Ask John Negus
John will reply personally to all your gardening questions every week
What dwarf shrubs should I plant?
Q I have recently removed a dwarf willow that had died. Can you suggest a few dwarf trees/shrubs to replace it? The area is south facing & measures 3ft x 3ft (1m x 1m). It is a raised area so I don’t want it to be too tall.. The soil is neutral to acid, clay with stones. Something that would give colour in the autumn would be good, the remaining area already has Skimmia, hydrangea & Berberis that are fully-grown Tom McCann, Birmingham
A I suggest that you consider the following shrubs which grow to around 3-4ft (90-120cm):
Cotoneaster conspicuus ‘Decora’: Dark green leaves, woolly beneath; scarlet berries in winter.
Euonymus alatus: Glorious scarlet leaf tints in October.
Lavender ‘Munstead’: Neat habit, dark lavender-blue flowers in summer.
Sarcococca confusa: Fragrant creamywhite flowers in late winter.
Santolina chamaecyparissus: Silvery leaves and pretty yellow flowers in June and August.
Convolvulus cneorum: Evergreen, silvery-haired leaves; white, pink-flushed blooms from June to August.
Ceratostigma ‘Forest Blue’: Cobalt-blue flowers in autumn.
Cistus ‘Silver Pink’: Silvery-pink flowers from May to July.
Before planting them where the willow died, coat their roots with Root Grow, a friendly fungus that reduces the risk of replant disease and death
