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Shrub suggestions please

WiltshireGardenerWiltshireGardener Posts: 7
in Problem solving
The recent bitter winter has killed so much in my garden I wonder if anyone has any ideas for very hardy flowering shrubs. I've lost two pittosporum, three hebes, a bay tree, two canellias and three sedges and am feeling very disheartened! It's only our second winter in this garden and I hadn't realized how harsh it could be here. It's very exposed and windy, in a frost pocket, with chalk soil. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Posts

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Pittosporum and hebes are the hardiest of plants.
    In my alkali soil in my old garden in France in a frost pocket, colder than the UK in the winter I have found that fairly ordinary, but pretty, shrubs did well, like Philadelphus, Weigela, Spirea, Lilac, Exochorda The Bride, Cotoneasters, Viburnums.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • AthelasAthelas Posts: 946
    edited April 2023
    Feeling for you @WiltshireGardener and following with interest as I lost all my pittosporum (4 Tom Thumb + a Tandara Gold I was so proud of, see photo below) and a small ceanothus. All my other plants have come through winter quite well.

    My soil is clay though; I’ve had great results elsewhere in my garden with choisya ‘Scented Gem’ — evergreen, fine scented leaves and white flowers twice a year — not being affected by the cold. Choisya ‘White Dazzler’ got frost burnt in some places and I’m waiting to prune off the brown bits when I’m back home from Easter holiday next week.



    Cambridgeshire, UK
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Have you tried Hydrangea paniculata varieties?  They are hardy down to minus 15 (H5 zone), and woody, so tougher than the Mophead varieties, (H. macrophylla), flowering on new wood.  I have both, growing in sandy, free draining soil which survived the last winter of freezing wet.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • WiltshireGardenerWiltshireGardener Posts: 7
    Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, my hydrangea is one thing which survived and is just showing new growth.  Athelas, my pittosporums were Tom Thumb, I've always had pittosporum before so I'm very sad about those.  I've also discovered that my halimium seems to have come through, so I may plant a couple more.  They're small enough not to be too worried by the wind,  which we have about 360 days of the year!
  • alfharris8alfharris8 Posts: 513
    Philadelphus seem to be pretty bomb proof but we are softy southerners.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I've just seen a typo in my post above - should say not the hardiest of plants.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • parrotfeather*parrotfeather* Posts: 188
    Hypericum "Hidcote", shrub roses, Philadelphus, Holly, Christmas Box, Berberis, Lonicera, Mahonia, Chaenomeles, Euonymus, Cornus are all hardy and easy to grow.
  • Robert WestRobert West Posts: 241
    As mentioned already, Hypericum, viburnum and hydrangea paniculata have all come through completely unscathed in my garden. My seven foot tall bottlebrush on the other hand...😢
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