Do you have these forgotten shrubs in your garden?
Are there any out-of-control watermelons trapped on a fence or yellow flame in the corner?
If so, you’ll notice three things. These forgotten shrubs are easy care (so you’ll find them in the council’s parking lot).
They have beautiful flowers and interesting leaves in spring.
And with one or two exceptions, they provide great value to wildlife. Because many people provide nectar and pollen at the beginning of the year. There are berries for birds, and their evergreen leaves may provide shelter.
Part of these shrub problems is negligence or inadequate care. Whether they’re hacked at the wrong time, it’s no wonder they look ugly!
So I visited Heber Castle in Kent and talked to Neil Miller, the Head Gardener, and some of the forgotten shrubs burning in colour in the gardens of Haver Castle.
Heber Castle – A stunning background for rediscovering beautiful but forgotten shrubs.
hever Castle Gardens
Haber Castle is famous for being the home of Anne Bolin, the second wife of Henry VIII. It is also famous for its gardens.
In the early 20th century, American billionaires competed against each other and recovered by purchasing old British castles. William Waldorf Astor purchased Heber Castle and used his enormous wealth to create a wonderful garden. It has beautiful stone walls and paths, elaborate gates, arches, rows and statues. Every time you turn the corner there is a view.
There is a series of events ranging from plays and exhibitions to spring and autumn celebrations.
Forsythia – the ripest of the forgotten shrubs!
It’s hard to find someone with a good word to say about Forsythia. However, it is one of the earliest plants of flowers, with a yellow welcome flame.
Its value for wildlife is being debated. In this post, it is not the most wildlife-friendly of shrubs, as it has relatively little nectar and pollen. Some varieties are even more barren.
You often see it standing up against the wall.
Neil proposes treating it as a freestanding shrub. Prunes and shapes as soon as the flowers are finished. That’s the only care you need.
It will be rewarded next spring. When most other plants are only brown twigs, it has such abundance of yellow flowers.
Forsythia is one of the most unpopular “forgotten shrubs” and often stretches to walls and fences. Treat it as a self-supporting shrub, Neil says, enjoying that early spring golden flame.
Laurel – more than just a hedge
My parents had a huge Portuguese Laurel hedge around their garden. The leaves were dark and shiny green, but I don’t remember it to flower.
This is because repeated hedgings over the years usually prunes flower buds.
However, it grows Laurel as an independent plant. Cut only immediately after flowering.
Then you get a white flower racetrack in the spring and a berries later that year. Both are valuable to wildlife, and evergreen leaves provide shelter.
In some areas, laurel can be invasive and self-infected, so check this where you are. Othewise Laurel is another plant that essentially takes care of itself.
Laurel flowers. Plants grown as hedges will not bloom if they are regularly re-maked, so you may have never seen Laurel flowers before.
Skimmia – One of the most popular and forgotten shrubs
If you’re hanging a basket or pot in the winter, you won’t forget about the skimia. It is a key plant of 12 top plants for a gorgeous winter container garden.
Spring Skimia flowers are attractive to pollinators (and humans too). However, if you want to get some bright red berries later in the year, you will need a “husband” for Skimia.
Neal explains that some of the Skinmere varieties are male, while others are female. Women’s have berries when pollinated by male varieties. So check the label to make sure you get at least two plants. Plant them nearby.
Heber Castle, the more common pink castle had a stunning creamy skinmere.
Skimmia is very easy so you don’t even need to prune it! And it would be fine even in shaded places.
Skimia – The ultimate easy care plant. Make sure it doesn’t dry out in the first few years. But then, it gives you a totally careful attention to winter and spring.
HoneySuckle – Cottage Garden Favorites
Those who had to fight through the tangles of honeysuckle leaves with a light tap on the top don’t want to grow honeysuckle again.
But HoneySuckle can be trained to behave. At Hever Castle, you are trained on the walls like climbing roses. It is not permitted to be bulky or out of control.
“Pruning your honeysuckle will bring you more flowers,” says Neil. These are in cream, pink, yellow, orange, or gold, and their scent is sacred.
Some noise is invasive in parts of the world, so check the variety when you purchase. There are several native honeysuckles in North America, while others are native to Northern Europe and Asia.
HoneySuckle is a great plant for pollinators, and berries are also good for autumn birds.
At Hever Castle, they do not allow their watermelons to grow. Here you are trained on walls like climbing roses. And Neil says this will make it even better. (Heber’s rose garden is also famous. Click here to find Neil’s tips on growing roses.)
Decorations/Cenomel – for old fashioned charm and elegance
Decorations (Chaenomeles) remind me of my favorite traditional floral wallpaper and furniture fabrics. There are mostly rose-like flowers, but they are coming out much earlier this year.
This could become a freestanding shrub, but we can see it growing on the wall as a mountaineer at Heber Castle. There is also a variety named after the castle – “Chaenomeles” Heber Castle.
Like many other forgotten shrubs, Chaenomeles appears and is a flame of colour. The entire wall may appear to be burning.
Perfect for pollinators, and the fruit is also suitable for autumn birds. Apart from pruning once a year, little or no care is required.
Like it or hate it – but you can’t ignore it. Personally, I think it’s beautiful. Neil describes it as “It’s a tough old cookie you get a lot!”
You can’t ignore this whole wall of bright red colour. Decorative pine/chenomele has spring flowers and autumn fruits.
Azaleas and Rhododendrons – Pot or Acid Soil
Azaleas and Rhododendrons can be stunning plants, but acidic soil is required to grow them well.
But Neil says Azaleas grows well in the pot. “They don’t get that big,” he adds. But that’s a good thing, as some azaleas and rhododentrons can be too big for small or medium-sized gardens.
There are different types of azaleas and rhododendrons (see Parenting Growth here).
Sometimes, Azaleas flowers well in neutral soil. Hever Castle has a blue azalea that has been there for many years. Its name has long been forgotten, but apart from the annual trim, there is little attention required.
Neil says to keep azaleas in the pot to limit growth. It also means that you can grow these gorgeous flowers even without acid soil. Use Elicuous compost in the pan and supply Elicuous feed.
Mahonia/Oregon Grape – More than a shrub in a car park
Mahonia has thorny casstral leaves and bright yellow flowers. It blooms early – it is often the first flower in front of the bulb.
If bees are coming out on unexpectedly sunny winter days, Mahonia is your best chance for nectar and pollen.
And, like all evergreens, it provides a year-round shelter for wildlife. It is also a good plant in the shade.
The main problem with Mahonia is that the council’s care program appears to contain at-time pruning (or rather “chainsawing”) plants that are convenient for maintenance companies rather than at the right time for the plant. The result is a squat shrub of spike bits.
In itself, the left Mahonia is sculptural and imposing. There is also a smaller, softer version called Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’.
Mahonia sometimes has carved leaves (see photo above the fern) and bright yellow flowers that are not blooming early in spring. But it is often hacked at the wrong time.
Top Tips for Easy Care Shrubs
All shrubs in this post are low maintenance. One trim or prunes per year is required immediately after flowering and Skimia does not need it.
But when you plant them first, Neal recommends giving them more attention while they settle down and bringing their roots down. This usually means watering with a dry spell. Once their roots are established, they can draw water from deep in the soil, but plants and trees are vulnerable to drying out in the first few years.
When watering shrubs or trees, you can soak them thoroughly and slowly, allowing the water to sink. Do not sprinkle water on top. Bring hoses and watering directly to the roots to make sure all water penetrates underneath. Before adding more, you may have to stop and start watering several times for the water to subside.
To find vibrant shrubs in late season colors, see this post.
And if you do winter damage to your shrub, this post will tell you what to do. And even more importantly, it tells you what you shouldn’t do!
More on Hever Castle
Hever Castle also features a spectacular tulip and tulip festival. Find Neil’s advice on how to plant tulips here.
The rose garden is outstanding. It is incorporated into what was once William Waldorf Astor’s Orangerry, and only its walls and a few rows remain. Check out this post for an atmospheric atmosphere of growing roses.
In the video you can see more of Hever Castle’s outstanding solid landscaping. The Rose Garden video is here and the Tulips video is here.
Watch this video to watch Heber in the spring.
A pin to remember a forgotten shrub
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