Shrubs Masterclass: The best expert content

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance garden, shrubs are the way to go. If you need help choosing the perfect variety, this collection of expert articles, Instagram posts, and videos is a great place to start. Here’s everything you need to choose, plant, prune, and care for shrubs, including evergreens, winter color, and container shrubs to liven up your patio.

If you need more inspiration, check out our wide range of shrub plants online, including winter blooming shrubs, climbing shrubs and fragrant evergreen shrubs.

This article was reviewed by T&M’s horticulture team and updated on July 25, 2024.

Plant acid-loving camellias in containers

Camellias are “winter roses,” says Dan in The Frustrated Gardener
Image: Camellia ‘Yuletide’ by Thompson & Morgan

“No matter where you live, there is no excuse not to grow camellias in pots,” says Dan, aka the Frustrated Gardener. To keep the soil acidic, he recommends using “well-drained ericaceous compost and placing the pot in a location where the roots can be regularly sprinkled with rain water.” Glean more gems of knowledge from Dan’s article, “Top 10 Shrubs to Brighten Your Winter,” and take a peek into his own beautiful garden while you’re here.

Choose ginchoge for its sweet-scented flowers.

Daphne is cultivated for its strong sweet scent.
Image: Daphne “Eternal Fragrance” by Thompson & Morgan

“Daphne can be either evergreen or deciduous. One thing all ginkgos have in common is that their flowers have a strong scent,” explains top garden blogger Carol Bartlett in The Sunday Gardener . She recommends planting the shrub in a sheltered location for best results. Read her dedicated Daphne growing guide to discover top tips for successfully growing this popular plant.

Try viburnum and barkwood in a shady spot

Viburnum x burkwoodii has a light and airy structure
Image: @hellotherelinda

“Viburnum and burkwood are among my favorite shrubs,” says Susanna Grant of @hellotherelinda. She says it’s perfect for shady locations, hardy and resistant to pollution, and its early flowers have a beautiful fragrance. Susanna is especially recommended for small gardens where an airy structure will not overwhelm the space. And it can be grown in large containers. What a hardworking shrub!

Aoki is a hardy evergreen suitable for north-facing gardens.

Aoki, an evergreen shrub with attractive variegated leaves
Image: Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’ from Thompson & Morgan

If you need a hardy evergreen shrub for your north-facing garden, choose the blue-green algae, says Marie of Pleuse Garden Design. “Suddenly, we could see the benefits of blue-green algae as part of an easy-to-maintain planting scheme in that difficult dark border,” she said during a difficult design briefing. Marie’s article includes four other reliable shrubs with variegated leaves to start a low-maintenance evergreen garden.

Evergreen shrubs serve as borders and specimens

Evergreen sunflower with attractive deeply lobed leaves
Image: Yatsude (from Thompson & Morgan)

Evergreen shrubs can be used “as stand-alone specimens, as part of a mixed border or as a hedge,” says Sue Sanderson on the Thompson & Morgan blog. Boxes are one of her favorites because they are suitable for formal topiary as well as casual cottage gardens. It’s the perfect backdrop to complement colorful flowering perennials. Check out Sue’s top 10 evergreen shrubs. This wonderful combination of flower and houseplant is truly a year-round plant.

Grow shrubs for flower arrangements

Brightly colored leaves are a great addition to bouquets.
Image: Furious Bloom

On her YouTube channel Fearfulblooms, artisan flower grower and arranger Catherine likes to add unusual foliage to her striking bouquets. Rich purple foliage and pale reddish flowers place Physocarpus oprifolius ‘Diabolo’ in the top five shrubs, along with Viburnum, which blooms in May when other flowers are scarce. Check out her videos to learn about other shrubs she grows specifically for flower arrangements.

Make delicious jam with edible mahonia berries

Mahonia fruit is beautiful and edible.
Image: @juliarussellherbalist

People tend to choose mahonia for its impressive structural leaves and strongly scented yellow flower spikes, but Julia at @juliarussellherbalist reminds us that the fruit is also great. The dark blue fruits that droop like clusters of grapes from early July make this shrub an interesting addition to any garden. To avoid wasting anything, natural health practitioner Julia uses them to make mahonia and apple jam. “Rich in vitamin C and polyphenols, fresh berries are face-crunchingly tart, but they become one of my favorite preserved foods,” she says. Check out her post for the recipe.

A topiary hedge gives the garden great structure

Contrasting shapes created by evergreen shrubs frame the landscape of this garden
Image: Medium-sized garden

If you want to create a Bridgerton-style garden but don’t live on a huge estate, Alexandra from The Middle-Sized Garden has some great tips after visiting Roger Lloyd and Stephen Sendall’s clever evergreen garden with a grand feel will tell you some things. Alexandra said her friend described their design as having “all the elements of a grand garden, but reduced to a small garden size.” She especially praises the use of interesting textures. Hedges of topiary frame views of Norwich Cathedral, and “the spiky leaves of yucca, phormium and asteria contrast with the rounded shapes of boxwood and yew and the feathery foliage of ferns.” Look at the great photos and comments and get inspired.

Encouraging pollinators in Budruja

Joel recommends the shrub Buddleja to attract pollinators to your garden
Image: Joel Ashton and Wild Your Garden

Wondering why you should plant Buddleja?Among other things, this shrub is a great nectar source for British butterflies, says YouTuber Joel on his channel Wild Your Garden With Joel Ashton. Joel’s favorite is Budruja Davidi, a versatile and hard-working plant with long-blooming lilac flowers that are perfect for pollinators. Watch the video to admire his shrubs and see the clouds of butterflies with your own eyes.

Feed your hibiscus regularly to keep it healthy

Add a tropical touch to your garden border with Hibiscus syriacus
Image: Hibiscus syriacus ‘Red Heart’ from Thompson & Morgan

The key to growing Hibiscus syriacus is regular feeding, says Simon from Garden of Eden. “Topload the soil regularly with rich compost or feed regularly with liquid food,” he says. Hardy hibiscus grows in a sunny spot in the garden or in containers. Find everything you need to know about growing these exotic shrubs in Simon’s comprehensive article.

Store hydrangea heads over the winter to protect next year’s blooms

Hydrangea “Euphoria Pink” is one of the most eye-catching among hydrangeas.
Image: Hydrangea serrata ‘Gotenba Nishiki’ (EUPHORIA PINK) by Thompson & Morgan

Don’t remove hydrangea flowers, says Lee, the garden ninja. Finished flower heads add winter interest to the garden and help protect shrubs from winter frost, he says. Proper pruning in early spring removes old flower heads and maintains the shrub’s beautiful bushy shape. For expert pruning tips, read Lee’s excellent article.

If you prune the sea urchin at the right time, it will bloom a lot of flowers.

Carefully prune the sea urchins that bloom in early summer.
Image: Thompson & Morgan’s ‘Florida Variegata’

Phoebe says on her Instagram page @shegrowsawildgarden that it’s important to prune at the right time. “The flowers form based on last year’s growth, so be careful not to cut off the flowers by pruning in the spring,” she says. See how Phoebe cleaned up her beloved snail after years of miscaring. It now blooms with hundreds of pastel pink flowers, brightening the border and attracting visiting bees.

We hope you find our shrub cultivation content useful. Share your favorite shrubs on social media using #YourTMGarden. For more help and advice on growing shrubs, check out our hub page.

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