Six good do-ers – low-maintenance shrubs for year-round interest

Six good do-ers – low-maintenance shrubs for year-round interest

‘Good do-ers’ are, in gardening parlance, plants that give you year-round interest and lots of bang for your buck (or even kerpow for your pound). They allow you to make the most of a small space and require very little input once established. We’ve selected six high-performance shrubs that are evergreen and have both flowers and berries. Some are even scented too.

All are hardy and several have the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) which means the plant has been trialled and found to be a ‘reliable performer’. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/trials-awards/award-of-garden-merit

1. Choisya (Mexican orange blossom)

Tolerant of sun or part shade, choisyas are truly marvellous all-rounder with aromatic leaves held in formation like fingers outstretched. These are a thing of beauty in themselves. The scented white flowers are reminiscent, as you might expect, of orange blossom. And as a bonus, choisyas sometimes flower twice in a year.

Flowering time: around April/May, often with a second flush around September.

Height and spread: ranges from approximately 2.5 x 2.5m to 1 x 1m, depending on the variety.

Pruning: Choisyas don’t need regular pruning and are generally best left alone. If yours starts to get too big or a bit leggy and bare at the base, cut it back by no more than a third once it’s finished flowering in late spring/early summer.

Suggested varieties: The leaves of Choisya ternata are bright green but those of C. ternata ‘Sundance’ are lime, becoming yellower in full sun.

Choisya x dewitteana ‘Aztec Pearl’ (approx.) is smaller and has leaflets that are slimmer and appear more elongated than the others. All three have the AGM.

2. Skimmia japonica

Skimmias prefer part-shade; placing them in full sun can have a bleaching effect on the leaves.

Their red or creamy-white spring flowers begin as attractive buds in autumn and winter. Most are scented to a degree but some varieties pack more of a punch than others. Female plants have red or white autumn/winter berries but need a male plant nearby to fertilise them. However, some are hermaphrodite (self-fertile). The plant label should give you the information you need.

Flowering time: April/May.

Height and spread: Approximately 1m/1.5m x 1m/1.5m depending on the cultivar.

Pruning: Skimmias rarely require pruning given their compact size and tidy growth habit. If any stems do become much longer than others or die off, cut in spring or slightly later after flowering.

Suggested varieties: S. japonica ‘Fragrans’ (AGM) is noted for its scent.

1. japonica subsp. reevesiana and S. japonica ‘Obsbolwi’ are both self-fertile so will produce red berries by themselves.

‘Kew White’ has white flowers and berries.

3. Pyracantha (firethorn)

This tough but beautiful plant is happy in full sun or part shade and is an all-rounder for wildlife as well as the garden. It will even tolerate full shade although it produces fewer flowers and berries in this situation.  Masses of tiny white flowers, irresistible to pollinators, appear in late spring and early summer. They’re followed by a profusion of red, orange or yellow berries. Blackbirds and visiting fieldfares flock to them in winter and will strip them in hard times, but you’ll know that you’ve played your part in keeping the birds alive and well. It’s said that they prefer red and orange berries over the yellow ones.

Pyracanthas can become quite large but can be kept in check with pruning; beware the thorns when doing so however! Smaller varieties are available too. They can be grown as a wall shrub and make excellent hedging plants. Pruned regularly without thinning out, they develop into a dense thicket, providing shelter and a nesting site for birds.

Flowering time: May/June.

Height and spread: up to 3 or 4m x 3 or 4m.

Pruning: Pruning isn’t needed except to get rid of dead or diseased wood and to control size. Timing presents a dilemma, however. Pyracanthas flower on wood grown the previous year, so pruning after flowering is the best way to ensure flowers the following year. However, chopping off all the wood on which the flowers have grown will mean no berries to follow.

Your best bet is to lightly prune each year just after flowering. Then do it again in late summer, removing only the new shoots that have grown over the season and which are not carrying berries.

Suggested varieties: ‘Orange Glow’ (AGM) has glowing orange berries and is very hardy, tolerating temperatures of between – 15 and -20 degrees. ‘Saphyr Jaune’ has sulphur-yellow berries. Pyracantha coccinea ‘Red Cushion’ is a compact form, with a height and spread of only 1 x 2m.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/pyracantha-to-grow/

4. Sarcococca (Christmas box, sweet box)

A winter wonder, sarcococca is one of those plants that come into bloom in December, just when things in the garden are starting to feel a little bleak. Its creamy, delicate flowers with their rich, spicy perfume and small, glossy, dark green leaves make the world seem a better place and provide fodder for any bees who are out and about. Shiny berries, usually black, will follow. It’s happy in part shade and will survive in full shade but will do better with a small dose of sun rather than none at all. Plant it by a path or your front or back door and allow it to lift your spirits as you pass. It’s smallish and slow-growing, so ideal if you have limited space.

Flowering period: December to February.

Height and spread: up to approximately 1 x 1m.

Pruning: no pruning is needed, except to remove dead or diseased wood.

Suggested varieties: Sarcococca confusa (AGM) has strongly-scented white flowers. Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna ‘Purple Stem’ (AGM) has purplish stems and cream flowers tinged with red at the base.

1. hookeriana var. humilis is a small form, reaching only about 60cm high and with crimson-tipped flowers.

5. Viburnum tinus

Another winter bloomer, Viburnum tinus is happy in full sun to part shade. Clusters of pale pink buds open to heads of small white flowers, followed in late summer/autumn by oval blue/black berries, often with a metallic sheen. The flowers of some plants are scented although this can’t be guaranteed. It’s a tough plant, tolerant of winds and coastal positions.

Flowering period: December to April.

Height and spread: up to 3 x 3m over 10-20 years but can be kept in check by pruning.

Pruning: Viburnum tinus needs pruning only to cut out dead or diseased branches but will benefit from a light trim in early summer to retain its shape and to control its size if wished.

Suggested cultivars: ‘Eve Price’ is denser and more compact than the species form. ‘French White’ on the other hand is faster growing with larger leaves. It also has paler buds. Both have the AGM.

6. Mahonia

Happy in full sun or part shade and sometimes even tolerant of full shade, there are many mahonias to choose from! Adding drama to a garden, these impactful, architectural plants have dense spikes or domes of small, usually bright yellow flowers and in most cases, tough spiky leaves. Some are scented and some are not. It seems to be partly a matter of individual sense of smell, but Mahonia japonica is a fairly reliable source of fragrance. However, pollinating insects love them regardless. They also produce blue-black berries.

Flowering period: between summer and March depending on variety.

Height and spread: between approximately 1 and 4m – varies with species/cultivar.

Pruning: no need to prune except to take out dead or diseased stems.

Suggested varieties: Mahonia japonica (AGM) flowers from November to March and has an eventual height and spread of 2 x 4m.

Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ (AGM) flowers from November to March, height and spread 4 x 4m.

Mahonia nitens ‘Cabaret’ (AGM) has deep coral buds opening to yellow flowers from August to November. A small plant with a height and spread of 1 x 1m.

Mahonia aquifolium ‘Apollo’ (AGM) is another compact form with a height and spread of 1 x 1.5m and flowers from March-April.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/five-of-the-best-mahonias-to-grow/

Even if your outdoor space is limited, there’s plenty of scope for being able to enjoy it all year-round. It’s simply a matter of selecting the right plants.