Topic: Recommendations for a shrub please...

[OllieC]

I'm looking for plant suggestions - it will be on the North side of the house, a few feet away from the house iteslf, evergreen, flowers (scented if poss!), growing to 2 or 3 feet tall. I have had a wall rebuilt & put a raised bed against it that will be filled with soil. The wheelie bin will be behind this shrub!

Any advice from the more floral amongst you?!

Thanks!

[dimmo]

My vote goes to

Cistus 'Silver Pink'

Neat & Bushy     Flowers all summer

Dimmo

[goodlife]

Gosh..you are not asking much.. ;) Rhododendrons and azaleas would like that position..but they do not smell..Mahonias do have lovely smell,but doesn't have otherwise much to show off..Pieris; more about foliage colour than flowers, Choisya; fragrant white flowers in late spring, maybe odd one in autumn too. Camelias; plenty of choice with flowers but no smell. But you have to do your home work as each of the mentioned ones do have cultivars that require more or less light.. ::)..and grow to different height.. ::)..but nothing stop you using your secateurs..generally they do not mind.. ::)
Or one that comes to my mind to..but no flowers..as such..holly!..you can get them in such a variety of foliages..and if you pick carefully..matching pair..you'll get berries too ;)

[goodlife]

Oh...cistus is sun loving shrub..and needs lots of it...North facing would not provide enough light for decent show off..it would be too cold too.

[Paulines7]

We were at the hospital today and as we walked along a path on the way in, we were greeted by a lovely scent in the air.  It was Choisya.  It seems to fit your requirements Ollie.

[Alimo]

I have a fantastic skimmia growing in north facing border.  I think the variety is Redruth - which has wonderful scented flowers now and fantastic red berries all thru the year.

Alison

[tomatoada]

Osmanthusxburkwoodii.  Scented flowers in Spring.  Evergreen.   

[gp.girl]

Sweet or christmas box?

www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/product_16932.html

[small]

Another vote for choisya - but don't go for the golden leaved one, it looks manky much of the time, the plain is a better bet.  The scent is heavenly.  Or what about Rosemary? Evergreen, (or evergrey) lovely scent, and useful in the kitchen too!

[tai haku]

Just to throw out an alternative...I would go for a Viburnum specifically either V. opulus aureum, V. sargentiana onondaga or V. bodnantense "dawn". Not evergreen but they hold their leaves for a long time and for me the scent, leaf colour and/or berries of any of these would offset the leaf drop.

[ellie2cats]

I have a Viburnum Burkwoodii and it has the most wonderful perfume. Flowers very early usually about February but later this year as with many things. It is evergreen and stands a bit of tough tratment with the secateurs.
Good luck.

[valmarg]

Daphne cnoreum or retusa.  Both are evergreen, very slow growing, and when in flower the scent is wonderful.

valmarg

[OllieC]

Very many thanks for all the suggestions... I shall draw up a shortlist & head off to the garden centre!

Ollie

[landimad]

Ollie,
Why not look into growing a Ceanothus, lovely blue flower which the insects like too.