All about Garden Shrubs

Garden shrubs - fancy a new one? Some of mine that are looking fab this year.

End May/June flowering

Black Sambuca- I love this elder at the moment and is also fab for cordial.

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Another elder variegated- brightens up a shady corner and again it you can use the flowers. I have tried the berries in chutney - not that impressed to be honest.

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Physocarpus - this is a lovely shrub and is great for cutting for the vase. The coppery colour leaves look amazing in the border.

I fancy that Physocarpus, Scarlet. Its not one that I know. They all look lovely. Shrubs with distinctive leaf colour are always a bonus, even without flowers.

They’re all lovely.

I fancy that Physocarpus, Scarlet. Its not one that I know. They all look lovely. Shrubs with distinctive leaf colour are always a bonus, even without flowers.

You know I'm troubled with ground elder and to reduce some of the work I thought the best thing to do was fill a couple of borders with coloured shrubs. Trying to mulch underneath, it hasn't worked brilliantly as the stuff is still there  but it's better than using poison. 
Physocarpus is one of my favourites- people always comment on it.

Identification help please.

My friend was given this shrub.  Is it a variegated dog wood?

   

Any suggestions for a shrub to fill in gaps in an old hawthorn hedge which has more or less grown into trees?!

Shrubs are all lovely Scarlet!

Identification help please.

My friend was given this shrub.  Is it a variegated dog wood?

I think it's a weigela.

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Any suggestions for a shrub to fill in gaps in an old hawthorn hedge which has more or less grown into trees?!

Shrubs are all lovely Scarlet!

Thank you.

I planted a wildlife hedge last year. I put a dogrose in it. They are vigorous but I'm loving it at the moment - full of flowers.

I think the snowball bush looks lovely in a hedge? Viburnum? Or you could just plant in some hazel?

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Hawthorn respond well to hard pruning? They will often send up some new vigorous growth.

Identification help please.

My friend was given this shrub.  Is it a variegated dog wood?

I think it's a weigela.

---

Any suggestions for a shrub to fill in gaps in an old hawthorn hedge which has more or less grown into trees?!

Shrubs are all lovely Scarlet!

Thank you.

I planted a wildlife hedge last year. I put a dogrose in it. They are vigorous but I'm loving it at the moment - full of flowers.

I think the snowball bush looks lovely in a hedge? Viburnum? Or you could just plant in some hazel?

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Hawthorn respond well to hard pruning? They will often send up some new vigorous growth.

I don't think its a Weigela Scarlet. I have weigela in my border but think its a Flamingo willow, (which I also have.) My Black Sambucca is just coming into flower here with its pink flowers.   I bought a black sambucca online and it died so I got a replacement, then the original plant came back to life so I have two now!

I think it's a flamingo willow too!

I love my back Sambuca - ( makes pink cordial) I have a yellow one as well. I have tried to take cuttings but not had any luck yet.

Having looked round my herbaceous borders I have too many purple flowered shrubs . Luckily I have a hydrangea which because I am on an acid soil has lovely sky blue flowers when it comes out. I planted flowering alliums in front of my purple rhododendron not realising the flowers have an identical colour and looking from my kitchen window can't be distinguished. I will move them next year.
Every year I move plants around as I try to picture how plants would look in various positions.