Pretty partners
Mexican orange blossom
Choose between the green leaves of Choisya ternata or a cheery splash of yellow from C. ternata ‘Sundance’ (‘Lich’) AGM. Both produce rosettes of exotic-looking shiny foliage with clusters of aromatic white blooms in late spring and late summer. This fairly quick-growing shrub has a dome shape, making it a good choice for an herbaceous border. Alternatively, several choisya can be planted together to create a hedge. Sundance will take on an especially pleasing yellow-green colour in light shade. This shrub is hardy down to around -10°C so will need a sheltered spot in colder areas.
Maximum height: 2.5m (8ft 2in)
Position: Sun or light shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained and reasonably fertile
Darwin’s barberry
Clip the compact Berberis darwinii ‘Compacta’ into a shape, grow as a low hedge or allow it to spread out in the middle of a border. This shrub has small, hollylike foliage that emerges red-bronze and matures to green and produces clusters of small orange flowers in mid and late spring, with purple-blue berries appearing in autumn.
Maximum height: 90cm (2ft 9ins)
Position: Full sun or dappled shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained and reasonably fertile
Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’
Whether it’s grown as a vibrant injection of red in a mixed border, a handsome specimen shrub or even an eye-catching hedge, Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ AGM is a real crowd pleaser. Grown in a sunny spot, it has glossy red leaves and clusters of ivory flowers in late spring. Photinia will also do well in a shadier spot but the colours will be less vivid. Prune in late spring/ early summer. Grow in a more sheltered position in colder areas.
Maximum height: 4m (13ft)
Position: Full sun best for red colouring or partial shade Soil: Moist, well-drained and reasonably fertile. SUPPLIERS: