assume I am stupid, I want a big bush

[ditavonteesed]

that is hardy and pretty and lives for ever. I am fed up of trying to fill my flower bed every year so I want something that will never die. Garden is south facing so full sun. I like purples, pinks and blues.

Any ideas? I dont even know how to start looking.

What about a hebe? They're not very fashionable but they are lovely. Hebe Macrocarpia latisepala is nice and flowers late and often through winter.

I'm currently looking at tree peonies myself.

is the buddleia ok near neighbours fence? she looked a bit alarmed when I was putting it in

Twill be fine.

so from everything I have read I put a small about 1ft high shrub in this morning, I can expect it to be 6ft tall by tommorow morning?

Haha - with buddleia you might do! Sounds like you did a good days work out there - very satisfying

You can take cuttings too! You'll look like a railway siding in no time

Well done! You did great!

How do you take cuttings from a buddleia Twitch? Is it easy? We have three that have been left to their own devices and are now very gangly and messy looking. They might have to go but I'd like to take cuttings if poss.

Cut them back hard in March Peppa to avoid the straggly look. Click here for RHS advice on softwood cuttings. You want the floppy new growth.

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=307 Link. sorry, forgot!!

Thanks Twitch

With buddliea,just chop a bit off and whack a few bits in the ground.
They're really really easy to grow from cuttings.
I've done whole buddliea hedges with cuttings,here and where I used to live.
Same with lavatera.

Can't beat lilac in my book- smells divine!