@Randommoose1 Sarcocca is a lovely plant for the winter months too. I went off in a different direction when you mentioned Viburnums, for me I found out something I didn't know so thank you @Silver surfer
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
I'm just wondering why you want Viburnums if you want something to trim into a sphere @Randommoose1. You'll compromise the potential flowering
Sarcococca would be fine clipped, as the foliage is smaller, and would stand that.
Hi @Fairygirl, I don't mean into a sphere like topiary, I mean more each shrub will have about 1m clear space assigned to it in a circle around it. Then the occasional branch that gets too tall or wide (1m high is a guess really, it might be different in person) will get a prune back.
That's fine, it wasn't phrased very clearly! I will see how the Viburnum does and try to put Eve Price in a position where it can get taller if it wants to. It is all an experiment and I am going into it understanding that in ten years things may well need to change a bit. Perennials can be moved, the lavenders will be past their best by then and who knows, my tastes might change.
The blob gardens can look quite nice when done properly and kept really neat but that isn't what I am aiming for at all!
Thanks Kind of you to say @Randommoose1 I look forward to some pictures .
Not much I can add from what's already been said, I've grown Viburnum.T. Eve in the past but it got decimated by viburnum beetle so that may be something to watch out for , fortunately they don't have quite the same taste for Oplus but still may nipple on the leaves. Vib.eve and all that group tinus take shade easy as do the Sarcoccoa
Thanks Kind of you to say @Randommoose1 I look forward to some pictures .
Not much I can add from what's already been said, I've grown Viburnum.T. Eve in the past but it got decimated by viburnum beetle so that may be something to watch out for , fortunately they don't have quite the same taste for Oplus but still may nipple on the leaves. Vib.eve and all that group tinus take shade easy as do the Sarcoccoa
Hopefully safe from the beetle here. I actually have a small Eve Price in full shade in the back garden and there hasn't been any beetle on that. My previous house in a nearby town there was a different type of viburnum and that was eaten into shreds by beetle each year. Funny the difference a few miles can make!
May I suggest a shrub not on your list....Ilex × meserveae Little Rascal. It is a rather cute, dwarf holly. Next to the pavement passers by often ask what it is. I think you might like this...cute, dwarf, slow, evergreen, no pruning needed.
I tend to agree with the comment re. the size of plants you are choosing. There are plenty of smaller growing shrubs which would not need to be pruned nearly as much as viburnums. A 1 metre space is not really enough for them and pruning them will affect the amount of flowers you get. If you go into the RHS site you will find a wide range of shade loving smaller growing shrubs.
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I thought for a moment you'd been looking at the garden near me with it's 'blobs' everywhere
Most viburnums get quite big, but you'll be able to do a bit of judicious pruning here and there.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The blob gardens can look quite nice when done properly and kept really neat but that isn't what I am aiming for at all!
Not much I can add from what's already been said, I've grown Viburnum.T. Eve in the past but it got decimated by viburnum beetle so that may be something to watch out for , fortunately they don't have quite the same taste for Oplus but still may nipple on the leaves. Vib.eve and all that group tinus take shade easy as do the Sarcoccoa
May I suggest a shrub not on your list....Ilex × meserveae Little Rascal.
It is a rather cute, dwarf holly.
Next to the pavement passers by often ask what it is.
I think you might like this...cute, dwarf, slow, evergreen, no pruning needed.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ilex+×+meserveae+Little+Rascal&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQtIul8Mr9AhWId8AKHZpKAKYQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1280&bih=595&dpr=1.5
If you go into the RHS site you will find a wide range of shade loving smaller growing shrubs.