Shrubs are coming back into fashion, and no wonder – they require so little attention. You may have to cut back buddleia in Spring, but that’s all you have to do, while lilac, witch hazel and camellia you can ignore altogether. No garden is complete without roses. Choose varieties with colourful Autumn fruits so you can skip dead-heading – Rosa glauca, Rosa rugosa or Rosa moyesii ‘Geranium’.
Shrubs that have more than one season of interest are a good choice – crab apples, for instance, give both Spring blossom and colourful fruits. Cornus kousa’s greeny white or pink leaf-like bracts in June are followed by buttery Autumn foliage, while Amelanchier lamarckii works its socks off all year round. Evergreens like box, viburnum, hebe and pittosporum add structure and a sense of order, even if your borders are getting a bit wild and woolly.
More gardening tips from Good Housekeeping
