Most of our flowering shrubs and evergreen bushes are grown in our nursery. Many shrubs attract birds with their berries and provide both autumn foliage and winter interest. Most flowering shrubs are also beneficial to bees and other insects.
Evergreen shrubs can be pruned into hedges or can function as privacy screens. Some evergreen shrubs will even grow into evergreen trees.
Low maintenance plants look good all year round and forgive a little neglect, especially during a dry spell. Many have year round interest with flowers, fruits, gorgeous foliage in autumn and sometimes colourful bark that stands out when all else is grey in winter.
For those with busy lives, our display of low maintenance easy care plants has always proved popular.
Shrubs can provide a living wall, ideal when you need to disguise an ugly view, carve out a private area away from the gaze of neighbours, give shade or protect your garden from strong winds. They have added advantages in the beauty of their foliage, colour and texture, often with flowers and berries.
They encourage birds and butterflies into your garden and can be a constant source of greenery for flower displays.
Our over 170 years combined horticultural experience will help you to make the best choice of variety.
These hardy shrubs produce some of the most spectacular of all garden flowers! Rhododendron plants are shapely evergreen plants, azaleas are really small leaf rhododendrons and Camellias are spectacular winter and early spring bloomers.
Heathers can be split into two main flowering seasons but, with an acid soil and a range of varieties, it is possible to have heather blooms in the garden every month of the year! They are very undemanding and low maintenance plants to grow.This group of plants generally all prefer soil without lime and having a low soil pH. Some gardeners refer to these as lime hating plants.
However winter flowering heathers will tolerate some lime and Camellias will grow on soils with a neutral pH. All but the largest growing plants of this type make first class permanent subjects for container growing especially with the Vital Earth Ericaceous compost that we stock.
Visit us to learn more about Rhododendron, Azaleas, Heathers and Camellia
Many plants, such as scented lavender, grow best in full sun. This group often enjoys good drainage too.
One of our many themed displays offers hardy plants and shrubs that enjoy full sun.
There are many others of course, but if you have a sunny garden and want plants that relish those conditions, this is the place to start!
Besides lavender, you will find Cistus, Ceanothus, Potentilla, Caryopteris, Phormium and many other shrubs.
Plants that retain their leaves in winter and are not too tall growing suit today's gardens. They invariably provide all year round interest with flowers and sometimes have attractive coloured foliage too.
Many of the plants in our short evergreens display area are low maintenance, easy to grow, tolerate windy spots in the garden and will even smother annual weeds!
Hebe, Cistus, dwarf pines, low junipers, Nandina, Choisya and some Euonymus will be found here.
Visit us for more information on short growing evergreen plants
Every garden has a shady spot and rather than try to grow plants that struggle, this is an opportunity to grow shrubs, bushes and perennials that relish the lower light levels.
We always have at least two display areas of plants for sale for shady places and, of course, ferns are real shade lovers too!
Our main displays split plants for shade into those that like damp soils and those that will tolerate it drier.
Of course, you will find ferns here but also Mahonia, box plants, Skimmia, Fatsia, Aucuba and many others.
Box plants, bay laurel, olive trees, rosemary and lavender all evoke that Mediterranean scene that reminds us of hotter climates and lovely holidays!
Increasingly, we are finding that these plants thrive here too! Given a well drained, sheltered, sunny spot they even flourish!
Add to this the scent and taste of herbs, a few flowering plants like Geraniums, a barbecue and you have the perfect recipe for a garden party!
Visit us for more information on Mediterranean Plants and Lavender
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