Does your cottage garden contain a sunny or partially shady border in need of ground cover? If so, this Cotoneaster will do the trick. Cotoneaster adpressus 'Little Gem' spreads quickly, forming mounds of deciduous, green foliage. The plant is easy to maintain, making it well-suited to difficult-to-reach places such as steep banks. This hardy shrub won't merely carpet such areas, it will transform them into points of interest when it grows white flowers and red berries in the summer and autumn respectively. Further colour is introduced at the end of the season, when Cotoneaster Tom Thumb's leaves turn magnificent shades of red. Height: 40cm (1'4). Spread: 2m (6'7).
Cotoneaster plants are best known for providing excellent ground cover and this variety is no exception. Its spreading stems grow quickly in sunlight or semi-shade, efficiently filling up borders with green foliage. However, keen gardeners could also use wires to train Cotoneaster horizontalis up a sunny wall, making for an unusual and distinctive display. Wherever it's grown, this hardy shrub will provide plenty of interest from the spring, when it produces dainty, pinky white blooms all the way through to the autumn, when its red berrries attract birds, making it worthy of a place in wildlife areas. What's more, the plant's oval-shaped, deciduous leaves turn bright shades of orange and red at the end of the season, adding colour to cottage gardens. Even its silver-brown branches make a lovely, winter feature thanks to their herringbone pattern. With so much year-round variety on offer, you can't go wrong with Cotoneaster horizontalis. Height: 1m (3'3). Spread: 1.5m (4'11).
Forming a well proportioned rounded shape, Cotoneaster suecicus 'Coral Beauty' is a great plant for covering over an awkward area and also for surpressing weeds!