shrubs for your garden

Like trees, shrubs can be an important structural feature in garden design, bringing shape and depth. They can be a valuable all-year-round feature, especially those with berries, nuts and fruit, which provide a source of food for wildlife through autumn and winter.

Shrubs can vary considerably in size, from heathers of just a few centimetres to rhododendrons of several metres. They may also grow in many different shapes:

round – hebe albicans, Choisya ternata.

upright – Phildelphus ‘Virginal’, Perovskia atriplicifolia.

arching – Buddleia davidii, Cotoneaster conspicuus.

spreading – Virburnum davidii, Parrotia persica.

spiky – Yucca filamentosa, Cordyline australis.

prostrate – Cotoneaster dammeri, Vinca minor.

popular shrubs

Berberis thunbergil ‘Atropurpurea’ – 1-2m, will grow in most conditions. This is one of the most popular berberis cultivars due its dark purple foliage that turns red in the autumn. There are a wide range of berberis species, some of which are evergreen and others of which are deciduous. All have sharp thorns and this can be a factor in determining where they are positioned in the garden. It also makes them popular in public areas and parks, where they can be used to discourage vandals and direct foot traffic away from the most sensitive areas – for instance, where bird nests are located.

Philadelphus ‘virginal’ – over 2m, easy to grow. This is a large shrub with arching branches, often chosen for its early summer show of double, white, fragrant flowers. It is better known by its common name of ‘Mock Orange’. Smaller cultivars are available and may be better suited to the small garden.

Buddleia davidii - This is often known as the ‘Butterfly Bush’ because of its ability to attract butterflies. It produces large, attractive flower spikes on its arching branches, which may be coloured pink, blue or purple. It is a medium sized shrub growing between 1-2m tall, and produces its best flowers when cut back hard in spring.

Rhododendrons - This genus includes many different species and cultivars ranging in size from medium to large. Most are evergreen, although azaleas are deciduous. They all thrive best in acidic soil and attempts to grow them on an alkaline soil will produce poor, spriggy growth with yellowing leaves and little if any flowering. In alkaline soil these acid lovers suffer extreme iron deficiency. The problem can be treated with sequestered iron feed – for instance, sequesterene.

Weigela florida – This is a medium sized shrub often chosen for its arching branches and tubular pink flowers which grow abundantly in May/June. It is an undemanding plant and will grow in most soil conditions, in sun or partial shade. As such it is a good ‘starter shrub’.

Viburnum plicatum – A large, attractive shrub, that is grown for both its foliage, which grows in tiers, and its flowers, which smother the branches in May. The flower-heads are pure white and flat, and typically up to 9 – 10cm across.