Berberis buxifolia 'Nana' produces delicate yellow-orange flowers in spring, emitting a wonderful sweet fragrance that is attractive to bees. These blooms are held on graceful, gently arching branches which are thickly covered in small, dark green leaves. This exceptionally dwarf evergreen shrub then produces rounded, purple-blue berries in the autumn, attracting birds and adding further interest to your garden. Berberis buxifolia 'Nana' is the perfect choice for small gardens where it can be planted in patio containers or used a low evergreen hedge. Height and Spread: 60cm (24).
Choisya ternata, Mexican Orange Blossom, thrives in harsh conditions, such as exposed coastal gardens. This low maintenance, drought resistant plant originates in Mexico and flowers in the autumn, winter and early spring when many other shrubs are dormant. With dark green, evergreen oval foliage, and star-shaped and highly-scented white flower, Choisya ternata makes a very pretty hedge. Height and spread: 2.5m (8').
If you are looking for a colourful plant for damp areas of the garden, then Astilbe japonica 'Elisabeth van Veen' is a great choice. It has feathery panicles of lush pink flowers on upright stems and clumps of finely divided leaves. False Goatsbeard can be planted in borders or patio planters and is fine in sun or partial shade. It looks great planted alongside Hostas and Ferns. Height and spread: 50cm (20).
Most Hydrangeas produce great results but require little maintenance, and Hydrangea macrophylla 'Blue Danube' is no exception. When given space in a sunny or partially shady border or patio container, the hardy shrub will produce striking flowerheads in July and August. These blooms can grow to an impressive 20cm (8) in diameter, transforming cottage gardens and dominating any cut flower display. The papery petals are typically a blue-purple colour when the plant is grown in acidic soil, while an alkaline environment will result in a pink tone. Height: 1m (3'3). Spread: 1m (3'3).
Like magic, the new leaves of this compact deciduous shrub emerge a rich crimson, gradually maturing through to yellow and soft lime! New shoots continue to emerge throughout the growing season for a continuous show of colour and are complimented by clusters of bright pink fluffy flowers in mid to late summer. Spiraea japonica 'Magic Carpet' is easy to grow and excellent for mixed borders, coastal gardens and cottage gardens where the flowers attract pollinating insects. This exciting new Japanese Spiraea has been awarded a prestigious RHS AGM for its outstanding qualities. Height and spread: 60cm (24).
When grown in alkaline soil, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Glowing Embers' lives up to its name by producing two flushes of firey, pink flowers in July and August, which turn a darker shade of maroon in the late autumn. If the soil is acidic, the blooms will have an equally attractive blue tone. Whatever their colour, the hardy shrub's impressive flowerheads make a great addition to borders and cut flower arrangements. When grown in sunny or partially shady conditions, they can even maintain their shape until December, making for a wonderful display on frosty mornings. The plant's foliage is another great feature, for its compact habit makes it well-suited to patio containers. Height: 1m (3'3). Spread: 1m (3'3).
The only flowering bamboo! This beautiful, airy plant gradually forms a central trunk with arching branches of maroon green foliage. Panicles of white buds open in July and form red berries from autumn. Plants slowly multiply and can be divided easily. Height 2m, spread 1.5m.
Easy to grow and perfect for rockeries, borders, hedges and even municipal parks and gardens, Potentilla ?Abbotswood' is a compact shrub with an abundance of 4cm wide pristine white flowers amongst attractively shaped foliage. Potentilla are real workhorse in the garden as they can flower from April through to September when the foliage turns a rich red to close the season. Shrubby Cinquefoil as it's often called has many varieties and colours but the calming white blooms of Potentilla 'Abbotswood' are very welcome in a busy garden and nectar loving insects will appreciate the flowers too. Height: 75cm (30). Spread: 120cm (60).
Abelia x grandiflora deserves to be seen more often in gardens, remaining colourful and fragrant over many months - particularly in the autumn. Semi-evergreen, with bowing branches that bear clusters of sweet flowers, Abelia grandiflora is perfect for borders in full sun, and for adding interest to mixed hedging. When grown by a wall, this elegant plants is extremely hardy, with glossy and long-lasting foliage. Height: 3m (9?). Spread: 4m (13?).
A firm favourite for adding a tropical note to gardens, Fatsia japonica is a fast-growing, low maintenance shrub. Hardy and evergreen, its architectural value stems from it glossy, palmate leaves, which are 45cm (18?) wide and weatherproof. A robust and long-lasting shrub, Fatsia japonica is perfect for adding instant impact, filling gaps in borders and planting in patio pots. Its globular white flowers are popular with pollinating insects in summer, and are followed by black seedpods in autumn. Happy in sun or shade, Fatsia japonica holds an RHS AGM and loves fertile and moist, well-drained soil. Height and spread: 2.5m (8.2').
Potentilla ?Pink Paradise' is a rabbit and deer proof shrub that offers an abundance of pretty little pink flowers with yellow centres. Potentilla likes to be in full sun so if you can find a place in your rockery or border that suits it's needs you'll have a healthy, hardy shrub clothed with blooms from April right through to September Cinquefoil shrubs as a family require very little maintenance so are perfect for the novice or time-poor gardener . Height: 75cm (30). Spread: 120cm (60).
Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold' is an appealing choice if you?re looking for a plant with interesting and light-coloured foliage to fill a gap in a large garden border. The European Red Elder has bright yellow-green, feathery leaves, contrasting wonderfully with shrubs with dark green foliage. Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold' grows well in all types of soil, but is happiest in a spot that is both well-drained and moist. Conical heads of creamy white flowers are produced in late summer, followed by elderberries. Height and spread: 2.5m (8.2').
The Beauty Berry is a wonderful deciduous shrub for providing year-round interest, the culmination of which is a grand display of violet-purple berries and rosy pink foliage in autumn. The purple-tinted leaves that appear in spring are followed by small pink flowers by midsummer, attracting bees and other pollinating insects. Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' has a prestigious RHS AGM and is both exotic and hardy, an eye-catching choice for both borders and low maintenance gardens. Its berried stems make a lovely addition to autumn flower arrangements. Height: 3m (10?). Spread: 2.5 (8?).
Chaenomeles japonica 'Sargentii' is a delightful shrub that has tangerine orange flowers, in spring, as the leaves emerge in March. The flowers then are followed by quince fruits, which turn golden as autumn arrives. They are not suitable for eating raw, but make a scrumptious jam. As well as a standalone shrub in a border, it can also be trained up sunny walls and fences, offering a vibrant backdrop to flowering spring bulbs in garden borders or planters. Height: 1m (3'). Spread: 2m (6').
Forming a low mound with slender, arching stems, the Lydian Broom is a great choice for the front of a sunny border or rockery. In early summer each stem is covered in a mass of fragrant, bright yellow flowers. Genista lydia requires little maintenance and grows happily in poor, sandy soil. This dwarf broom holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height and Spread: 60cm (24).
Kerria japonica 'Golden Guinea', also known as the ?Japanese Rose?, is an easy-to-grow deciduous shrub with arching stems that are filled with yellow flowers in spring. The original Kerria japonica cultivar was discovered by William Kerr, a young gardener from Kew who was employed by the East India Company in 1804 to search for undiscovered plants in China to be brought back to grow in British gardens. ?Golden Guinea? is bigger and brighter than those original plants, holding an RHS AGM. A good shrub for cottage and woodland style gardens, it will fill the garden with colour during the bleak winter months. Height: 2m (6',5). Spread: 2.5m (8').
The Royal Horticultural Society has awarded Ceanothus x delileanus 'Gloire de Versailles' it's Award of Garden Merit, due to its profusion of beautiful lilac flowers throughout the summer. They fill the shrub, and their sweet smelling nectar attracts bees and butterflies to the garden. Californian Lilac has good drought tolerance, and thrives in most types of soil. They can be planted in a line to create a colourful hedge, or as stand alone specimens in borders of cottage, coastal or city gardens. Height and Spread: 1.5m (4.9').
Native to Asia, Hibiscus syriacus are popular with British gardeners for their late season flowers, when many other shrubs are a bit colourless, due to flowering earlier in the year. Hibiscus syriacus 'Purple Ruffles' has pink-purple flowers, with double and triple layers of petals, in abundance and is ideal for larger gardens. This Rose Mallow is best planted in well drained soil, and in full sun, but is fully hardy. Height: 3m (10'). Spread: 2m (6.5').
Swags of fabulous bright yellow flowers drape along the drooping branches of the Laburnum every spring, bringing a vibrant splash of colour to the garden and out-shining every other plant nearby. The sweetly scented flowers are followed by silvery pods. Grown over an arch, the flowers of Laburnum anagyroides seem to pour down through the structure, earning it the common name of Golden Rain. With its pretty, cut foliage and spreading form, this deciduous tree looks great in all seasons. It is a fast-growing, robust tree. Some parts are poisonous. Height: 8m (26'); Spread: 8m (26').
The shrubby Honeysuckle 'Winter Beauty' is a real treat in the depths of winter, with superb and fragrant flowers. These delicate, creamy-white blooms form in clusters on bare stems, filling the air with their heady scent. A spreading cousin of the well-loved climbing honeysuckles, Honeysuckle 'Winter Beauty' is an excellent shrub for borders, and its flowering stems can also be used as short-lived cut flowers. Height: 2m (78). Spread: 2.5m (98).