Shrubs - advice please

amistupid

This was my back garden border last year.



It was pretty but everything was past it best so I've dug the lot up. It took ages, but I've dug over it 3 or 4 more times and the soil is now very good. Instead of flowers I would like to plant some shrubs. As you can see just behind the fence there is a neighbours big beech tree hedge.

Can anyone advice me of what would be suited to this location and when things need planting. As you look at the picture the sun rises on the right setting on the left.

Ideally I'd like a mixture of evergreen and/or flowering shrubs.

Many thanks Adey

conradmum

What do you want exactly, though? Flowers, scent, low maintenance, pretty or bold? Do you want to change to shrubs because they'll be less trouble or did you just want something different?

Steel_2

amistupid wrote: »

This was my back garden border last year.



It was pretty but everything was past it best so I've dug the lot up. It took ages, but I've dug over it 3 or 4 more times and the soil is now very good. Instead of flowers I would like to plant some shrubs. As you can see just behind the fence there is a neighbours big beech tree hedge.

Can anyone advice me of what would be suited to this location and when things need planting. As you look at the picture the sun rises on the right setting on the left.

Ideally I'd like a mixture of evergreen and/or flowering shrubs.

Many thanks Adey

I would kill for a border that looked like that :rotfl:'Past it's best' in my garden means covered in rubble

Can you say whereabouts in the country you are so I can get a feel for plants that might not survive in your location.

Are you relatively sheltered with all those beech trees?

What sort of soil do you have?

amistupid

I'm retired so the work aspect doesn't bother me, I just want something more substantial than flowers, more sculptural. I think the border is south facing gets the sun all day, the soil seems a good texture has nether too much clay or is too acidic. I live on the East Coast.

amcluesent

> I'd like a mixture of evergreen and/or flowering shrubs.<

Californian Lilac, Japanese Quince, Cider gum, box, bamboo

Jei70

Also lavender, rosemary, sweet bay, Mexican orange blossom, camellia (all evergreen), buddleja, purple elder, Japanese maple and, of course, English roses.

conradmum

As others have given you some ideas for flowering shrubs, my suggestions are for the evergreen, architectural part of your request: fatsia japonica, holly, juniper, yew. There's also a shrub I particularly like called garrya elliptica (James Roof) that has beautiful silver tassels in the spring, but it is a bit girly.