My poor lavatera

I know they've definitely lavatera because that's what it said on the label of the pot I took my cutting from. Well when I say cutting I mean I broke a bit off and stuffed it in my handbag as we were in a garden centre at the time. So you see it didn't even have a good start to life

I always thought Lavatera last about 5 years, certainly the ones I've had always have. I had two at the end of the garden that were so spectacular 2 years ago, my partner built them a special bamboo frame to hold them up but last year they were very sad. So we have replaced them with two new plants, so far they are quite promising.

I have this Amelanchia hedge growing in thin soil and builders rubble in between my and next door's front garden's. I don't know how it survives but it does. You can barely get a fork into the ground.
Some plants are seriously tough and others are complete wimps. The very fussy tender types don't do too well in my garden.

Sounds hopeful! You never know with plants.

The soil isn't even really soil. It's about 2 inches maximum of clay and compost with concrete underneath but it absolutely thrived there. I have two more growing in shallow heavy clay and they grow like mad too. It seems the worse I treat them the better they grow so I'm crossing my fingers about the one that got ripped up.

Our soil is almost pure clay, and I've heard they don't like clay.
The strange thing is that there's a wild flower called mallow which grows rampant around here - not fragile at all. From the same family as lavatera.

If it's the common pink one, they don't last that long. Maybe take a couple of cuttings just in case. I don't think it will like the trauma. I had a white one which was lovely but that hasn't reemerged this year.

I've no idea what type it is. It was a cutting I broke off another plant and stuck in a pot. Within a year it was big enough to plant out. The soil it's in is very shallow so it has an extensive root system which is why I'm hoping it can
re-secure itself. I didn't think they were hard to grow tbh. I've got three of them...all in very poor soil I chop them down every autumn and this amazing plant regrows the following spring with so many flowers they weigh down the branches.

No point in putting DH in the doghouse. What's done is done. Now we just cross our fingers.

When we moved here there was a spectacular Lavatera in the front garden but within 3/4 years the stems became very brittle and kept snapping off I tried trimming it back but it died. I should replace it as it was a beauty I didn't realise there were many different ones I'm going to take a look.

My husband used to be very gungho about plants until recently - careless with weedkiller etc.
But this year he has taken over the veg. patch (it's getting too much for me) and has fantastic results. He really seems to have green fingers!
re your lavatera, VQ - that's a shame, I didn't realise they were so fragile. We planted 3 small ones in spring, lavatera rosea, and they're not doing very well. I cut them back and one has recovered well, one seems to have died, and the other could survive. What kind of soil do they like?

vampirequeen Lavatera aka Tree Mallow
How long has it been in? I have found lavatera get very fragile after just a few years and need replacing. I think the wood around the roots seem to get very brittle.
It might be how I grow them. Lavatera "Barnsley" is lovely.

That does not exonerate a clumsy husband though.

My OH was digging up an old Rosemary bush yesterday as one of the branches had layered itself and was now an independent plant. As he was digging up the new plant to move it he was trampling all over the new specimen. It's pretty tough though.

Ha, ha! loved the way you worded that Vampq! Ooh, bet he's in the doghouse! Since I've been unable to do the garden myself; OH was asked to chop back a bit of ivy with Virginia creeper running through it that was hanging over a wall, as we were getting wet when we walked past it if it had been raining. Attacked it so vigorously, that the entire thing fell over the wall and disappeared. He has not been asked again. Which was probably the cunning plan all along. Tried eldest son, and asked if he would sever, at the roots, a bit of ivy that was choking lilac tree. He whizzed round and severed all the roots of my clematis that was growing up through it. It had only taken 15 years to get established! Fences blew down in a storm. Fencers came and one said 'It wasn't in the way, but I've pulled out all of that dead wood in the corner for you'. And there went my other clematis. Just hired a couple of gardeners. Thought it safer!

Grrrrrrr bl***y men who are not gardeners. To give the plant a chance to survive, I'd make sure it is planted very well and secure- and cut it right down to give the roots a chance- mulch it and water it- and hope for the best. it may not flower till next year- but you might get a show late Summer. Bonne chance. Take cuttings too- in case.

Lavateras don't last more than about 4 years though do they? I had a lovely one which was huge but have had to replace it. I doubt yours will survive but give it a go!