Contents
Cover
About the Book
About the Author
Title Page
Introduction
INTRODUCING FLOWERING SHRUBS
What are flowering shrubs?
Using flowering shrubs
focus on Shrubs for wildlife
Shrubs in tubs
Designing with flowering shrubs
focus on Scent
Structure and form
focus on Tree-like shrubs
Combining colours
focus on Evergreen shrubs for year-round interest
Shrubs with other plants
Planning a border
Plants for a purpose
PLANTING AND GROWING
Tools and equipment
Growing conditions
Choosing flowering shrubs
Planting flowering shrubs
Moving established shrubs
Watering
Feeding
Weed control and mulching
focus on Winter protection
Pruning
focus on Growing a flowering shrub as a standard
Propagation
Plant problems and remedies
RECOMMENDED FLOWERING SHRUBS
A–Z directory
SHRUBS FOR CHALLENGING SITES
Dense shade
Steep slopes and banks
Hot, dry spots
Sandy soil
Clay soil
focus on Wind tunnels and frost pockets
Wet conditions
Acidic soil
Chalky soil
SEASON BY SEASON
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Index
Acknowledgements
Picture Credits
Copyright
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Version 1.0
Epub ISBN 9781448142200
www.randomhouse.co.uk
Published in 2010 by BBC Books, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, a Random House Group Company
Copyright © Alan Titchmarsh 2010
The right of Alan Titchmarsh to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 84 6074028
ILLUSTRATIONS by Lizzie Harper except here, which are by Julia Brittain
PHOTOGRAPHS by Jonathan Buckley except where credited otherwise on here
Gardening is one of the best and most fulfilling activities on earth, but it can sometimes seem complicated and confusing. The answers to problems can usually be found in books, but big fat gardening books can be rather daunting. Where do you start? How can you find just the information you want without wading through lots of stuff that is not appropriate to your particular problem? Well, a good index is helpful, but sometimes a smaller book devoted to one particular subject fits the bill better – especially if it is reasonably priced and if you have a small garden where you might not be able to fit in everything suggested in a larger volume.
The How to Garden books aim to fill that gap – even if sometimes it may be only a small one. They are clearly set out and written, I hope, in a straightforward, easy-to-understand style. I don’t see any point in making gardening complicated, when much of it is based on common sense and observation. (All the key techniques are explained and illustrated, and I’ve included plenty of tips and tricks of the trade.)
There are suggestions on the best plants and the best varieties to grow in particular situations and for a particular effect. I’ve tried to keep the information crisp and to the point so that you can find what you need quickly and easily and then put your new-found knowledge into practice. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the Latin names of plants. They are there to make sure you can find the plant as it will be labelled in the nursery or garden centre, but where appropriate I have included common names, too. Forgetting a plant’s name need not stand in your way when it comes to being able to grow it.
Above all, the How to Garden books are designed to fill you with passion and enthusiasm for your garden and all that its creation and care entails, from designing and planting it to maintaining it and enjoying it. For more than fifty years gardening has been my passion, and that initial enthusiasm for watching plants grow, for trying something new and for just being outside pottering has never faded. If anything I am keener on gardening now than I ever was and get more satisfaction from my plants every day. It’s not that I am simply a romantic, but rather that I have learned to look for the good in gardens and in plants, and there is lots to be found. Oh, there are times when I fail – when my plants don’t grow as well as they should and I need to try harder. But where would I rather be on a sunny day? Nowhere!
The How to Garden handbooks will, I hope, allow some of that enthusiasm – childish though it may be – to rub off on you, and the information they contain will, I hope, make you a better gardener, as well as opening your eyes to the magic of plants and flowers.
Shrubs are a large and varied group of garden plants with woody stems, which do not die back each year. Most shrubs naturally produce a bushy shape, and many are multi-stemmed, distinguishing them from trees, which generally have a single stem. The shrubs that bear flowers are some of the most beautiful and useful of plants and, being permanent, should form the framework of a planting scheme. Their size and shape, as well as whether they are evergreen or deciduous, determine how best to use them, as do their flowering time, fragrance and whether they produce fruits or rich autumn foliage.
Shrubs put on a certain amount of growth each year, which thickens and is built on the next year. Most shrubs reach around 4–8m (13–26ft) in height, but there are numerous exceptions, with the smallest barely getting off the ground and the tallest touching 15m (49ft).
Just to confuse you, there are some tall, upright shrubs that reach treelike proportions (see here). And a few trees lend themselves to being trained with several stems, so that they look like shrubs … which does blur the distinction between trees and shrubs somewhat!
Many flowering shrubs also offer delightful fragrance, adding another dimension to the pleasure a garden can give, not just during the summer but in the depths of winter, too. What’s more, the blooms of some of these shrubs are followed in autumn by abundant crops of colourful fruits, loved by the birds, while others are noted for their dazzling autumn foliage tints.
Flowering shrubs have the edge over other members of the shrub family in that while having an all-year presence, there is a ‘golden period’ when they’re in bloom. Their flowers are as varied in shape and size as the shrubs that bear them. They come in every colour of the spectrum, and are produced in every season of the year, some of them lasting for months on end.
Don’t forget
A few flowering shrubs turn woody only at the base of their main stems, for example hardy fuchsia, and often their top-growth is killed off by frosts. So if you live in the colder regions of the UK, it is best to treat these as herbaceous plants. (See also box, here.)
With such a diversity of shape and form, as well as a truly dazzling range of flowers and foliage, flowering shrubs are a key ingredient in all successful garden designs. Their most important contribution is providing permanent structure – the framework that every garden requires – but they perform many other functions, too. Thinking about these will help you select the right plants from what might seem a bewildering choice.
Every garden, large or small, rural or urban, needs to have a basic structure. This is what shrubs and trees provide – a permanent backbone of planting. Get this right and everything else will fall into place.
Whether they’re deciduous or evergreen, dwarf and spreading, low and mound-forming, or tall and upright, shrubs form a framework on which everything else hangs. They should stand out from the ‘fillers’ that flesh out the bones (bulbs, annuals and herbaceous perennials), giving a sense of continuity from one season and one year to the next.
Evergreens might seem the most obvious structural plants, but deciduous flowering shrubs can also make a significant contribution to the overall garden picture, even in winter, after their leaves have fallen and the distinctive pattern of their branches is revealed.
Many flowering shrubs make excellent specimen plants, and can be used as a dramatic point of focus when in flower. A plant like this can stand alone in a lawn or gravelled area, or be incorporated into a border, performing a key role in the structural plan of the garden.
In the days of large gardens, when there were teams of people to do the work, shrubs were frequently grown in a dedicated border, or ‘shrubbery’. Today, most flowering shrubs are found in mixed borders, rubbing up against other types of plants, typically herbaceous perennials, annuals and bulbs. Plants with contrasting foliage and flowers, and different flowering periods, are combined to create a continuous succession of interest within the border, throughout the year.
When thinking about how to use flowering shrubs in a border, it can make the whole process a lot less daunting if you break the planting down into three different levels. Think about what might cover the ground, below eye level; what could be the mid-storey plants, at eye level; and what might be used to stand out at the back of the border, above eye level, to create the skyline.
Some low-growing flowering shrubs make good understorey plants beneath larger shrubs and trees, forming knee-deep ground cover, which will provide interest and also help to keep down weeds (see here). Many flowering shrubs form rounded dome shapes and make excellent fillers in the middle of a mixed border. Others are much more upright, like mahonia, or fountain-shaped, like buddleia, forsythia or philadelphus – all useful further back in the border.
One bonus of using shrubs in a mixed border is that by combining them with other types of plant you can find sheltered spots for the ‘not-so-hardy’ plants to nestle in among their more robust neighbours. Another plus point is that a mixed border requires less maintenance than an equivalent-sized herbaceous border, so is a good option if time, or inclination, is limited.
Don’t forget
Bear in mind that perennials and bulbs will need lifting and dividing from time to time, so you should leave space for access in the border. Be very careful not to disturb the roots of the shrubs while you carry out this task.
By carefully placing wind-tolerant flowering shrubs, you can provide shelter for less-than-robust shrubs. Even some otherwise hardy flowering shrubs can be vulnerable to damage at certain times. For example, the young shoots of Halesia carolina and dwarf rhododendrons and azaleas can all be damaged by winds early in the growing season, and would benefit from extra protection at this time.
The most effective windbreak filters the wind (rather than blocking its path, like a wall or fence does), so flowering shrubs are ideal. In a large garden you can mix wind-tolerant flowering shrubs with trees to create a shelter belt, while in a small garden, flowering evergreens and bamboos will do the trick.
Nearly all gardens benefit from wind protection. Even in seemingly sheltered urban gardens, the wind can whistle through gaps between buildings. The damage caused by wind tunnels between buildings can be limited by planting wind-tolerant shrubs at either end of the passage. In an exposed garden, you can plant either the whole boundary with wind-tolerant shrubs, to form a windbreak to protect the entire site, or you can place them strategically within the garden, to create sheltered planting pockets for more tender specimens. The best to try are Cotoneaster simonsii, Erica arborea, rosemary, Santolina chamaecyparissus and Viburnum tinus (see also here). In mild coastal areas, salt-tolerant flowering shrubs such as Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’ work well as a protective hedge.
Several flowering shrubs make excellent hedges. Choose robust, bushy, densely growing shrubs, preferably evergreen. If they have spines on their stems or prickly leaves they’ll provide an efficient intruder-deterrent too. For example, you could plant the prickly barberry (Berberis thunbergii) or flowering quince (Chaenomeles).
If you want a fairly formal hedge, the shrubs will need to be pruned regularly and ideally have twiggy stems that grow together to create a continuous barrier, like escallonia. Bear in mind that you’ll have to sacrifice a lot of the flowering potential of shrubs if they are trimmed more formally. If the flowering hedge also produces berries, delay trimming and tidying up until winter. If you have the space, however, flowering shrubs can be used to create an informal hedge, so that you can enjoy their flowers and fruit, too.
For an unusual and striking boundary, you could try creating a mixed hedge from two or more varieties of flowering shrub. It’s important to select those that bloom at the same time so that they can be pruned simultaneously, just after flowering. Similarly, yellow- and red-berrying pyracantha varieties can be used to create two-tone blocks of autumn hedge colour.
Within the garden itself, you can use some low-growing flowering shrubs to define paths or borders, or to divide the garden into ‘rooms’. English lavender (Lavandula) and the compact rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Majorca Pink’ are ideal for this purpose. In a mild, sheltered garden you have a greater choice of plants and can include borderline-hardy shrubs, such as the striking Fuchsia magellanica (see here).
Don’t forget
Early-flowering and late-fruiting hedges are a great way to draw wildlife into the garden. Birds enjoy feeding on the fruit, while bees and butterflies are attracted by the nectar-rich flowers, which can provide food when little else is on offer. (See also here.)
Larger shrubs can be used at the back of a border to act as a foil for the plants in front when they are performing, and to provide seasonal interest when they are not. For a narrow border, choose spectacular spring or early summer flowering shrubs, Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’ perhaps, that will really make a show before other plants get going. For larger borders, include some winter-flowering shrubs such as Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’, as well as those that bear autumn crops of fruit, like pyracantha, or have striking evergreen foliage. Their displays should come to prominence just as plants that flower in the main season start to fade.
Taller shrubs at the back of a border can be used to perform another valuable function, and that is blurring the boundaries – which has the effect of making your garden seem bigger than it actually is.
Several fast-growing flowering shrubs make good gap-fillers. For the back of the border, consider quick-growing shrubs like buddleias, brooms (Cytisus), kerrias, Leycesteria formosa, the mallow Lavatera × clemenţii ‘Barnsley’, and hardy fuchsias, such as ‘Riccartonii’. The buddleia, fuchsia, lavatera and leycesteria can be pruned back hard each year, after flowering, if you want to keep them small. Another option for fillers are shrubs that transplant well. Potentilla fruticosa ‘Elizabeth’, for example, is happy to be moved whenever necessary.
A few shrubs, known as wall shrubs, are well suited to training against vertical surfaces. This has become such a popular way of growing some hardy flowering shrubs, including flowering quince (Chaenomeles), that you rarely see them grown as freestanding specimens. This is because the vertical training shows off their decorative features to best effect and helps overcome their natural tendency to sprawl. Less-than-hardy shrubs also benefit when grown against the warmth of a sheltered wall. Sites like this allow you to grow a wider range of tender shrubs than would otherwise be possible. Conversely, some very hardy shrubs, such as cotoneaster, are perfect for training against north-facing walls, where little else will grow. Other good flowering shrubs to train this way include: camellias, choisyas, daphnes, winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), pineapple broom (Cytisus battandieri), Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’, and the mock orange Philadelphus ‘Manteau d’Hermine’.
The job of providing effective ground cover falls to those plants that are able to cover the soil with a continuous canopy of attractive, preferably evergreen, foliage, which can suppress weeds. Ideally, it should be low-growing, quick-spreading and non-invasive.
A few flowering shrubs make good ground cover under trees and around other shrubs. However, most take time to establish a continuous blanket of interest. That blanket can be at least knee-deep in some cases, so bear this in mind when making your choice. Most ground-cover shrubs are pretty robust and don’t mind if you walk on them if you need to.
To avoid detracting from the existing display, plant plain green ground cover beneath variegated shrubs. Under deciduous shrubs, evergreen ground-cover shrubs would extend the period of interest over winter. Try Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Atropurpurea Nana’, wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) and the periwinkles (Vinca).
Growing shrubs over bare ground can also be a clever way of covering an awkward slope or bank. The shrubs will help to bind the soil together and blanket the soil with foliage, and so prevent weeds from growing up. Over sunny banks try Santolina chamaecyparissus ‘Nana’, Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis ‘Yankee Point’ or Genista lydia. (See also here.)
Some dwarf flowering shrubs are suitable for growing in a rockery, but make sure that you choose slow-growing plants that aren’t invasive either above or below ground. Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Atropurpurea Nana’, for example, is ideal, reaching just 60cm (2ft) high when fully grown. In early spring it’s smothered in pale yellow, red-tinged flowers, while its dense foliage turns fiery shades in autumn. Similarly, the cream-coloured deciduous broom Cytisus × kewensis reaches just 30cm (12in) high, although it may need pruning to restrict its spread. If you want an evergreen, Hebe, pinguifolia ‘Pagei’ is a good choice. It has bluish-green foliage that looks good all year. Where space is at a premium, use the compact-growing heathers or heaths, such as Calluna vulgaris ‘Dark Star’ and Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’ or ‘Springwood White’.
Many people would like to include a tree or several trees in the garden but lack the space to do so. However, bear in mind that there are many flowering shrubs that can create very similar effects. They can be used either on their own, as a focal point, or may be grouped to create an intimate woodland effect, underplanted with a mixed planting of shade-tolerant bulbs, perennials and compact flowering shrubs. For more ideas on using tree-like shrubs, see here.
Many flowering shrubs provide the perfect environment for birds, insects and other creatures to set up home in your garden. They also produce fruits and flowers, which provide vital food sources throughout the seasons. With the decline in the bumblebee population, and the serious implications this has for the pollination of our food plants, we should all be doing our bit to attract pollinating insects to our gardens. To achieve this, include a mixture of both deciduous and evergreen flowering shrubs.
Bees are looking for nectar and pollen. They are especially attracted to blue, purple, violet and yellow flowers, and are drawn to white and other colours if the fragrance is strong. Aim for a succession of flowers through the growing season, and bear in mind that single, rather than double, flowers offer easier access to the pollen and nectar. Bees appreciate a water source – a bowl of water, with a few pebbles for them to rest on, is adequate. Encourage bees to nest by providing short lengths of hollow cane. Bees’ favourite shrubs include: berberis, buddleia, Mexican orange blossom (Choisya), sun rose (Cistus), cotoneaster, escallonia, rock rose (Helianthemum), Lonicera × purpusii, lavender, perovskia, potentilla, heathers, pyracantha, flowering currant (Ribes), rosemary, sage and thyme.
Resident songbirds will eat berries during the autumn to help build up their reserves for winter. Try to include a range of flowering shrubs, such as berberís, cotoneaster and viburnum, which will not only look good but will provide food throughout the autumn and into winter, too. Bear in mind that a few berry-producing shrubs, including Skimmia japonica, need both male and female plants to be in the vicinity for the female plants to bear a good crop of fruit each year.
Ten ways to be a wildlife-friendly gardener
Grow a wide range of different shrubs that provide nectar and berries. A combination of these will provide food for insects (including bees and butterflies) and birds.
Your garden should consist of a good balance of grass (long and short if possible), trees, shrubs, flowers and water. Each of these provides a habitat for wildlife.
Provide a mixture of vegetation, light, shade and shelter for maximum diversity.
Include a mixture of early- and late-flowering plants. These will provide nectar for insects at critical times – just after emergence or prior to hibernation.
Leave tidying of borders and shrubs until late winter or early spring. This will provide shelter for insects and will retain seeds and fruits for birds and small mammals to feed on throughout winter.
A thorny shrub bed or hedge provides a vital nesting site as well as shelter for wildlife (berberis is particularly good for this).
Grow climbers against walls to provide shelter, and roosting and breeding sites, for birds.
Create a water feature, such as a pond – as well as attracting amphibians, water encourages birds and insects to the garden to drink and bathe.
Plant a wildlife garden and include native plants such as hawthorn (Crataegus).
Provide nesting boxes, bird baths and bird feeders to attract birds to the garden. Ensure they are safe from cats, squirrels and other animals.
Don’t forget
Hedgehogs will set up home among shrubs in borders, where they will consume large quantities of slugs and other garden pests. Attract them either by leaving piles of fallen leaves among well-established plants or at the base of deciduous hedges, or by installing a specially designed hedgehog hibernation box, at the back of a border, where the creatures won’t be disturbed over winter.
In late summer, hungry birds won’t be able to make the distinction between your fruiting shrubs and your crops on any nearby soft-fruit bushes, so if you grow raspberries and other soft fruits for a late-summer harvest, you should protect them with a fruit cage covered with netting.
To attract seed-eating birds such as goldfinches, plant a few sunflowers at the back of a shrub border, so that they can feast on the ripe seedheads towards the end of the year. Put food out regularly throughout the winter months, stopping during late spring to encourage the birds to forage for garden pests instead. Also, put up nesting boxes to suit a range of different birds, securing them to a wall, fence or tree at the back of a border, in order to provide the ideal cover. See also Plants for a purpose, here, for a selection of flowering shrubs that produce berries.
To attract adult butterflies to your garden, include some nectar-rich flowering shrubs. There is the aptly named butterfly bush (Buddleja), but escallonia, hebe, lavender, lilac and thyme will also do the job. You can further encourage butterflies to visit your garden from mid-spring to late autumn by planting other nectar-rich flowering plants in and around your shrubs. To lure the native early-spring butterflies, such as orange-tips, as well as the overwintering adults of small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies, underplant with forget-me-nots, polyanthus and wallflowers. The flowering shrubs will then come into their own, but could be supplemented with a scattering of candytuft, helichrysum, heliotrope and lobelia. You will attract not only the native butterflies, but also summer visitors, such as the painted lady. By late summer, the butterfly bush will be a throng of busy insects. Escallonia rubra var. macrantha and Cerastostigma willmottianum will continue the rich nectar supply for the insects into the autumn months.
Many flowering shrubs are ideal for growing in pots. They make long-lasting container plants that can be used to transform a patio or fill gaps in borders. Shrubs in tubs can be used as flowering focal points and can be moved into prominent positions when they’re looking their best. Matching containers planted with identical flowering shrubs can be used to provide a visual link between disparate elements of the garden – leading the casual visitor on to explore further.
There are many advantages to growing flowering shrubs in containers. For example, it enables you to grow shrubs that would otherwise struggle to thrive in your existing soil. If you have chalky soil that is too alkaline to grow acid-lovers, such as pieris, camellias and rhododendrons, you can grow them in tubs filled with ericaceous compost. If your garden soil is heavy clay or waterlogged, you can still grow silver-leaved flowering shrubs that need dry soil, such as lavender, in pots filled with free-draining compost. Plus, borderline-hardy flowering shrubs planted in tubs can be grown outdoors in places where they would normally be killed off in winter by frost. All you need to do is move the container-grown specimen into a sheltered spot for the winter months, so that it’s protected from the worst of the winter weather. You can even grow tender shrubs in tubs outside, provided you have somewhere frost free, such as a greenhouse, conservatory or light-filled porch, to keep them throughout the colder months.
Which flowering shrub you select to grow in a container is very much a matter of personal choice, but bear in mind a few considerations.
First, think about where the container will be positioned – you will need to take note of how much sun it will get and how sheltered the site is. If the container is very large and heavy, it will probably stay in the same spot once planted. Medium-sized or large tubs can be fitted with outdoor castors, or can be moved using a trolley or a special pot-moving platform.
A wide range of flowering shrubs can be grown in containers successfully, but the best long-term residents include azaleas, camellias, choisyas, hebes, pieris, dwarf rhododendrons, Skimmia japonica and Viburnum davidii. They must all be able to tolerate a restricted root-run and drought. Ideally, they should have an attractive outline and look good all year. Evergreens can often be planted as a single specimen, but deciduous shrubs will benefit from partners. You could try an underplanting of spring-flowering bulbs and a cascading evergreen edging plant, such as a small-leaved variegated ivy, to extend the period of interest.
You can use almost any type of container, provided you select a suitable flowering shrub to match. Most will need as large a container as you can afford, ideally at least 45cm (18in) deep and wide, but there are flowering shrubs, including dwarf forms of hebe, that can be grown in much smaller containers. Remember, terracotta pots dry out more quickly than glazed, stone or wooden ones, although you can line them with plastic to prevent drying out. Plastic pots tend to overheat in summer and don’t provide sufficient insulation in winter for the roots of borderline-hardy shrubs; however, you can wrap them in bubble wrap for added protection. Avoid containers that narrow at the neck, as it will be hard to get a large shrub out without damaging the plant (or pot).