Stems and Bark

The bark and stems of certain shrubs can provide a striking sculptural element in the garden. Whilst some simply display attractive bark colours, others are overlaid with attractive waxy bloom. Additional interest can be added by shrubs with unusual shapes and heavily thorned or contorted shoots. The colour of some brightly coloured stems is clearest on young wood so these shrubs should be severely pollarded in spring.

Shrubs that have interesting bark or stems:

• Red-barked dogwood (Cornus alba) - produces a thicket of bare red stems which glow a brilliant red in winter and look stunning on a dull day. Needs pollarding in spring.
• Corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana 'Contorta') - bizarrely twisted stems and branches.
• Dragon's claw willow (Salix 'Erythroflexuosa') - smooth, orange-yellow branches which are twisted and contorted. Young growth is red.
• Violet willow (Salix daphnoides) - beautiful purple winter stem colour with a white waxy bloom. Keep pruned to obtain stem colour.
• Whitewashed bramble (Rubus cockburnianus) - ornamental bramble with purple stems covered in a white bloom. The stems shine silver/blue in winter light.

Flowers

Shrubs not only provide flowers in every colour with infinite variations of each, but also in a huge variety of forms, ranging from the dense blue clusters of the California lilac (Ceanothus 'Blue Mound') to the enormous, round, double-white flowers of the Japanese tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa 'Hakuojisi').

While the appeal of most flowers lies largely in their colour and form, scented blooms can add another dimension to the garden.

Some shrubs with attractive or fragment flowers:

• Lilac (Syringa vulgaris 'Mrs Edward Harding') - lush, lilac flower plumes that quickly fade to pink.
• Broom (Cytisus 'Porlock') - tiny, pea-like golden blossoms in mid-spring or mild winters. The flowers are pleasantly fragrant.
• Christmas box (Sarcococca) - tiny, unobtrusive white flowers in winter which carry an exceptionally sweet fragrance.
• Mock orange (Philadelphus) - cascades of creamy white flowers with a delicious mock orange perfume

Foliage

Whilst herbaceous plants and their showy flowers provide the garden with a temporary splash of colour, it is often the shrubs that hold the planting design together with their long lasting foliage displays. Even the leaves of deciduous shrubs provide a longer period of interest than most flowers, stretching from spring growth to autumn leaf. Foliage colour can include silver, grey, gold, red, purple - not to mention every shade of green!

It is not only foliage colour that can be used to great effect with a garden, but also shape and texture. Leaves can vary from fine and delicate to large and striking, and from smooth and glossy to matte and felted.

Some fine examples of foliage include:

• Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata 'Sundance') - bright yellow foliage, whorled, glossy and slim.
• False castor oil (Fatsia japonica) - huge distinctively shaped leaves (like wide spread fingers), green and glossy.
• Lily-of-the-valley bush (Pieris 'Forest Flame') - vivid red young foliage growth which changes to pinkish white before reverting to adult green.
• Variegated Fortune's spindle (Euonymus fortunei 'Silver Queen') - creamy yellow young leaves that change to green with a broad cream margin.

Berries

Shrubs that produce berries are useful for providing autumn and winter colour and for attracting birds into the garden. Evergreens are particularly effective with the bright berries providing a contrast against the green foliage. Berries can be a whole range of of colours, including red, orange, yellow, blue and pink. Do bear in mind that some species of shrub bear their male and female flowers on separate plants so fruiting will only occur if male and female plants are grown close by to each other.

Some examples include:

• David's viburnum (Viburnum davidii) - if plants of both sexes are present, the females bear blue berries in autumn.
• Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster frigidus) - large clusters of pea-sized bright red fruits in autumn.
• Firethorn (Pyracantha rogersiana 'Flava') - striking yellow fruits in autumn, which should remain until Christmas.