Get Planting .... super shrubs for shady spots
Blossoms adorning the branches of shrubs complementing the floral fanfare from spring bulbs is a sure sign that the new season has truly arrived. Evergreens glow with fresh vitality while deciduous shrubs sprout vibrant new foliage, often tinted bronze or other burnished tones as buds unfurl.
Shrubs that thrive and perform in shadier parts of the garden are to be valued at this time of year and there’s a wealth of species and varieties that will cope with permanently gloomy spots to positions in dappled or fleeting shade.
For permanent shade you can’t beat camellias, evergreen shrubs which come into their own right now with displays of colourful blooms. They prefer acid to neutral soil, so if yours is limey or chalky, or you just have a shady paved courtyard, grow them in pots of ericaceous compost.
Corylopsis, or cowslip bush, prefer semi-shade or a spot where they get soft light, but their roots can remain cool and moist as they hate hot, dry conditions and will scorch. They also hate heavy, wet soil so dig in plenty of organic matter. They’re ideal for woodland gardens.
Some shrubs, such as flowering quince chaenomeles and daphne, are adaptable, thriving in sun or semi-shade. More versatile and much larger-growing chaenomeles will grow in most soils, as long as not too wet, and can be pruned to grow against a wall. Flower colour spans white through to pinks and deep red. Attractive, round, edible fruit which ripen in autumn often form after the flowers. For front of border, particularly on a chalky soil or for pots, you can’t beat compact, semi-evergreen daphne ‘Eternal Fragrance’, which continues to produce small clusters of blushpink, highly fragrant flowers on new shoots from spring through to autumn. It’s a real treat!