Shrubs masterclass: best expert content

If you’re looking for ways to add low-maintenance interest to your garden, shrubs are ideal. And if you need help to choose the perfect varieties, this collection of expert articles, Instagram posts and videos is the perfect place to start. Whether you want evergreen structure, winter colour or container shrubs to liven up your patio, here’s everything you need to help you choose, plant, prune and care for your shrubs. 

For more inspiration, browse our wide range of online shrub plants including winter-flowering, climbing, scented, evergreen shrubs, and many more…

This article was reviewed by T&M’s horticultural team and updated on 25th July 2024.

Plant acid-loving camellias in containers

“There’s no excuse for not growing a camellia in a pot, wherever one lives,” says Dan, AKA The Frustrated Gardener. He recommends using “well-drained ericaceous compost, and a pot positioned where the roots can be doused regularly with rainwater,” to keep the soil acidic. Pick up more gems of knowledge from Dan’s article ‘top ten shrubs to brighten the winter months’, and take a peek at his own lovely garden while you’re there!

Choose daphne for sweetly scented flowers

“Daphne can be both evergreen and deciduous; what is common to all daphnes is the strongly scented flowers,” explains top garden blogger Carol Bartlett over at The Sunday Gardener. She recommends planting your shrub in a sheltered spot for the best results. Read her dedicated daphne growing guide to pick up top tips for successfully growing this popular plant.

Try viburnum x burkwoodii in shady spots

“Viburnum x burkwoodii is up there amongst my favourite shrubs,” says Susanna Grant from @hellotherelinda. An excellent choice for shady spots, she says it’s hardy, pollution-tolerant and has beautifully scented early flowers. Susanna particularly recommends it for smaller gardens where its airy structure doesn’t overpower the space. And it can be grown in a large container. A hard-working shrub indeed!

Aucuba japonica is a tough evergreen for north-facing gardens

If you need a tough evergreen shrub for a north-facing garden, go for Aucuba japonica, says Marie over at Plews Garden Design. “Suddenly I could see the benefits of Aucuba japonica as part of an easy-maintenance planting scheme for that challenging dark border,” she says during a tricky design brief. Marie’s article includes four other reliable shrubs with variegated foliage to kickstart your low-maintenance evergreen garden.

Evergreen shrubs work in borders or as specimens

Evergreen shrubs can be used “as stand-alone specimens, as part of a mixed border or as hedging,” says Sue Sanderson over at Thompson & Morgan’s blog. Box is one of her favourites as it’s just as good for formal topiary as for an informal cottage garden. The perfect backdrop to offset brightly-coloured flowering perennials, see Sue’s top ten evergreen shrubs. This fabulous mix of flowering and foliage plants are just what you need for all year round interest.

Grow foliage shrubs for flower arrangements

Over at YouTube channel, fierceblooms, artisan flower grower and arranger Kathryn likes to add unusual foliage to her striking bouquets. The rich purple leaves and pale blush-coloured flowers make Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ of her top five shrubs, along with Viburnum opulus which blooms in May when there’s a shortage of other flowers around. Watch her video to see the other shrubs that she grows specifically for floral arrangements.

Make delicious jam with edible mahonia berries

People tend to choose mahonias for their striking architectural leaves and strongly-scented yellow flower spikes, but over at @juliarussellherbalist, Julia reminds us that the berries are spectacular too. Hanging like bunches of grapes from early July, the deep-blue coloured fruits make this shrub an interesting addition to any garden. Not to let anything go to waste, natural health practitioner Julia uses them to make mahonia and apple jam. “Rich in vitamin C and polyphenols, the raw berries can be face-puckeringly tart, but make one of my favourite preserves,” she says. Visit her post for the recipe.

Topiary hedging gives a garden great structure

If you’d love to create a Bridgerton-style garden but don’t live on a grand estate, Alexandra of The Middlesized Garden shares some fantastic tips following a visit to Roger Lloyd and Stephen Sendall’s clever evergreen garden with a touch of grandeur. According to Alexandra, a friend described their design as “having all the elements of a grand garden, but scaled down to a small garden size.” She particularly admires their use of interesting textures. Topiary hedging frames the view of Norwich Cathedral while “spiky leaves like yucca, phormium and astelia contrast with the round shapes of box and yew and the feathery foliage of ferns.” Take a look at her excellent photos and commentary for inspiration.

Encourage pollinators with buddlejas

Want to know why you should plant a buddleja? Amongst other things, this shrub is a fantastic nectar source for British butterflies, says YouTuber Joel at his channel Wild Your Garden With Joel Ashton. Joel’s favourite is the versatile and hard-working Buddleja davidii for its long season of lilac flowers that are perfect for pollinators. Watch the video to admire his shrub and see the clouds of butterflies for yourself!

Feed hibiscus regularly for a strong display

The key to growing Hibiscus syriacus is regular feeding, says Simon over at Garden of Eaden. “Regularly top-dress the soil with a rich compost or give them a regular liquid feed,” he says. Hardy Hibiscus syriacus thrives in a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden or in a container – find out everything you need to know about growing these exotic shrubs in Simon’s comprehensive article.

Keep hydrangea heads over winter to protect next year’s blooms

Hold off on removing your hydrangea flowers, says Lee AKA the Garden Ninja. The spent flower heads bring winter interest to the garden and help protect the shrub from winter frosts, he says. Give them a good prune in early spring to remove the old flower heads and maintain your shrub’s lovely bushy shape. Read Lee’s excellent article for expert pruning tips.

Prune weigelas at the right time for lots of flowers

Pruning your weigela at the right time is crucial, says Phoebe over at her Instagram page @shegrowsawildgarden. “The flowers form on last year’s growth,” she says, so make sure you don’t chop them off by pruning in spring! Find out how Phoebe tidied up her beloved weigela after years of incorrect care. Now producing hundreds of pastel pink flowers, it brightens the border and attracts visiting bees.

We hope you’ve found our shrub growing content helpful. Share your favourite shrubs with us via social media using #YourTMGarden. And for more help and advice on growing shrubs, visit our hub page.