Chaenomeles speciosa 'Geisha Girl'
A tough and very hardy Chinese shrub, popular for early spring colour in almost any situation in the garden. Plants flower best in full sun, but will give satisfaction in partial shade. The growth is vigorous, tending to spread unless pruning ... [... more]
BBC |
Leptospermum scoparium 'Martini'
Leptospermums are close relatives of myrtle, with similar small evergreen leaves and a dense, bushy habit. They come from Australia and New Zealand, and make large shrubs or small trees in seaside gardens and mild districts. Elsewhere, they are ... [... more]
BBC |
Santolina incana
This neat, dwarf, clump-forming shrub is ideal for smaller gardens or as a low-growing hedge. It has deeply-toothed, slightly woolly, aromatic silver leaves on white felted branches which are soft to the touch. Do not prune the shrub until after ... [... more]
BBC |
Rosa 'Evelyn'
Find out how to grow Rosa 'Evelyn' 'Evelyn' has large, apricot-pink blooms that have a wonderful fragrance similar to that of old roses. The shallow, saucer-shaped flowers are borne freely throughout the summer if regularly deadheaded. As a shrub ... [... more]
BBC |
Rosa x centifolia
A graceful, open shrub, this rose has fat, globular, pink flowers said to contain about 100 petals. The buds appear once, slightly late in the season; the scent is strong, and the growth vigorous, prickly and healthy. Five or six in a row make an ... [... more]
BBC |
Berberis x ottawensis 'Auricoma'
A multi-purpose arching shrub, it has a good show of deep reddish-purple leaves that make the perfect foil for the mass of small, red-tinged yellow flowers in late spring. They are followed by egg-shaped red autumn fruit. Excellent at the back of ... [... more]
BBC |
Podocarpus acutifolius
This modest-sized shrub has prickly, sharp-pointed, yew-like leaves with a hint of bronze. In its native New Zealand, it'll make a small tree, but in the UK it's a dense, slow-growing shrub, taking decades to reach 300cm, making it ideal for a ... [... more]
BBC |
Buddleja davidii 'Harlequin'
This vigorous butterfly bush has arching branches with variegated, lance-shaped, deep green and creamy-white leaves. This shrub is grown primarily for its sweetly scented panicles of red-purple flowers which appear from mid-summer to autumn, and ... [... more]
BBC |
Dryas octopetala
This ground-hugging shrub looks good in rock or gravel gardens. Small, glossy dark green foliage offsets the creamy white flowers, which arrive May-June. These are followed by feathery seeds. Propagate by fresh seed or by semi-ripe cuttings in ... [... more]
BBC |
Ligustrum japonicum
A good choice for a smart evergreen shrub flowering in late summer. It has a good, thick covering of shiny, dark green leaves all year, it makes a very effective background for the white flowers which are followed by shiny black fruit. Use in ... [... more]
BBC |
Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver'
One of Roy Lancaster's favourite shrubs for fragrance, Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver' has small but very sweetly scented flowers in summer. It is a fast-growing shrub that has beautiful silvery leaves. Its tolerant nature means that it is a good plant ... [... more]
BBC |
Rosa 'Dreamdrops'
Find out how to grow Rosa 'Dreamdrops' Cultivar: 'Dreamdrops' 'Dreamdrops' is a medium-high shrub rose with repeat-flowering, striking apricot blooms, and a light, gentle scent. It can be grown in rows across a lawn to create a multicoloured ... [... more]
BBC |