Tall evergreen flowering shrubs for a sunny border

[greenfenz]

I am looking for tall bushy shrubs to fill the gaps in a south facing border by a garden fence. I previously had a eunymous there but removed it since have a few others in the garden. Now there is a large fuchsia and another eunymous remaining. Want something that will go with the eunymous and fuchsia.

I don't like a manicured look in general. Something fast growing, woody stem, evergreen, flowering, that would eventually grow to about 2 meters would be ideal. Could also be a pleached half standard branched tree but i do need something evergreen and flowering.

I already have a Ceanothus elsewhere but another could be an option- they don't flower very long, though. I could perhaps get a fuchsia in a different colour since mine flowers profusely through summer and I love it.

What would you recommend?

How about a camellia or a choisya?

Choisya and Camelia are excellent suggestions.

A few others - Hebe Midsummer Beauty flowers over quite a few months from June onwards - often flowering well into November. New leaves start purple and develop into bright green.

Escallonia Iveyi flowers in summer with large white conical flowers, and glossy dark green leaves that can turn bronze in winter.

Viburnum Tinus Eve Price flowers from winter to spring, showing bright pink flower buds from autumn which open up white, and clusters of small blue-black berries in spring.

California lilac or lavender?

Thanks - some great suggestions. I have Californian lilac further down the fence, an acacia (looking very bare right now) and lavender in beds. Is there a California lilac variety that flowers longer than others? I was also considering an arbutus unedo as a shrub.

I have viburnum eve price as a hedge - or trying to make it grow as a hedge more accurately. It is quite slow. I will try to get a viburnum lisa rose which seems to look nice. I will research eacalonia and hebe. I do need the shrubs to grow to about 1.5 to 2m in height.

If someone can recommend a repeat flowering rose bush, that would be great.

Thanks - some great suggestions. I have Californian lilac further down the fence, an acacia (looking very bare right now) and lavender in beds. Is there a California lilac variety that flowers longer than others? I was also considering an arbutus unedo as a shrub.

I have viburnum eve price as a hedge - or trying to make it grow as a hedge more accurately. It is quite slow. I will try to get a viburnum lisa rose which seems to look nice. I will research eacalonia and hebe. I do need the shrubs to grow to about 1.5 to 2m in height.

If someone can recommend a repeat flowering rose bush, that would be great.

@greenfenz the one I have flowers for a few months but there might be other varieties that do??

How about Abelia x grandiflora - would fit your requirements, robust, fast growing, evergreen and a long flowering period?

You can go wrong with David Austen roses, IMO; obviously they're not necessarily evergreen. Or a rosa banksia? I like lutea best.

A camellia will struggle in full sun (plus it needs ericaceous soil, which you may or may not have).

I would go for an evergreen daphne or ceanothus if it were me, but I'd grow a clematis through it - if you keep the roots cool (by tucking them in near the back) it should be fine, and it is a pretty standard way of extending the flowering period of evergreen shrubs. Some daphnes are better in full sun than others, but as with the clematis, it's mainly about keeping the roots cool and damp.

I can't picture a pleached tree looking right there, or fitting with a non-manicured look.

Reviving this thread since looking for some more inspiration.
I would appreciate suggestions on evergreen shrubs / bushes that grow about 180 to 230 cm high against south and north-facung fences.
I have ceanothus, arbutus, escallonia, star jasmine, a hardy fuchsia, camellia.
Would love something that flowers, I dont have pets so not bothered about toxicity.

I have a newlt acquired dwarf apple tree- is there an online store I can get a malus evereste trained as a bush? Dont want just a standard tree with canopy.

Also, would be great if someone can tell me what i need to feed my viburnum ever price hedge to make it grow. I swear it hasn't grown an inch over the last 1.5 years since planting.

A climbing hydrangea? I think some varieties are evergreen.

Or Clematis Armandii?

Thank you. I have 3 clematis being trained on a garden fence and also 2 honeysuckle climbers. I grew up in a tropical country and would love to have something that reminds me of home growing in my garden - and of course, few tropical shrubs will survive the winters here!

Sweet Box for your north facing area. Its scent is out of this world in the winter and it looks good the rest of the year with nice, deep green, shiny leaves. You can prune it into a shape.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/sarcococca-confusa/

Rosa moyessi for your sunny area. It has fantastic hips in the winter so something fir all seasons and great for the birds.

www.peterbealesroses.com/rosa-moyesii-p1127

Jasmine?

Mexican orange? It smells amazing too

A red-leaved berberis? Rosemary?

What time of year do you want this particular shrub to flower? Sometimes the best thing to do is visit garden centres throughout the year and buy something once a month when it is looking its best.

Excellent ideas- thanks.
I have had my eye on rosa moyesii and Mexican orange.
Sweetbox looks lovely - I wasnt aware of it.

@YoBetty I dont mind when the shrub flowers as long as it does. Winter or late summer to balance out the rest of the garden would be nice. I wish I could go to garden centers but I dont drive and live in a very urban area, so most of my plant shopping is done online. I just want some hardy multistem evergreen shrubs that dont need round the year tlc. I have burnt myself by killing a calamondin and now trying to get a lime plant to thrive (fairly unsuccessfully). I dont mind paying a bit more for established plants although I understand rootballs may give better eventual growth.

Was considering a fig but apparently these are hard to maintain.

Figs are far easier to maintain than either calamondin or lime, neither of which are hardy in the UK and can only be outside during the summer months.

How about a winter flowering jasmine? They are woody and you could train that up the fence, and have something smaller in front of it.

I have a white Ceanothus, what a plant! So different from the blue variety, of which I have had several and all eventually grow large and die.
This one has taken a couple of years to grow from a stick to a 10 ft shrub, climbing over an arbour seat. It started flowering a couple of weeks ago and looks as if it will go on for some time.

There are lots of blue varieties, all quite different. More than one white one, too.

I’d add more escallonia. I find ceoanthus hard work to establish in our soil.

Camellias can be quite forgiving. We had an enormous 10’ one in North London. Also a bit cheaper currently as they flower Jan to March.