h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just discovered this shrub. It gets an unusual colour of berry, which looks to me as if it would be very tasty, but is probably highly toxic - so don't eat it on my say-so!

I might get a couple of these if I see any around.

http://www.mytho-fleurs.com/images/arbustes/callicarpa%20bodiniere%20profusion.JPG

In that photo, it looks as if the foliage has already started dying back - hopefully it doesn't always look so scrawny.

I've had a Callicarpa for several years and it always looks tatty Mainly because it's not in the ideal condidtions, they like a slightly acid soil and dappled shade. The berries are very pretty, the birds seem to leave them alone, so they're obviously not tasty

Is yours the 'Profusion' variety? It's supposed to be a lot better for all-round conditions than some of the other ones. That could just be marketing though - I've no experience of them. Do you cut yours right back each year?

Another thing I might get is a few Mahonias.

Mine is 'Profusion' but i think it has aspirations to be a 'sparce' It does have a few berries on it though. I've only ever given it a light trim as its not exactly romped away since i've had it

What's your soil like? Is it chalky?

What a personal question

My soil is neutral
Which is why i feed some plants with sequested iron. I planted a Rudbeckia in front of the Callicarpa this year, to give it some shade. It does seen to have done a bit better.

Fancy a wee bit of artemesia? I have it coming out of my ears

Not literally

Is it Southernwood or Wormwood? Or a non discript variety?
How come you have so much of the stuff?
I'm over-run with Cerinthe just now, i would'nt mind, but i havent even planted any recently A couple of years back i made the mistake of sowing a few Cerinthe seeds, not the nice blue ones, these ones were very dull. So i pulled them out. T he damn things must have dropped a thousand seed before i got to them.

It's southernwood - the reason I have so much is that I found out how easy it takes from softwood cuttings

And have you got room for all your new plants?

I've also got some Cerinth Venus - the stuff takes over completely but the bees absolutely adore it.

Hi Scorpio.
Have you got the blue one? That one is very pretty. The stuff i have is the one with tiny burgundy flowers, not attractive at all, though as you say the bees love it. I only planted 5 seeds, just to see how they looked and now i can't get rid of it!!

The ones I have are a purple-ish colour Venus. They were from a free packet of seeds in Gardener's World mag a few years ago and were advertised as being purple wax flower. I only found out later they were really Cerise Major Purpurescence.

What a bargain eh! Now you have them you'll never be rid
I can't remember the name of the ones i have, it's old age ya know

tell me about it!