There are some plants that we tend to take for granted or largely ignore; this is because we are simply so used to seeing them. But these plants that are given the backseat are great performers and are our gardens most faithful planting companions.
Have you ever noticed how car parks and other heavy use landscape areas use many of the same plants? Well, there is a good reason for this; they are tough as old boots. They will grow with minimum attention, many of them positively thriving on neglect and even when our busy lives divert our attention away from them, they will still flourish.
Who are these stalwarts of the plant world?
Many of them are reliable shrubs such as Cotoneaster, Vinca, Viburnum, Dogwood, Sambucus, Ceanothus and Pyracantha. Shrubby Dogwoods, otherwise known as Cornus, aren’t fussy about their soil conditions and will thrive in particularly damp soil where other shrubs may not.
What makes them suitable for these environments?
These shrubs are tough, resilient, low maintenance and can withstand trampling by children and animals. Once established they can cope without any irrigation and even though they need virtually no pruning, they will still look great throughout the year. Many of these plant varieties will provide evergreen groundcover, summer flowers and winter berries for a full years worth of colour and interest. What more could you want?
These plants are the perfect choices if you are a beginner gardener and if you have little time to spare but still like your outdoor spaces to look fantastic.
Terri works in the e-commerce marketing department assisting the busy web team. Terri manages our blog and social media pages here at Thompson & Morgan and is dedicated to providing useful advice to our gardeners. Terri is new to gardening and keen to develop her horticultural knowledge.