Of all the plants in the grape vine family this Asian species with the appropriate common name of Glory Vine has to take the cake. It can grow huge if allowed to have its own way but can be trained and pruned like the domestic grapevine making it ideal to cover senses or grow over …
This hardy South African shrub grows to about 3metres over time, is deciduous in colder climates and has its spikes of brilliant red flowers for months during the spring. The leaves are large and bright green looking very like those of a zonal pelargonium, what some would still call a geranium. The shrub itself has …
This amazing Genus of deciduous and mainly winter flowering shrubs are a joy in any sheltered garden in the cooler climates. I have a specimen of ‘Pallida’ in my nursery display garden that was planted in 1986 and it is now about 4metres tall and with its spreading horizontal branches at least 6metres across. I …
This may or may not stay as a Halimium as I have heard that it may be dumped into Cistus which does seem logical. What ever it is it is a great evergreen (or perhaps evergrey) ground cover shrub for a sunny well drained site. It will grow to about 60cms. tall by up to …
This Hibiscus relative from Mexico is commonly called a Bush Mallow and has turned out to be a complete winner in my cool climate garden at Macedon. It has proven to be cold resistant and certainly drought and heat tolerant as one might expect and has grown to an upright shrub of 4metres in only …
The Genus is a smallish one and usually this species is missing from gardens and I think it is a shame. It is a fairly hardy quick growing deciduous shrub to about 2metres and as the name suggests comes from Japan as well as Korea and China. In summer it produces clusters of tiny fluffy …
The Genus Aucuba has for far too long been left out of the lime light which is fair enough in one sense as it likes heavy shade! the common varieties tend to have spotted variegated foliage which I think stands out superbly but by many people is seen as over the top and vulgar. Silly …
This Genus contains all evergreen shrubs of dense rounded habit that usually don’t grow more than about a metre tall by as wide in about 10 years. This supposed hybrid will rarely grow even half as tall. They all like constant shade as direct sun can bleach or even burn the leaves. They are all …
This amazing small tree has huge leaves that will entertain in more ways than one! they are bold to look at and can sting a bit like a weak stinging nettle, great to fool the unweary.In early summer it produces large clusters of deep mauve flowers to add to its exotic look. It is a …
The Spanish Gorse is a rarely seen but highly attractive non invasive ground cover shrub ideal for sunny dry banks. It grows to about 1metre tall by as much as 3metres wide and has spiky green stems without foliage for much of the year so is texturally interesting. Come spring it erupts with a mass …