Shrubs

Hydrangea macrophylla Runaway Bride is a compact, small to medium-sized, vigorous, deciduous shrub, extremely floriferous, with a rounded habit and semi-trailing stems. Unusually for a hydrangea, it flowers all the way along the stems instead of just at the tips, giving it the name of Garland Hydrangea.  The ovate, serrated leaves are deep green. From May to September, the shrub is covered with a profusion of pure white lace-cap flowers, often with a pale pink flush as they age; the colour is constant whatever the pH of your soil. Hydrangea Runaway Bride is excellent in large containers along a house-frontage, as well as in a border. Soil: Any moist but well-drained soil, acid to neutral preferred Position: Partial shade Season of interest: Late spring to early autumn Hardiness: Fully hardy Height:  4’ (1.2m) Spread: 4’ (1.2m)

Pansy

The most popular and best loved. It will perform in your garden whether in a container or planted out into the borders etc. Totally Winter hardy. Flowers from end August - next August (if looked after!) Typically the pansies are termed as Winter pansies and will flower through the Winter providing there are plenty of sunny days. They require the sun to initiate flower bud and in the sometimes dreary, dull days that Winter offer they maybe shy to flower. The reward is usually around the end of February onwards the first Spring flush of vibrant colours lift the garden into joy. Unlike a lot of bedding plants, pansy & especially viola are easy to keep looking good providing a few basics are given. Watering is best done in morning, keep drier during the winter months - but at the same time don't let them dry out completely. Feed with a high potash feed such as vitax , once established. If you are time strapped we suggest adding slow release food in the compost at time of planting with Vitax Q4 or Gro-Sure. This should provide enough nutrient for 6 months, but frequency of watering may effect this. De-head regurlarly to keep the plant producing more flowers and for disease prevention. The smaller violas are self-cleaning, ie. de heading not neccessary. Pest & disease problems? If the plants are kept healthy with good watering and de heading & dead leaf removal the plants will be trouble free. Pests. Caterpillars are the main issue. If you are environmentally minded, pick off any you see. However, a spray with systemic insecticide will do the trick. Slugs can often eat the flower buds, leaves & stems so watch out for them. Disease. There can be leaf spot and downy mildew problems. This mainly happens if we get a dull wet Winter. Try to keep plants dry and remove any affected leaves straight away. Preventitive fungicides can work if applied correctly.