My 3 favourite shrubs for autumn reflowering

When it gets to late October and we've had the first frosts, it's great to find shrubs that you might have dismissed, giving you another flush of flowers.

Choisya ternata can give great glossy foliage and a second flush of flowers with a whiff of scent if the air gets warm enough, - but only if you don't prune it. - It is a large bush, so leave it at least 2metres in space all round, and this will give you evergreen foliage and 2 lots of flowers a year. - The ultimate low maintenance shrub.

Kerria japonica ( this one is flore plena) is another low maintenance shrub that you can get a 2nd flush from. - This is also often pruned incorrectly and should be thinned out, once a year, with the spent (brown) canes being taken out at the bottom (like you would raspberries) which leaves lots of upright shoots which will flower even in shade.

Ceanothus is another one, that if left well alone can give you an extra round of flowers. (this one is Victoria) These evergreen shrubs are easy to look after, except maybe for some extra support as they can become top heavy and as they are fairly shallow rooted, they have a tendency to be pulled out of the ground.

So if you have a decent sized space for a shrub and you can leave it alone when all around you are clipping and trimming, - October is bonus time for a more flowers.

(all these photos have been taken by me of shrubs in local gardens in the last 2 weeks)

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Comments

T & S Plants October 24, 2010 at 9:15pm

For the ultimate Autumn re-flowering Shrub, give Camellia sasanqua a go.

Starts in the Autumn and then flowers right through till the Spring when the "real" Camellias start.
Claire Brown October 24, 2010 at 9:25pm

agree they are fab, - but don't like the alkaline soil round here.