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Choosing a flowering shrub for garden - where to start?

Forester34Forester34 Posts: 3
in Plants
Hi, my first message on this site and as you'll probably tell from the question, I am a bit of a gardening novice. We need to choose a flowering shrub to plant in front of a rendered, painted wall in our back garden, in a planting bay within gravel next to shed. it can't be seen from the house and we mainly use the garden in the warmer months, so I'd like one that will flower for a reasonably long period of time. The aim is to screen/soften the wall. But having looked online I'm slightly overwhelmed by all the choices! We're in SE London, soil is clayey, our garden faces South East and the shrub will be in full sun for about 2/3rds of the day. The rest of our planting is purple/violet/blue/white - ceanothus, lavender, daisies, jasmine, honeysuckle. Would a lilac bush be suitable? I love magnolia but it flowers so briefly and the flowers wouldn't stand out much against the wall...any ideas or pointers would be extremely welcome! Thanks in advance.

Posts

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    It sounds perfect for a climbing rose, trained against the wall, flowering from May to October, it might encourage you to use the corner more especially if you pick a highly scented one. Have a look at the David Austin web site, there are more than a few there. 

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Lilacs have a short flowering time. If you do want one that will flower for a long time you could try a hydrangea, or viburnum splendiflorum, potentilla or abelia, Or a smoke bush might go well with the painted wall depending on the colour of the wall. No flowers to speak of but  lovely dark purple leaves.

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,697

    Pyracantha will give year round interest, or you could opt for a climbing or rambling repeat flowering rose.

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    There are some really great long-blooming rose varieties available, which would work well. Have a look at Peter Beales website, where you can search by your desired characteristics. I'm not even a fan of roses, but the old style and single varieties are lovely and if you select a perpetual booming type, I don't think you could go wrong. Especially a scented one!
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Forester34Forester34 Posts: 3
    Thank you very much everyone! Useful ideas. I'd love to put a climber there (either rose or honeysuckle) but the planting bay is about 75cm away from the base of the wall - because there's concrete around the foundations of the wall, and we didn't want to start digging away at that. Might look a bit odd to have a climber bridging from the planting bay to the wall and not sure how well it would establish...what do you think? Hogweed I'll definitely take a look at the shrubs you suggest.
  • Forester34Forester34 Posts: 3
    Ooh a couple more responses just loaded. Everyone very keen on roses it seems! I will take a look at the Peter Beales and David Austin websites...
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Do some garden visiting this season, see what you like the look of, then plant in autumn



    In the sticks near Peterborough
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