If you want a constant show of flowers, these shrubs will give you joy all summer long. The local bees and butterflies will be happy too!
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’
Tall shrub with heads of white flowers, pink tinted with age. Any soil sun or shade.
H/S: 1.8m (6ft).
Tip: Prune to 10cm (4in) in late winter to keep bushy, with larger flowers.
From: www.crocus.co.uk Tel: 01344 578111
Calycanthus floridus
Bushy deciduous shrub with aromatic leaves. Small maroon apple-scented flowers from June. Rich soil with organic matter. Sun or part-shade.
H/S: 1.8m (6ft).
Tip: Protect young plants from late frost until established.
From: www.burncoose.co.uk Tel: 01209 860316
Buddleja ‘Miss Ruby’
Vibrant red-pink flowers throughout summer. Almost sterile so no seedlings. Any soil in the sun.
H/S: 1.8m (6ft).
Tip: Remove spent flower spikes to keep bush looking neat.
From: www.thompson-morgan.com Tel: 0333 400 0033
Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’
Upright, suckering deciduous shrub with blue-green leaves with pale pink sweetly scented flowers in July and August.
H/S: 2.5m (8ft). Prefers acid, moist, well-drained soil in part-shade.
Tip: Avoid open, exposed sites in colder locations.
From: www.burncoose.co.uk Tel: 01209 860316
Hybiscus syriacus ‘Blue Bird’
Deciduous shrub, with elegant foliage and large trumpet-shaped blossoms from late summer.
Any well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered spot.
H: 3m S: 1.8m (6ft).
Tip: Ideal for creating a sub-tropical effect with other hardy exotics.
From: www.crocus.co.uk Tel: 01344 578111