HELP! I have no idea what I’m doing and need advice on bushes

[Cherir20]

Hey!

Recently bought our first home and have a blank canvas to work on in the garden. We have turf laid and in a few weeks are going to plant bushes around the sides. I have never done a garden myself so need some help pls!

I want bushes that flower every year and stay green all year round. Medium height. Any recommendations please ? I’m new to this getting confused looking online

Ok, bushes rather than hedges? Do you know what your soil is like, how much done do you get?

How did spellchecker change sun to done? Which way does the garden face.

Mexican Orange Blossom is a lovely, all-year round bush. Easy to grow, fragrant flowers in spring, glossy foliage all year around.

Hypericum Hidcote is lovely. All round green and glorious yellow flowers in the summer.

Rosemary doesn't have spectacular flowers but can grow into a lovely, large fragrant bush.

I also like Cistus a lot (Spring / early summer flowers) good for a sunny spot. Grows into a pleasing rounded shape.

If you are in a slightly shadier spot hydrangeas might work well. Lots of varieties available now. Not evergreen though so plant alongside something that is.

For winter / early spring flowering camellias are amazing and the leaves are lovely and glossy all year around. They like acid soil though, so best in a pot if your soil is not.

It would help if you knew what type of soil you have as some plants need different types of soil you can buy a soil testing kit online. I would also try and work out which are the sunny and shady areas of the garden. Once you know this you can look up a site like Crocus, go to the options and put in soil type, how the garden faces, evergreen, colour, height. You dont want to spend a lot of money if the plants die. You might want something to cover a fence or a wall. Cutting curved borders into the turf looks less formal, you might like shrubs and flowers that attract wildlife, a bird bath, bird boxes , seating for yourselves a d lighting, coloured solar stick lights are pretty.

@WildCherryBlossom I’m that much of a gardening virgin I just had to google ‘bush vs hedges’ I think it’s a bush I’m after so they all stay compact with no spacing ?

I’m not sure about the soil it’s just very dark and moist lol the landscapers laid topsoil over the whole garden to put the turf down but left flower beds round the sides for us.

We have a south facing garden so the sun is directly on the whole garden from about 10.30am until it sets.

Wow thanks already for the recommendations that helps I will have a look now

I think you mean Shrubs - hypericum and vibernum are pretty hardy but there are ideas here www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=845 . Variegated or colourful leaves can add interest.

I’m not sure about the soil
An easy cheat: look at your neighbours' gardens.
Seeing what is growing there should give you an idea of what will thrive in your garden, too, and might indicate soil type.

I think it’s a bush I’m after so they all stay compact with no spacing?

That sounds like a hedge to me!

A hedge is made out of trees or shrubs (bushes), usually they mark a boundary and all the plants grow into each other to create a "wall" that you can't walk through. Often they are just one type of plant but they can be mixed.

Or do you want individual shrubs (bushes) planted in a border that are different shapes and sizes?

I'll post some pics in a minute.

A hedge:

Agree that Crocus has a great website for finding plants for places. J Parkers is a lot cheaper and also good at suggesting plants for places but you get small and / or bare root plants a lot of the time which might be easier to handle once you are a bit more experienced.

The suggestion to look at what your neighbours are growing is also a good one.

Oh another question - do you have young children or pets? You might want to think about avoiding some toxic plants if so. Lilies, for example, can be extremely dangerous to cats.

A mixed hedge:

Shrubberies aka "bushes":

From the title, I thought this thread was going to be about the advantages of waxing over shaving! [blush} Or, do you prefer a full English or a Brazilian?

Sorry op, back to shrubbery.

they all stay compact with no spacing

Nearly everything will need pruning if you want to keep it compact. Some may stay compact if their roots are restricted (eg in a pot)

Other ideas - various types of euonymus- the flowers aren't spectacular but there are various different variegated types which look good all year.

Pieris - like camellias, they like acid soil. They are pleasant shades of green most of the year but have spectacular red bracts and clusters of white flowers in spring.

@Plumtree391 🤣

Just in case you haven't already realised OP, there is no such thing as a garden plant of any kind that stays the same size. They all grow (some of them quite vigorously) and they all need pruning or trimming to keep them a nice shape and prevent them for taking over.

The perfect evergreen bush that is already medium-sized when you buy it, evergreen with lovely flowers, and stays the same size forever with no maintenance - well there's no such thing.

Hebes are lovely bushes, flowery and reasonably compact.

Ceanothus are lovely, blue (mostly) flowering, evergreen. Lots of different types and sizes.

Hebes are wonderful. Lots of choice, for colour and size. We have a gorgeous dark purple leaved one.

Choisya are great, again lots of varieties, withdifferent leaf shapes, sizes and colours.