Flowers/shrubs for a small garden ??

[fran]

Just bought a house I have a small garden but want to plant a shrubbery out the back does any one know of good hardy small/medium sized shrubs andand a few evergreens so there is so colour during the winter months. Does anyone know any good evergreen climbers too
At the front was thinking of some small conifers at the side of the house and some bedding plants any ideas on nice colourful perennials?

Thanks

[Grey]

Hi Fran! Congrats on the new home!
What zone/area are you in so we can suggest plants that will do well for you?

[fran]

don't know if this is a US site ?? I live in Ireland (Europe) so its a typical cold rainy climate with south west facing garden

[Grey]

We have people from all over the globe!
Cooler climates are not my specialty, so I'll let someone else answer this one though.

[grandpasrose]

Hi Fran! This site is for the use of anyone in the world! Ireland is in the European Hardiness Zone scale 8-9 which is minimum temperature of 10 - 30 degrees F., or minimum temperature -12 to -1 degrees celsius.

Some flowering shrubs that you could look at are Mock Orange, Flowering Almond, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Roses. One evergreen shrub you could look at is the Yew family.
I am sure you will get lots of ideas for others.......
Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

Dwarf anything is a good thing to look at when shopping for the small garden. New dwarf varieties come out in the trade all the time, and offer the space-challenged gardener a chance to grow all the plants the big guys do. Too many choices to list them all; what are some plants that interest you?

HG

[fran]

Preferably evergreen/semi evergreen hardy shrubs that flower 5ft maximum. I will get some conifers/bay trees too just need to know the good shrubs that will withstand the climate.

[fran]

Judging by that website I live in an 8 climate its Maritime Mild summers and cold winters approx 50-60 degrees ??

[grandpasrose]

Yep, Ireland is in Zone 8, as noted in my prior post, and the minimum (coldest ) temperature for that zone is 10 - 20 degrees F or -7 to -12 C.

Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

Most anything will put up with a cushy climate like yours; I'd probably go nuts with the azaleas and dwarf rhododendrons. Plenty that fit in your size profile, evergreen and quite the flower show in spring. The Yakusimanum rhododendrons are hardy, dwarf, and very colorful with lots of pastel shades. Satsuki azaleas are hardy for you and I wish I could grow them as I think they have the nicest foliage and habit, and there is just about every flower color except blue. Mix a few deciduous miniatures and perennials for summer color, and some dwarf blueberries for the fall (fruit in summer and flower in spring; how good is that?) We have one called 'Tophat' that is a great plant for small gardens...

Scott

[The Helpful Gardener]

Still need more?

[fran]

Think I have a better idea of what to get I want to buy a Cotoneaster tree it has lovely red berries in the Autumn. And maybe a few climbers, heathers, conifers. I bought some winter flowering pansies and polyanthus and they are quite hardy in the Irish weather

[The Helpful Gardener]

That cotoneaster tree is a top graft; probably o.k. in your Irish winters but it wouldn't do well at all here in opur colder climes. Look out for really cold weather (-10C or below) and cover it if that's a possibility...

Pansies and primrose are certainly hardy there and do pretty well here as well; some newer varieties are eeven winter hardy in my neck of the woods...

Have fun!

Scott

[opabinia51]

Looks like I am a little late into this thread but, you can buy dwarf Rhododendrons that are really nice. I love hellebores that add a splash of colour to an otherwise dreary fall garden. Daffodils and tulips are nice.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hellebores are a great suggestion. Flowers in February and March are a real boon!

[Herb2]

Your'e in Ireland? Then, like us, you're spoiled for choice! (This is pretty late too - but here goes. Our climate here on the far S.W. coast of Canada is very much like yours - maybe a bit warmer and drier, but I don't think the difference is significant.) All of these (except Photinia - we don't have any Photinia, but it's common round here) are doing well in our garden -

1. Escallonia. Dense, mounding, dark, glossy, small-leaved evergreens ranging from a low sort (Newport dwarf) through Pink Escallonia, to a quite tall white flowered one. They flower later in the year & with us often through winter as well.
Pink Escallonia makes a good hedge too. Naturally you have to keep it clipped, but it doesn't grow as fast as Privet.

2. Mahonia Aquifolium (Oregon Grape). Evergreen, brilliant, perfumed yellow flowers. Ours is blooming fully right now. The berries are said to make good jam, but when we tried it, it needed to be sieved to get rid of the seeds. If you want jam, stay with Black Currants.

3. Viburnum bodnantense (Winter flowering Viburnum). Pink flowers. Ours has grown quite tall but the base has remained narrow. It's been flowering all winter.

4. You've already mentioned a tall growing Cotoneaster. Good choice. Ours is covered with red berries every autumn. They hang for several weeks, and then the birds eat the lot.

5. Camellia. All sorts, all evergreen. Sasanqua Camellias in particular are winter flowering, and come in a very wide choice of flowers & habit.

6. Abelia. Evergreen or near to it. Graceful & arching, pink flowers later in the year.

7. For deep shade, Aucuba. Evergreen. Some varieties have yellow stripes & others yellow blotches of the leaves , that makes them show up.

8. For evergreens that have lots of yellow in the leaves, & to grow where there's no shade, some varieties of Euonymus.

9. Eleagnus - same remarks as for 8.

10. Hebe. Some low-growing & mounding: others less so. Wide variety of lead shapes. Leaf colours vary from one variety to another.

11. Photinia. New leaf growth an interesting bright reddish colour. Also good as a hedge. Much nicer than English Laurel. If you want Laurel, go for Portuguese Laurel - smaller, darker green glossier leaves than English Laurel and less aggressive roots. Left to itself it'll grow very big, even into a very sustantial tree..

12. Box. Slow growing but as a hedge, Common Box is way better than privet and far less work.