Best flowering flowers

[allangreenbean]

Sources close to me tell me spring is on the way followed by summer and this means flowers.

I like colour in my garden in addition to green but I don't want big brown gaps in winter where the flowers used to be.

What are your top hardy evergreen flowering plants for the UK?

I'm looking for ground cover sized, medium (daffodil/tulip size) and shrub/tree size suggestion.

I am aware of some evergreen Iris and evergreen Hemerocallis but it would cost a small fortune to acquire enough to make an impact.

I also have a couple of types of daisy including the common lawn daisy growing from seed. These are underrated in my opinion and can provide a carpet of colour almost year round and low growing ground cover and look great en-mass.

Any suggestions and pics would be lovely

[MikeC]

Azaleas, Camelias, and Rhododendrons give brilliant flowers in a range of colours and sizes with evergreen foliage, if you can give them lime free soil (planters or raised beds one solution).

[allangreenbean]

Thanks mike, acid loving plants do scare me a bit as I've killed so many, I have an azalea that is still clinging on to life, maybe I should move it closer to my pine.

Great idea though as I had completely forgotten about rhodies and you reminded me of the spectacular display in the coniferous woods up Norfolk way.

[Addictedtopalms26]

I know their not evergreen but I think Rudbeckia's are great! Easy from seed and produce a great bushy plant, with lots of flowers through summer.

Also New Guinea Impatiens are good ground cover.. not hardy..

Or Periwinkle.. Great ground cover! Plus hardy

[flounder]

Don't forget dahlias and pelargoniums

[Caprier]

What about cistus? The flowers are short-lived, true, but big and beautiful, and there's a choice of green or silver foliage.
Growing a summer-flowering clematis through and over them extends the flowering period

[kata]

The Peony,

Picky but if the conditions are right flowers big as footballs in time. Once planted then move them and pay the price and wait anyhing for up to three years for the flowers to re-appear.

Plant them too deep/too shallow and they won't appear at all. But beautiful flowers if your conditions are right.

Enormous, rose pink, fragrant, double summer flowers and mid green leaves. This magnificent, late-flowering, pale pink peony has been popular since the Edwardian era. To support the large flowers stake in spring using bamboo canes or metal link stakes. An excellent specimen plant for a partially sunny border.

Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch with well-rotted compost or manure. Fungal diseases may occur in cool, wet springs so prune out any affected parts and spray the remaining sections with fungicide.

Eventual Height: 1m
Eventual Spread: 0.9m

[flounder]

Ok I misread the post(again). Missed the hardy and evergreen bit
A lot of viburnums and daphnes fit the description. Definitely go with cistus, lots of choices. Skimmia, pyracantha, prunus and choisya all add a bit during the year, as does cytisus and senecio.
Campanula, helianthemum and vinca spring to mind for smaller compact stuff.

[MikeC]

A few more ideas, evergreen with flowers.

Mahonia
Hebe
Clianthus
Clematis
Lonicera
Calistemon
Berberis
Sedum
Delosperma

[kata]

Yea Sedum Mike,

I bought a beautiful red/pink I had searched for...I can't wait for spring to get it moving.

sedum_matrona.jpg (61.06 KiB) Viewed 1215 times

[flounder]

Oh yeah, hebes!

Mahonia
Hebe
Clianthus
Clematis
Lonicera
Calistemon
Berberis
Sedum
Delosperma

I've only got 22 types, no wonder I forgot them

[allangreenbean]

All good contributions, am going to have to make my way through the list.

One of my spring faves is Phlox subulata the creeping phlox which has masses of flowers, try 'candy stripe'

[paulrm71]

A shocking pink pelargonium started flowering indoors in feb, was moved outdoors in march and didn't stop throwing out flowers till December. Even now it's back inside with still a few flowers every now and then. Took loads of cuttings as they will make great bedding.

[allangreenbean]

I've read that some geraniums are evergreen through winter, does anybody grow any reliably evergreen geraniums?

[Dim]

on a side note, the trick with planting perennials/flowers, is to try and get colour throughout the year, and ensure that there is interest in that area for at least 10 months of the year ... it does not help planting one type of perenial that has flowers for 2 months of the year, then looks carp for 10 months

so, when planting a bed, it needs to be divided into different zones, and ensure that there are more than one type of perenial in bloom for every month, and ensure that the colours of the blloms either match, or are opposite of the colour wheel ...

that causes the beds to be wide ... it is also very costly (some perenials cost more than £5 each)

so, when planning a cottage style bed, the cost of planting per running meter is very high compared to planting exotic style .... I have done quotes for clients and convinced them to switch from cottage style to exotic style ... a few palms, musa, ricinus, etc etc and underplanted with evergreen ferns, huechera, coleus, hakonechloa macra aureola etc and you have colour and interest for 12 months of the year