Spring bling

Bulbs are fleeting; annuals flame and die but shrubs can last for decades. Accomplished garden writer and Ross Tours leader, Paul Urquhart shares five of the best. 

If you want a permanent and regular floral display in spring, don’t go past springflowering shrubs. From deciduous to evergreen, they combine impact and flair with a modicum of attention – some judicious pruning, usually only once a year, a handful of fertiliser and mulching guarantee you a brilliant display every year. They are the backbone of the garden, a floral spectacle morphing into a green and pleasant backdrop for other delights – the bulbs, perennials, annuals and foliage plants – of other seasons. Here are five of the best.

 

Philadelphus

Ever wondered why French gardens are so romantic? So many feature the wonderful fragrance of philadelphus. Long, arching, elegant canes smothered in simple white flowers like orange blossom hence the common name, mock orange. It does best in full sun though tolerates part-shade and most well-drained garden soils. Philadelphus looks best when the canes billow. Remove three-year-old canes at the base of the plant and reduce twiggy and dead growth to keep it dense. Cut back older canes by onethird to allow new strong canes room to grow. Apply organic fertiliser after pruning and mulch in summer. Look for P. coronarius or P . lemoinei ‘Avalanche’. H: 3m x W: 3m

Weigela 

Weigela is making a comeback. In many ways, it is the quintessential spring shrub, a compact but blousy specimen with dainty, arched stems covered in blooms. Flowers range from deep ruby, cerise, pale pink or mauve, white, even yellow. Some have variegated green and cream leaves. The deeper colours have the most impact in a garden while the paler forms with variegated leaves are subtle. Prune them as you would philadelphus, removing dead wood and older canes after three years and reducing others by one-third. Feed after flowering. H: 2.5m x W: 2.5m

 

Spiraea

For a while, the common may bush was out of fashion but its generosity and ease of growth has resulted in a resurgence. We usually think of the Chinese white-flowered Spiraea cantoniensis which can have masses of single or double flowers. Personal taste dictates which you choose. It is not at all fussy about soil or even pruning but it too produces canes which become woody with age. Prune as described above. Some like to hedge it, but old canes still need to be removed. H: 2.5m x W: 2.5m

Lilac

The common lilac Syringa vulgaris, is anything but. Best known for its fragrance and gentle colours from deep purple, lilac (of course!) through to white. Lilacs make excellent cut flowers, possibly even better looking than in the garden. That depends of course on conditions. Lilacs do best in a cooler climate and are temperamental in warmer zones. Give it a sunny spot with gritty, well-drained soil. Ideally, summers are relatively dry. Lilac doesn’t like wet feet and if autumn is warm and wet, they come into bud prematurely. In inland gardens, severe frost can kill the buds. H: 2-4mx W: 2m

 

Ixora ‘Prince of Orange’

This Asian beauty is one for warmer zones as it is not frost hardy and struggles in cool winter temperatures. Its bright clusters of orange flowers appear in spring and last through to autumn, even longer in the tropics. It forms a rounded, dense shrub that can be used as an informal hedge or edging to paths or pools. It looks great either mass planted or as an accent plant in a shrub border or in containers. Simply deadhead to encourage flowers. Mulch and feed in summer and keep up water in dry periods. H: 1.2m x W: 1m