basically, you can grow it in just about any form or way you like, depending on how you prune it.
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Maggi Young on November 05, 2007, 01:56:36 PM
It  can grow quite fast and you can train it any way you want. As a single stemmed tree, as a multistemmed shrub, flat against a wall... and, most famously in quite a few big gardes, as an archway or even to form a tunnel of flowers over a pathway... with this last method, you can then look through the tunnel and see all the flowers and walk through getting the sunshine through the yellow flowers and have a soft cascade overhead... very beautiful!
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on November 05, 2007, 02:12:42 PM
You're so right Maggi - I remember seeing it as an archway in a British garden some years ago, it was very impressive  :o
I forgot where it was though...  :'(
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Maggi Young on November 05, 2007, 02:40:38 PM
http://www.kailziegardens.com/history.html 
http://www.visittweeddale.com/what_to_do/kailzie_gardens.php
  for a laburnum walk in Scotland and pix
One of the most famous in England is the one Rosemary Verey planted at Barnsley House, Gardens, I think...
http://www.barnsleyhouse.com/flash.html

This is what the tourist board site says now: This beautiful garden was created by Rosemary Verey.

The mature 4.5 acre garden has been planted so that there is something of interest whatever the season.  There are spring bulbs, mixed borders and superb autumn colours.

Features include a potager, a parterre with perfectly clipped box hedges, a laburnum walk (flowering in late May/early June) and a decorative vegetable garden.  The garden furniture was created by Charles Verey and the fountain and statues are the work of Simon Verity.  There are also two 18th century summer houses.

The garden has home-progagated plants for sale.

The house is now a hotel with a restaurant. Events include tours of the garden with lunch.
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: SueG on November 05, 2007, 02:44:27 PM
Rosemary Verey's garden in the Cotswold had/s a famous laburnum walk and there was a super one at the Cawdor Castle I thought?
Sue
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Maggi Young on November 05, 2007, 02:48:20 PM
This is  the Barnsley House walk .... great combination with the underplanting of Allium
http://www.cotswolds.info/images/gardens/barnsley3.jpg
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Joakim B on November 05, 2007, 04:44:04 PM
Michel compared with Wilsteria it grows much more like a tree and not so much as a climber but if one can make trees out of Wilsteria one can make climbers or at least hanging from support.
Kind regards
Joakim
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Michael on November 06, 2007, 07:11:49 PM
Thanks for the replies!

By the way, look at this picture! It's amazing, i can hardly believe that such a thing could ever exist!

Bodnant:

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/fun/wallpaper/pages/images/laburnum1024.jpg)

Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on November 06, 2007, 07:27:18 PM
Now I remember - that's the one I saw visiting Bodnant a number of years ago !
What a show !
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Michael on November 06, 2007, 08:12:09 PM
Luc, you were there? How cool! Is the true arch as impressive as it is on that picture?
Title: Re: Laburnum
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on November 07, 2007, 07:16:48 PM
I must admit, that it was flowering a bit less profusely than on the picture - but it still looked very impressive !
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