Shrub advice

[Hsmumma]

Hi
I was wondering if anyone could help me with some small flowering shrub recommendations.
We have raised beds which run up the side of our fence in the garden which I usually plant flowers but as we now have a Labrador puppy which has taken a liking to the area I think some small shrubs would be better this year to stop her going in. Ideally flowering ones.

Can anyone recommend any?

Hebe's flower and are evergreen

Exochorda 'The Bride' is a lovely shrub, just beginning to flower now, with white blossom wreathing the branches. Grows to about 2 metres. Any of the Philadelphus varieties which have perfumed white flowers in about a month's time, may need pruning if they become too tall.

I don’t own a dog, but friends had a newish puppy that ate a shrub and became seriously ill. All was well in the end, thank goodness, but it might be wise to investigate which shrubs are poisonous to dogs.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.
She doesn’t seem to eat the plants more so digs them up or tramples them so I thought some sturdier bigger shrubs might be better.

What is the maximum height you want?

Also which direction(s) does the border face, and how wide are the beds?

The beds are probably just over a foot wide and face eastwards. I’d probably say max 2foot in height, nothing too big.

If you’ve got acidic clay soul in the beds, then dwarf rhododendrons or dwarf azaleas are evergreen, have masses of flowers in whatever colour you want and stifle any weed growth underneath them. They’re also very hardy - we grow them up here in Scotland.

Soil, not soul! Bloody phone!

East-facing can be difficult because if you get spring-flowering shrubs, and there’s a cold night followed by bright sunshine the flowers can get ruined: I inherited a camellia in an east facing border, and the flowers rarely stay looking good. But when shrubs flower later in the summer it is easier.

As the border is narrow you can’t have anything that will grow too wide, and you probably need to plant most things near the edge as they will otherwise lean out.

You could try Convolvulus Cneorum
www.jparkers.co.uk/3-silverbush-convolvulus-0005736c?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2_ySodG24QIVBbftCh0Y7gLaEAQYASABEgIiaPD_BwE
I have one and love it.

Some roses like shade:
www.heirloomroses.com/info/care/roses/shade-tolerant-roses/

Could you grow things up the fence? In my east facing border there’s a potato vine that is really pretty.

Rosemary and lavender might suit.