Ulex europeus Flore Pleno ( Double Blossomed Furze ). This RHS Award of Garden Merit recipient is a compact, almost leafless shrub with spiny stems and an abundance of double, fragrant, coconut scented, rich deep yellow flowers in Spring.

An easy to grow plant in a sunny spot, even in thin poor soils, also salt tolerant so well suited for coastal planting schemes, and frequently used as a low growing hedge.

This shrub is probably one of the most underrated of garden shrub, an absolutely ” bomb proof ” plant, ideal for deterring any unwanted visitors to the garden due to its sharp spiny nature. It is very garden worthy and its ” piece de resistance ” really are the eye catching clusters of bright yellow flowers with the characteristic sweet coconut fragrance. Very memorable on a lovely Spring or early Summer’s day.

Magnolia Stellata ( Star Magnolia ). This popular magnolia makes a slow growing bushy ornamental garden shrub or small tree, and blooms as a young plant, it’s grey silky buds forming into a mass of star shaped, slightly fragrant, whitish flowers in early Spring on bare branches before the leaves emerge, and cover the shrub for several weeks.

The leaves open a bronze-green colour turning to deep green during the Summer, before turning yellow and dropping during the Autumn. It also has interesting, reddish-green knobbly fruit which split open to reveal the orange seeds inside.

Magnolia Stellata’s compact size makes this an ideal shrub for smaller gardens, preferring a sheltered spot out of any strong, cold Winter winds.

The Star Magnolia was introduced from Japan to the US in 1862 by Dr George Robert Hall and later to the UK in 1877/1878, propably by Charles Maries, while he was collecting for Veitch Nurseries based at Chelsea and Exeter, Devon.

Hamamelis Diane ( Witch Hazel ) is one of the best of our flowering shrubs yet raised and has achieved the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit to prove its self! The beautiful deep red/orange sweetly scented flowers appear in January – February on bear branches before the emerging large bright green leaves which with the approaching Autumn begin to turn through rich shades of yellow, orange and red.

Jasminum Nudiflorum  The Winter Jasmine is one of the most tolerant and beautiful of all the Winter flowering shrubs. Bright yellow, star shaped flowers appear on the naked green branches in February. A very good shrubby climber for covering unsightly walls and banks. Another recipient of the much coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Garrya Elliptica ‘James Roof’ This Silk Tassel bush is a magnificent evergreen shrub, draped, during the Winter-early Spring months with long greyish-green catkins. Dense and upright in habit, it is an ideal shrub for the Winter garden, or training against a wall. RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Mahonia Japonica The Oregon Grape is a beautiful species and deservedly one of the most popular and ornamental of all the evergreen shrubs. Magnificent deep green leaves an large racemes of fragrant lemon-yellow flowers from late Autumn to early Spring, followed by shiny dark purple berries. Its architectural foliage and form would add drama to any border. This RHS Award of Garden Merit shrub is also very good for the shady area of the garden.

Acacia Dealbata

Commonly known as Mimosa or Silver Wattle is a surprisingly hardy plant that originates from Australia. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree with finely cut green leaves and sweetly scented, ball shaped, lemon flowers which are formed in the Autumn then open during late Winter / early Spring, and which are highly attractive to butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects to be found in our gardens. Suitable also for coastal areas.

Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn

One of the very best early flowering shrubs, a recipient of the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit. A very hardy, medium sized, upright shrub that has densely packed clusters of sweetly scented, rose-tinted flowers on bare branches that are remarkably frost resistant, making a welcoming sight on a Winters day.The bronze tinted fresh young foliage in Spring, turning a dark green through the summer months before changing to shades of orange/yellow towards the Autumn when the blue/black berries are formed.

With Spring now just around the corner we can look forward to many of our early flowering plants. The Camellia plant is always a great favourite, having given us the benefit of its wonderfully large, dark green, glossy leaves throughout the Winter, we can now look forward to seeing it blossom. Camellia x williamsii ‘Anticipation’ is a prime example, a large upright shrub ideally suited for the rear of the border making a superb backdrop for the smaller shrubs to the front. During early Spring we see the large ruffled, double deep rose-pink flowers coming to life, sitting proudly against the shiny dark green leaves.

We begin December with thoughts of Christmas, but also there is still plenty to be seen in the garden.

Here in the Let’s Go Planting garden we see the flower buds already formed on the Sarcococca Confusa or Christmas Box as it is more commonly known. This fragrant border plant, promises a wonderful display of delicate clusters of white, highly scented flowers, to be followed by glossy black fruits; an ideal snack for the wildlife.

Winter Fragrance

Confusa, sometimes called Sweet Box is a dense rounded shrub with very small tapered, glossy dark green leaves, which can be used to form a small informal hedge. It provides an ideal splash of contrast at a time when the garden can seem to be quietening down. We recommend planting in borders or tubs perhaps by your front door to give your carol singers a waft of fragrance when they call.

Berries for the birds

As well as the glossy black berries of the Christmas Box we also have an abundance of berries on the Pyracantha or Firethorn as it is often referred to. This year we have orange, yellow and red varieties of Pyracantha creating a lovely display and the birds in particular find them attractive.

Planting Pyracantha against a wall or fence is a good idea to maintain it’s structure, although this spiny evergreen can also be planted as part of a hedge to deter unwelcome visitors. Beware when handling!