Shrubs up well
They are seen as a trusty backdrop but spring shrubs can be standout features, with shape, colour, scent and endless wildlife appeal
FEBRUARY is the gateway to spring, which makes it the perfect time to plant sensational shrubs. And these useful beauties can provide a scattering of colour to our beds and borders, while supporting wildlife too.
So get planting now to turn shabby spaces to shrubby ones in no time.
WHAT IS A SHRUB?
A shrub is woody vegetation without a trunk that has broad leaves, branching out close to the ground. They are usually fairly hardy but typically thrive in sunny spots.
Seen as the backdrop to gardens, shrubs have many uses because they come in a variety of forms.
You will find varieties that climb, some fragrant with flowers, many heavy with bold berries and others showing off coloured stems.
Their foliage creates a structural framework to our gardens and, when peppered in among trees, they add shape to our outdoor spaces.
TONS OF USES
Deciduous shrubs shed their leaves annually and are likely to need some light pruning to shepherd new growth into place. These shrubs will gift your garden with seasonal transformations, from catkins, stems and flowers on to beautiful berries as the year goes on.
Turn to evergreen shrubs for year-round coverage as they don’t shed their leaves – remaining “ever green” – even in the depths of winter.
Evergreens work particularly well as privacy hedges because there’s very little variation in their density from season to season.
Shrubs are best bedded in early spring or late autumn, when they are dormant but still able to prosper.
And they’re not just ornamental – woody vegetation acts as a soil stabiliser to prevent erosion, meaning they are great for the health of your other plants too.
Having shrubs in the garden will feed and shelter your wonderful garden wildlife, so they are pretty fantastic features to have around.
PRACTICAL PLACEMENT
Find a place in your garden that is sheltered, well-drained and with oodles of room.
A space-saving option is to plant shrubs in pots. Though some shrubs will be too large for containers, dwarf-growing yakushimanum rhododendron hybrids, such as ‘Dopey’, with its vivid red flowers, are ideal for this.
Plug the sparse sections of the garden with a showcase of shrubs. Choose a canopy of them to suit your specific situation.
For instance, Choisya ternata and Philadelphus will bolster your borders, as will the likes of spirea and Aucuba japonica.
Spindly hedges are easily saved by adding bay laurel or bushy boxwoods. And singular specimens for lawns – try Viburnum ‘Mariesii’ or magnolias – make great features.
LOOKING GOOD
Forsythia is my favourite fast-growing spring shrub.
This decorative number has woody
They are great for the health of your other plants too
branches sprinkled with lots of sunshine-yellow blossom in spring.
They make for great hedging or focal points and give your garden a punch of colour when in flower.
If you are on the lookout for a well-behaved evergreen, Photinia ‘Red Robin’ is festooned with flowers to attract insects in spring.
It is the same with Pyracantha cultivars, with the added benefit of berries, which are a welcome meal for birds during autumn too.
GETTING IT RIGHT
If in doubt, garden centres will have shelves of options for you to peruse.
Narrow it down by selecting for aspect. Ask yourself: how tall do I want them to grow? When do I want them to flower? How much space do I have to play with? Inspect the bottom of the plant pot before you part with your money to identify if it is old stock – you need to be checking underneath for any exposed roots growing through.
Feel the potted soil to see if it is dry and double check that it is weed free – you don’t want to buy stock that has not been cared for.
You will be eager to plant your new purchases but, before you go for it, fully submerge shop-bought stock in a bucket of water to soak.
You do not know when it has been
watered last so you should look out for it any way you can.
PLANTING TECHNIQUES
When you are ready to plant, use a garden fork to aerate the soil and help hard-working microorganisms. The mud may get compacted in wet weather so this fluffs it up and makes it easier for plants to extract nutrients.
Wait for a dry day when the ground is not frozen and dig the hole to a depth just bigger than the height of the rootball – ideally over a wide area to improve drainage.
Refill the hole carefully, placing soil around all the roots to remove any air pockets. At this point, compost can be added to conserve moisture and keep weeds down. But don’t let mulch touch the stems or it could cause rotting.
The plant’s potted soil should be well situated in the ground to prevent root exposure to the elements. And you will find staking is an excellent way to prevent windrock.
All this extra effort now will see you reap rewards, with statement spring shrubs or all-year-round beauties.