Hardy Evergreen Flowering Shrubs

Spring is a beautiful time of year, everything is starting to grow, with leaf buds unfurling and blossom beginning to show. Hardy evergreen flowering shrubs are starting to add to the mix too.

We’re well into April and our gardens are a mass of lush, bright, young greens. Spring bulbs are showing off in a riot of colour from daffodils, tulips, Iris, and tall vivid orange Fritallaria Imperialis to the elegant spires of Camasia, all vying for our attention. Plants For Spring Colour

Borders and containers are rewarding our hard work back in Autumn when we planted spring bulbs with such enthusiasm and anticipation. Our perennial plants are also starting to grow well.

The Hardy evergreen flowering shrubs are a part of the outdoor space that I feel do a very important job in our gardens. They are always there, sometimes in the background, quietly getting on with things without any fuss.

Evergreen spring flowering shrubs add another dimension to our gardens, adding much-needed colour and fragrance to brighten our days and making our outdoors smell wonderful. Just coming outside, taking a deep breath is enough to make us all feel good.Gardening for Well-being, Why Gardening is Good for your Health.

In winter, they provide much-needed interest in the form of shapes, structure, height and greenery. They are for me, along with trees, the backbone of the garden, they give the space it’s identity, they can be planted into borders or used on their own to create a focal point. Perennial plants, spring bulbs and summer annuals are worked around them. Perennial Plants. First Year Flowering

There are some lovely shrubs to choose from, here I have listed a few of my favourites, every garden, be it a small container garden or rambling acres, has plenty of options for some shrubs. Wildlife value them for habitat, shelter, nesting sites, and food.

Birds will appreciate berries too in the winter. Pollinators and other insects can find nectar and shelter, as well as hibernation places.

Hardy Evergreen Flowering Shrubs

Azalea

Belonging to the Rhododendron family, Azalea flower in spring, flowers often lasting several weeks in all shades of pinks, cerise, reds, white and creamy yellow. They are shade tolerant and do well planted under taller shrubs or trees. They are ericaceous plants so need acid soil.

Happy to be in a container with the right conditions.

To keep them compact and to encourage bushy growth trim them after flowering.

Pieris. Forest Flame

Another acid soil loving, slow growing shrub.

These come into their own in spring with bright red new growth and clusters of creamy white, bell shaped flowers. Easy to care for, they need well-draining moist, sand or loam soil. Although they are fully hardy new spring growth requires protection from late frosts.

Daphne. Odora ‘Aureomarginata’

A beautiful evergreen shrub with dark glossy leaves edged in yellow,  producing pink, fleshy flowers in spring with an intense fragrance. The scent from this is gorgeous and it carries quite a long way, a must for any garden.

Requires fertile, moisture retentive soil. Needs protection from winter weather and late frosts, but is hardy if planted in a sheltered site. Ideal for containers.

Choisya.

An aromatic shrub, commonly known as Mexican Orange, both the foliage and flowers have scent. They flowers from autumn right through to end of spring, at which time they can be trimmed back to keep them tidy.

Happy to grow in any type soil, even clay, in a sheltered, south facing situation.

They are reliable and easy to grow.

Viburnum. Bodnantense Dawn

Viburnum are wonderful shrubs and there are a huge variety of them both evergreen and deciduous. There is one for any type of garden I believe, they are a beautiful, strongly fragrant shrub. Grow one of these and the scent will fill your garden.

Bodnantense Dawn has glossy dark leaves, turning deep red and orange in autumn, clusters of tiny pink, highly scented flowers appear early spring. An all round great shrub for all year interest.

Sarcococa

There are several lovely varieties of this highly scented little shrub. It is ideal for small gardens as it can be kept small by trimming it each year.

Generally they have dark, glossy leaves, tiny white flowers that appear in winter, through to spring followed by small berries.

Pollinating insects love it.

They are slow growing, low maintenance, requiring fertile, well-drained soil. Suitable in partial or deep shade.

Sarcococa Purple Stem is an attractive variety, with, as the name states purple stems, flowers are light red and white.

Lorepetulum. Fire Dance

Member of the Hamamelidaceae family… I love these shrubs, they are very small only growing to .5m height and spread. Lovely in the border or in a group with other shrubs. Leaves are a deep purple/burgundy colour. Fuchsia Pink spiky little flowers that look similar to their hamamelis relatives appear from late winter through spring.

Great little shrub for container gardens too.

Grow in well-drained moist soil, loam, sand or chalk in a sheltered spot. They don’t like to dry out.

Caring For Your Hardy Evergreen Flowering Shrubs

There are any number of beautiful hardy evergreen flowering shrubs, these are just a few of my favourites that you might like to consider. Whether to compliment other plants or to grow as a specimen shrub there is something suitable for every size or design of garden.

Choose your shrubs wisely, giving consideration to where you want the plant to be in the garden and what conditions it needs. Most of the shrubs I have mentioned here are happy in any type of soil so long as it is fertile and well-draining but a few are acid loving shrubs, such as azalea and pieris and they really do need the correct soil conditions.

They will all benefit from a general feed in early spring. Hardy evergreen flowering shrubs are generally low maintenance Easy Low Maintenance Garden Ideas, once established do not require much attention. They can be pruned after flowering to maintain a desired size and shape. Prune out any dead, diseased or damaged shoots, feed and mulch after pruning.

 

Most of the ones I have highlighted are low maintenance and don’t particularly need lots of attention provided they are planted in the correct situation, in the correct soils. They will be happy for many years to come, giving you lots of pleasure.  Take a look here for a wonderful selection of shrubs 

Plant any scented shrubs near to doorways, entryways or by frequently used paths in order to gain full advantage of their wonderful fragrance.

Many evergreen spring flowering shrubs also make great hedging plants, providing a wealth of habitat, shelter and food for our wildlife. For some great Special Deals on Plants click here.

If you would like further advice on these or any other plants I have written about then please ask in the comments section below.

I hope you find this article useful, that it helps you choose some pretty shrubs for your garden. Please share with friends and family and on social media.

Happy Gardening

 

 

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