IN WITH SHRUBS

Choose the right shrubs and you can enjoy long months of flowers, without lifting a finger

1 Twenty years ago, Lavatera x clementii ‘Barnsley’ was to be found in every garden. Then, when perennials became all the rage, it was forgotten. Error! Undemanding and fast-growing, it is the perfect cottage garden plant, with a profusion of palest blush-pink hollyhock flowers from June to September.

2 Another cottagey plant that is superb value, semi-evergreen Abelia x grandiflora produces masses of small, sweet-scented flowers on deep pink calyxes that remain when the flowers drop. Give it a sheltered spot in sun and it will flower from June till October.

3 What Potentilla fruticosa ‘Primrose Beauty’ lacks in height it makes up for in flower power, smothered in pale primrose blooms, resembling tiny wild roses, from May to September. It needs sun, but will grow on any soil, and requires no pruning.

4 Each bloom of the China rose Rosa x odorata ‘Mutabilis’ starts off pale yellow in bud, opens to a coppery pink and matures to a deep rusty pink, so all three colours are on the bush at once. In a warm spot it can flower from April to October, and will certainly see you right through Summer.

5 Completely different in character, the small and sturdy Flower Carpet roses can be massed as ground cover, potted up as patio plants or placed to spill over walls. There are many vibrant colours, but ‘Red Velvet’ is especially luscious.

6 A neat little evergreen shrub bearing large lilac flowers right through Summer, Hebe ‘Youngii’ is as tough as they come, with a spreading habit well suited to the rock garden – or try using it in a minimalist way as hummocks of flowery ground cover, massed alongside a path or drive. It is much loved by bees and butterflies.

7 Flowering non-stop from June to October, and perfectly hardy in the south (give her a sheltered spot in the north) Fuchsia ‘Mrs Popple’ is a fabulous choice for a shady border, with her girlie purple and lipstick-red blooms.

8 Buddlejas can grow out of walls and cracks in car parks, so definitely don’t need fussing over. Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’ is perhaps the most handsome variety, with elegant deep purple racemes, each floret having a glowing orange eye. A magnet for butterflies from July to September.

9 Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ bursts into lime green bud in May, opening to heavy white snowball flowers, which then fade to green and cling to the plant well into Winter to give many months of interest. It does best in moist soil with a little shade.

10 Slow-growing Sarcococca confusa, or Christmas box, flowers (as its name suggests) from December to March, and keeps its glossy green leaves all year round. Place it near a doorway to make the most of its glorious scent.