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A Shrub for Every Situation
Shrubs are the perfect plant-they are low-maintenance, there is a variety for nearly every need, and they are widely available at garden centers and nurseries. In his new book Shrubs, Andy McIndoe-one of the world's foremost woody plant experts-shares all the information and advice you need to pick the right shrub for every site and condition. Shrubs includes plant suggestions for challenging growing conditions and restricted planting spaces, along with shrubs chosen for their desirable characteristics-like hardiness in shade, difficult soil, and harsh conditions. Plant profiles include complete growing information, color photographs, and recommended companion plants. With this helpful guide in hand, it's easier than ever to add shrubs to add to your home garden. This problem‑solving guide-from one of the world's foremost woody plant experts-shows you everything you need to know to pick the right shrub for a wide variety of sites and conditions. Andy McIndoe is the former managing director of Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centers in Hampshire, England. As designer of the Hillier exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show for more than two decades, he has upheld the company's unprecedented record of 68 consecutive gold medals. He is now a freelance speaker, writer, and consultant. Introduction
Compiling this book has been interesting, rewarding, and often challenging. The obvious garden situations are the easiest to make recommendations for. Shade, sun, and acid soil are just some that are constantly asked about. Those of us who advise on gardens have our favourites for such conditions, and these are the first plants that spring to mind. However, I have tried to include as extensive a palette of shrubs as possible and avoid duplications, but it is surprising how the obvious contenders for one situation are the forerunners for the next. Thinking of alternatives is where the challenge begins.
I have tried to be definite in my recommendations. It would be easy to say "any potentilla will do," but that leads to the question of which one. I've included my first choices in the shrub entries, and the reader can then choose alternatives. For example, I may recommend Potentilla fruticosa 'Abbotswood' in one situation and Potentilla fruticosa 'Primrose Beauty' in another. Unless I say otherwise, the two are really interchangeable. I have included them because they are both good plants.
I advise you to use my selections as a guide, but see what is available locally or from your usual source of plant material. Selections vary with nursery and country. If you can choose the plants personally, so much the better. It is preferable to have a good plant of a close substitute than a poor plant of your first choice. Many planting schemes are ruined by the inflexibility of the designer.
In most cases choosing the shrubs for each situation was easy and the selection could have been far more extensive; in other instances it was challenging. Some will undoubtedly question why I have not included shrubs that seem obvious choices to them. We all use a group of plants that are familiar to us, and I always recommend plants that I have some experience of. Also it is important to remember that all plants behave differently in different gardens. For example, I never recommend sarcococcas for pots and containers because I never have success with them. However I have met several gardeners who claim to have wonderful specimens that have thrived in pots for years. Similarly I usually find that Daphne odora has a lifespan of ten to fifteen years. Yet I have met gardeners who claim that theirs has been with them for more than thirty. Two things are certain: we all lose track of time and plants have not read the rule book.
The shrub descriptions include an indication of potential size. It will certainly depend on the growing conditions, and it can depend on the original sp
Shrubs are the perfect plant-they are low-maintenance, there is a variety for nearly every need, and they are widely available at garden centers and nurseries. In his new book Shrubs, Andy McIndoe-one of the world's foremost woody plant experts-shares all the information and advice you need to pick the right shrub for every site and condition. Shrubs includes plant suggestions for challenging growing conditions and restricted planting spaces, along with shrubs chosen for their desirable characteristics-like hardiness in shade, difficult soil, and harsh conditions. Plant profiles include complete growing information, color photographs, and recommended companion plants. With this helpful guide in hand, it's easier than ever to add shrubs to add to your home garden. This problem‑solving guide-from one of the world's foremost woody plant experts-shows you everything you need to know to pick the right shrub for a wide variety of sites and conditions. Andy McIndoe is the former managing director of Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centers in Hampshire, England. As designer of the Hillier exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show for more than two decades, he has upheld the company's unprecedented record of 68 consecutive gold medals. He is now a freelance speaker, writer, and consultant. Introduction
Compiling this book has been interesting, rewarding, and often challenging. The obvious garden situations are the easiest to make recommendations for. Shade, sun, and acid soil are just some that are constantly asked about. Those of us who advise on gardens have our favourites for such conditions, and these are the first plants that spring to mind. However, I have tried to include as extensive a palette of shrubs as possible and avoid duplications, but it is surprising how the obvious contenders for one situation are the forerunners for the next. Thinking of alternatives is where the challenge begins.
I have tried to be definite in my recommendations. It would be easy to say "any potentilla will do," but that leads to the question of which one. I've included my first choices in the shrub entries, and the reader can then choose alternatives. For example, I may recommend Potentilla fruticosa 'Abbotswood' in one situation and Potentilla fruticosa 'Primrose Beauty' in another. Unless I say otherwise, the two are really interchangeable. I have included them because they are both good plants.
I advise you to use my selections as a guide, but see what is available locally or from your usual source of plant material. Selections vary with nursery and country. If you can choose the plants personally, so much the better. It is preferable to have a good plant of a close substitute than a poor plant of your first choice. Many planting schemes are ruined by the inflexibility of the designer.
In most cases choosing the shrubs for each situation was easy and the selection could have been far more extensive; in other instances it was challenging. Some will undoubtedly question why I have not included shrubs that seem obvious choices to them. We all use a group of plants that are familiar to us, and I always recommend plants that I have some experience of. Also it is important to remember that all plants behave differently in different gardens. For example, I never recommend sarcococcas for pots and containers because I never have success with them. However I have met several gardeners who claim to have wonderful specimens that have thrived in pots for years. Similarly I usually find that Daphne odora has a lifespan of ten to fifteen years. Yet I have met gardeners who claim that theirs has been with them for more than thirty. Two things are certain: we all lose track of time and plants have not read the rule book.
The shrub descriptions include an indication of potential size. It will certainly depend on the growing conditions, and it can depend on the original sp