Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'
red-barked dogwood
- Position: full sun to part shade
- Soil: any moderately fertile soil
- Rate of growth: fast-growing
- Flowering period: May and June
- Hardiness: fully hardy
This deciduous shrub has pretty, grey-green leaves with white margins and produces small, creamy-white flowers in May and June. But it's really grown for the vivid red stems that are revealed when the leaves fall. This lovely dogwood looks stunning planted in groups in damp areas of the garden, beside water, or in a winter border. Best in full sun, it works particularly well with orange or purple-stemmed varieties of dogwood. - Garden care: In March cut the stems back hard to within 5-7cm (2-3in) from the ground and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or horse manure around the base of the plant.
Bergenia 'Silberlicht'
elephant's ears (syn. Silverlight )
Early flowers in spring
Cornus alba 'Sibirica'
red-barked dogwood
Bright coral-red stems in winter
Choisya ternata
Mexican orange blossom
Wonderfully scented white flowers
Hamamelis mollis
Chinese witch hazel
Spidery flowers with lovely winter fragrance
Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
dogwood
Flame-coloured winter stems
Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile'
mock orange
A compact, highly fragrant mock orange
Pachysandra terminalis
Japanese spurge
Evergreen ground cover with white flowers. For sun or shade
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