OH "pruned" a Fatsia that was damaged by the Winter weather. He "pruned" it as if it was hedge, it looks ridiculous. If I were to take it out what could grow in that area edible wise. It's North facing. We are going to grow veg at home too following Alys & have now got Geoff Hamilton's ornamental kitchen garden on DVD. Would climbing peas do there? It gets the sun from mid dayish. AS it's near a window I would like it to be pretty ;). BTW the three DVDs, The Geoff Hamilton Collection were under £11. Bargain.
I think they would..but you need to add more compost and remember to water them..otherwise your fatsia will just drain all off..why not make medley....climbing peas, beans..few of allsort..maybe a something only flowering too, nasturtium, and/or thunbergia(black eye susan)..fatsia doesn't mind some shading from those and it will give some cover in which it can re-grow again ;D
Sun from midday is not bad. Peas and beans would grow with the Fatsia removed.
Raspberries do not mind shade, and if it is prettyness that is also needed, I think that if it is green it is pretty.
As raspberries have shallow roots, they are incompatible with peas and beans, but if you grow those in pots they can be moved next to the raspberries and intertwine in them.
http://allaboutallotments.com/index.html
opps.. I just noticed the bit"were to take it out"..you could always leave it for winter,,I'm sure you have plentyof things to do now..how about using your fatsia as climbing frame this summer..and then rip out..gives you more time to make you final desision...
Sweet peas on a wigwam frame or climbig beans will soon conceal the disfigured tree which could well come back to being pretty in a year or three.
I pruned a fatsia a couple of years ago. It has grown back but slowly, so if you want it to stay, all is not lost (grow something else through/on it to make it look pretty?)
It looks so silly because he has chopped all the leaves off & left the stalks on. So basically it's got branches with stalks on ::). He never liked it so thats probably why. I do want to grow more veg at home as there is no chance of getting a bigger plot.
What about runner beans but in a medley of colours, red, white, pink/white and salmon coloured..there might be a purple oldie but couldn't remember, it would look very pretty and be edible too.
XX Jeannine
I would go for a morello cherry.
I'm looking at mine on a north facing wall , its been in flower for a month now and in a few months cherries!
:)
x sunloving