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Companions for Pieris?

robin 435robin 435 Posts: 54
in Plants
Hello
I have a small flower bed in my lawn which contains a couple of Pieris Forest Flame which are about 2.5 feet high. I'd like to extend the bed and add a couple more small bushes.
Could someone suggest some evergreen bushes of a similar size that would look good alonside the Pieris?
Thanks for your advice
Robin 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @robin 435. The problem is, Pieris can get very big, given the right conditions, so you need to be careful what you plant nearby. They'll eventually get swamped by the Pieris otherwise. It's often better just to use some annuals/perennials which can be moved at a later date:)
    Just how big is the border?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • robin 435robin 435 Posts: 54
    Thanks for your reply
    We've had these pieris for around 20 years and through pruning have kept them under 3ft, but they still look great. The bed is about 6ft square, so not too big. I suppose I could just buy a couple more pieris of a different variety, but just wondered if there was a similar evergreen bush.
    I'm panic buying plants and compost before we get locked in our gardens ;-)
  • valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726
    If you like a-bright yellow evergreen perfumed shrub consider choysia ternate sundance, common name Mexican orange blossom I think. Valerie 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Fair enough @robin 435 :)
    It's not a big area then. Perhaps something columnar, like yew would work. There's also a columnar Berberis, a red foliaged one, although that isn't evergreen.
    One of those and perhaps some lower growing ground cover plants might be better. It would give a more varied, 'triangular' look.
    You could add spring bulbs within that to give a succession of planting. All very low maintenance too, if you want to keep it simple.  :)

    For the ground cover - there are loads of plants which would suit, from hardy geraniums to things like Pachysandra [ which is evergreen, with small white flowers ] and Hellebores - lots of choices with them too. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I suspect the soil may be quite dry if your shrub has been there for a while. How about something like Skimmia, they should be able to cope with the shaded position. They don't grow too big and grow quite slowly. I would also look at some of the smaller Sarcococca shrubs too.
  • robin 435robin 435 Posts: 54
    Thank you for your replies, they've given me lots of good ideas 😊
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