Beauty Bush

Kolkwitzia amabilis Pink Cloud

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average to fast-growing
• Hardiness: fully hardy

  
  In May and June the arching stems of this pretty, deciduous shrub are smothered with masses of small, deep pink, trumpet-like flowers. It makes a graceful backdrop to a sunny mixed or shrub border, and thrives in a wide range of soil conditions, including chalk.

• Garden care: Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant. In midsummer after flowering cut back a third of the older, flowering stems to the base of the plant.