Shrubs
This is my favourite pink shrubby salvia. The individual flowers are large for a sage with a silvery hue that really shimmers and sings in the border. As with all the shrubby sages - hardy - long flowering and easy plus deer and rabbit resistant. 40cm Jul-Nov
A favourite shrubby salvia with among the largest lipstick pink flowers of its type which go on for months through high summer till the first frosts. Shrubs get about 40cm high. Trim them lightly in April to keep them looking neat. Hardy and reliable but a bit brittle and delicate if you have large dogs or kids footballs flying about! Nice complement to the larger blooms of roses or dahlias.
Only discovered this marvellous little rose recently. With few thorns, a neat ,compact habit and a mass of creamy flowers from May to Christmas this is a great 'doer'. The lack of meaningful scent is its only drawback. (Grown on its own roots) 80cm
Cape Fuchsia. Unusual sub-shrub which dies down in winter with huge panicles of long dusky red bells each with a lemon yellow lip. Flowers for a long time June - August. Ht 50cm
Unusual and dainty shrub that only reaches a meter high but decks itself in Chamaeleon-like leaves which change from shrimp-pink in spring to cream and finally green by summer when attractive, white spirea-like flowers appear on the branches. Will slowly sucker about in sun or part shade. May - Jul Ht 1m
Bounteous shrub with enormous mop-headed creamy flowers which last for months transforming from lime green to ivory white in Autumn then parchment through winter. Easier to prune than conventional hydrangeas. Just cut all stems back by half. For part shade 1.2m
One of the longest flowering plants in the garden. This makes an evergreen shrub with a mound grey foliage above which rises spikes of mauve flowers. Trim over in winter and take cuttings to be ready to replace tired plants every few years. 50cm
Classic, native winter shrub which makes a fuzz of gleaming stems; red at base fading to tips of burning gold. Prune hard every 2 years for the brightest effect. 5 months of winter colour. Avoid dry soils and can be slow to get going but a real joy once it is settled. Grows 1.8m
Classic variegated dogwood with bold cream-splashed leaves and red stems in winter. Occasional white flowers and blue berries are a bonus. Ht 1.8m Avoid very dry soils
Unusual shrub with bold, purple-tinged foliage topped with large pink heads of flowers in summer like a mop-head hydrangea but with scent. The plant habit is narrow and upright - useful in a tight space but keep it confined as suckers can pop up all over the place which can be equally charming or annoying. Ht 2m
Unusual and dainty shrub that only reaches a meter high but decks itself in Chamaeleon-like leaves which change from shrimp-pink in spring to cream and finally green by summer when attractive, white spirea-like flowers appear on the branches. Will slowly sucker about in sun or part shade. May - Jul Ht 1m