Shrubs & Palms.

[karl66]

A lot of members know i've gone a bit mad buying palms this season, but the last month or so i've concentrated on buying more shrubs/bushes. two of my favorites are photinax x fraseri red robin & mahonia media winter sun, these pair have been bought especially to act as wind breakers. Anyone grown similar. karl.

[GREVILLE]

Shrubs mix well with palms and the like, not just windbreaks but can be good as feature plants as well. Photinia and Mahonia are good choices and these can be 'played with' to exotic effect.

Hebe stenophylla, Eleagnus, Choisya, Aucuba and even the humble pyracantha and Cherry Laurel work both ways.

[RogerBacardy]

I grow Fatsia, Hebe & Euphorbia, which are all shrubs. Used to have Mahonia, but gave it away when redesigning the garden. Mahonia is great for winter interest.

Phormiums are shrubs too, & I have 7 of those dotted about.

[GoggleboxUK]

I also have Fatsia (in a few forms), phormium tenax and Euphorbia.

I also have Mexican Orange Blossom.

[Trudytropics]

Callistemon (bottle brush), I believe some are hardy in the Uk, I have never grown this myself as they remind me of toilet brushes , which puts me off. When in Crete however a few weeks back they had huge Callistemons which looked spectacular

[Adam D]

I have more shrubs than palms!

[cordyman]

I love mahonias. This is my mums

[jezza]

Not to everyone's taste but i've dotted a few rhododendrons about.

[flounder]

I grow loads of shrubs. Even though I'm trying to look all exotic, I can't bring myself to dig anything up so they stay and I have to accomodate them. I think I have close on 80 different types in a smallish garden
I have 23 different hebes, as well as prunus types, viburnums, euonymus, cotoneasters, fatsia, pieris, hydrangeas, fuchsias, weigelas, philadelphus, kolkwitzia, senecio, phlomis, forsythia, leycesteria, callistemon etc
So you could say I have more shrubs than palms

[Nigel Fear]

Shrubs [and trees if room] are essential in any garden, though I guess if you had a minimalist courtyard with containerised palms you could just about get away with it, but only just.

Shrubs, but no palms ok [just], but palms with no other shrubs......... No thank you!

[Ian Cooke]

...............Phormiums are shrubs too...................

Being pedantic but Phormiums are not shrubs but evergreen herbaceous perennials - they don't have a woody stem system. Nevertheless excellent suggestion as a permanent structure plant and I have grown many until last winter.