Must have shrubs

[WaxCh1ll1]

Got a border that needs a couple of shrubs relatively near the front between a plum tree. Gets lots of sun.

All-out of ideas.

Philadelphus, rosemary, Princess Anne Rose, magnolia, hibiscus, choisyia

Would love magnolia but won’t it get big?

Also Ceanothus.
Evergreen? Flowering? Bit more on preferences would help.
Lonicera, Hebe. So many to choose from.

Magnolia stellata doesn't get very big maybe 2 metres

Try Stellata magnolia it is easier to keep in checked. I prefer it

What about rock rose? (Cistus?)

I’m suffering from a David Austin Rose addiction the last few years, so thats what I’d go for…
Or Hebes are pretty low maintenance/year round.

Definitely Ceanothus.
I also like Spirea (but not many do)
Philadelphus (Mock Orange)
Flowering Currant
Camelia (I have Deborah)
Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn
Hebe are also good for filling gaps

Also a special mention to the Cotoneaster. As a beekeeper, I can tell you that the bees love it. Lovely berries in Autumn that see the birds through the winter, too. You don't see them much these days.

Choiysa 'White Dazzler', Euonymus alatus 'Compactum', Cornus 'Midwinter Fire', Hydrangea 'Little Lime', Mahonia 'Soft Caress'

Have a look at weigela ebony and ivory. Lovely dark foliage and white flowers. It only grows up to half a metre.

Trouble with magnolia IMO is that is glorious while its flowering but not very exciting the rest of the time, so in a small garden doesn't really "earn it's keep" (Wonderful if you have lots of room though, I agree)

I would ask myself what time of year that bit of the garden has least going on and keep that in mind. Am a great fan of guelder rose (not sure if its mentioned above?) as it jas lovely lacy white flowers in spring and also glorious colours and stunning red berries in autumn..Also the berries can't taste that nice I don't think, as in my garden at least the birds always leVe them till last !

I don't know if you can get smaller varieties however, the "wild" sort can get pretty tall!

Already got 6 DA roses!😱 That said GJ is on probation as she keeps getting black spot. Could get a disease free one to put the other other side of the border.

Got several of those suggested where but working my through those I haven’t to have a think. I love flowering currant, hadn’t thought of that. I’m thinking summer interest although it needs padding out for the whole year. I only have said plum tree, a buddleia, a rose, a few echinacea, a couple of Nepeta, a eryngium and a few alliums in said border. It needs structure!

Hydrangeas, perhaps? They don't appear to have a problem with being neglected and seem to last forever!

Hebes are good for bees (I notice that you have a few bee-friendly plants already). Other suggestions include pieris, choisya, camellia, photinia, aucuba japonica, dwarf rhododendrons or azaleas, ceanothus, viburnums like guelder rose... it all depends on the space that you have, and how big you want it to grow!

A Daphne smells gorgeous, I am hoping to have another one tomorrow :)

I have red, pink, white, yellow, and a mixed red/yellow ribes! Love them all, they’re such a tonic as spring shrubs.

Wildeve and Rahl Dahl have been my healthiest DA’s both quite spectacular and problem free. I agree GJ a bit of a disappointment! Poor repeat flowering, I have two, and one does have impressive fragrance, the other doesn’t even seem to produce any smell at all. It’s on borrowed time when there are so many others that could be better!

My garden was initially stocked from a friends garden that is Spring orientation, so it looks amazing early on and a bit bare in a hot summer! I sprinkle sweet rocket and foxglove seeds in any bare patches - always a work in progress!

The birds love my Cotoneaster. It's not a shrub but the butterfly's love the nettles I've been leaving to their devices.

Euonymous are virtually indestructible or possibly hebe, although some of the newer varieties are not reliably frost hardy, if you want evergreen.
Pittosporum is lovely sheltered by a sunny wall. Shrubby salvias are also really good value. I have a deep pink one (next to the pittosporum) that flowered from May to December last year.
Physocarpus is another nice one and can be kept compact.

Forsythia?

Dwarf rhododendron or azaleas - evergreen and mine happily grow in the clay we have here (don't use ericaceous compost) and I rarely remember to feed them! Bees adore their flowers and the leaves (particularly azaleas) are different colours throughout the year. You can prune them but may not get flowers the following year (although mine hadn't read that part of the 'how to' guide and flowered anyway).

Get some hardy geraniums in for ground cover. Do you have any perennials? They will add a lot of interest for not much effort, and will hopefully spread. Foxgloves, echinacea, verbena, euphorbia, there are so many.
Plant bulbs under the tree for early colour. Snowdrops, daffodils. Alliums for the summer.
Beck to shrubs, there is a dark leaved elder called black lace, that's lovely. The flowers are pinkish. Viburnum - some are evergreen some deciduous. Also have little heads of small white flowers.
Escallonia is another lovely flowering shrub. Japanese quince will give early spring flowers, but a bit sprawling unless trained against a fence.

Viburnum opulus is lovely - has flowers like a hydrangea but is more hardy. My best shrub for the money though is a white hebe. It flowers for months and is evergreen so adds great structure to the border.