This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Buddleia Companions
Stewart in Salisbury
Posts: 1
in Talkback
Which evergreen shrubs might make good companions to deciduous Buddleia when creating short (3, 4, 5 plant?) 'screens' around a large garden? I would like to include Buddleia to attract beneficial insects and because I keep bees in this garden. I want to screen off various parts of the garden such as compost bins, pot storage area, shed, etc. in order to turn a large area into a number of 'rooms'.
0
Posts
I have a mix of deciduous and evergreen shrubs with my buddleias Stewart. Spirea 'Snowmound' is evergreen and enjoys the same aspect. White flowers in summer. Osmanthus likes a little shade but if you can provide that it's a nice shrub - also white (scented) flowers. Potentillas aren't evergreen but they come into leaf very early and flower their socks off well into autumn so that might be worth looking at too. Various colours from white to acid yellow and a few orangey ones as well
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hi Stewart,
We also keep bees in our garden and they are currently enjoying a large swathe of Geranium 'Ann Folkard' which is hiding the ugly legs of the buddleias. (She's also useful in hiding the dying foliage of Spring bulbs!)
Skimmia is a good evergreen shrubs for bees - great source of spring nectar and also pollen on the male plants. Lithodora 'Heavenly Blue' is a real favourite for early season nectar, and Hebe 'Carl Teschner' will be alive with bees on a sunny day.
Also worth considering Ligustrum (privet) for both nectar and pollen if it isn't clipped.
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Berberis, rhododendron, azaleas, catoneaster coral beauty, escallonia