Plants and shrubs used by local housing association
WonkyWomble
Posts: 4,429
in Plants
Hello folks,
I have an odd question.
I need to know which are the likely plants and shrubs used by housing association landscapers, I'm assuming they might be low maintenance and hardy, as I have a job interview as a mobile gardener for local premises. I wouldn't normally mention it for fear of jinxing, but I've been informed that a portion of the interview is an ID of plants and shrubs. I'm good at cottage garden plants but not so hot on what I suspect they may be dealing with.
Any suggestions or pointers would be greatly appreciated! 
Thank you
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Posts
OH USED TO RUN A HOUSING ASSOCIATION WITH AN IN HOUSE GARDENING TEAM.
MOST PLANTS WERE OF THE SPIKY KEEP-THE-NEIGHBOURS- OUT TYPE. PYRACANTHA, BERBERIS, MAHONIA, HOLLY. GROUND COVER WAS IVY OR COTONEASTER HORIZONTALIS.
TREES WERE SORBUS, ROWAN, SILVER BIRCH. THAT KIND OF THING.
NOTHING TOO EXOTIC BECAUSE THAT WAS EXPENSIVE.
MOST THINGS GOT TRIMMED INTO EITHER A CUBE OR A BALL SO IT DIDN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT THEY STARTED OUT AS THEY ALL ENDED UP LOOKING THE SAME.
Last edited: 22 September 2016 19:52:50
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
Have a look round the planting around some housing developments, supermarket car parks, industrial estates etc,and you'll see pretty much the same plants.
Photo those you don't recognise and ask us. We're here to help as you know.
Good luck x
Pansy, that's wonderful! Also encouraging I don't need testicles as I'd had info that they were concerned about this!
Thank you I will research all your suggestions.
really appreciated!
Hosta, that's a great plan, I'm on it!
expect regular ID requests! 
thanks so much x
Wonky, you got more balls than many a man.
Go for it gal.
Have a browse round the shrub section in the garden centre. I think landscapers have a "palette" of about six plants, all totally immune to neglect, wrong pruning etc.
I think all councils use the same list of shrubs no matter where they are. The only place I have noticed different plantings are on roundabouts where we have themes going ie seaside planting complete with old wooden boat, Japanese style roundabout with bamboos, acers etc, Scottish hillsides with Betula Jacquemontii multi stemmed, azaleas and heathers. Our councils now also have wild flower meadow roundabouts which are lovely. Apart from that, the rest of the stuff is just common or garden shrubs and bedding. And roses.
Thanks Fidget!
that's what I reckon too! 
Lovely an excuse to browse round garden centres!
like I need one, great idea, thanks!
Round here they use rosa rugosa, berberis, potentilla (the acid yellow one), photinia and sarcococca - in blocks, not mixed.
Last edited: 22 September 2016 22:28:40
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Dogwoods. I've seen acres of the things in municiple plantings and on new estates.
like obelixx - I see potentilla - the sicky yellow one - everywhere, and cotoneaster and berberis. Spireas as well, and the cornus, as Ceres says.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
And so often 'groundsmen' cut them back in the autumn so losing the gorgeous winter colour - I had to keep an eye open for the groundsmen visiting my workplace and keep them away from the dogwoods, promising that I would cut them back at the right time. In the end we laminated a notice saying Do Not Prune and hung it on the branches every autumn!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.