Creating curves

Over the last 10 years since we moved into our house I have planted shrubs all the way up the left hand side of my garden (to create a "natural" fence) and I also planted shrubs in front of the existing Forsythia hedge on the right hand side that was already there. As you can see from photo the garden still looks a bit rectangular. Having been to a friend who has a couple of staggered curves either side of her garden I am wondering what anyone might suggest I plant now to take the eye off straight sides. It's shrubs I want, not flower beds.

I am thinking of planting in front of the existing shrubs and would want something ideally evergreen and which grows to about 1.5 metres, (4 ft high) to sit in front of shrubs. Something with a bit of spring or summer colour would obviously be great !

Any suggestions on my little landscaping query?

 

Hello barryman

Yes, a couple of curves would enhance that look.....not too many, one on each side to start with. You can always adjust it later if you think another curve would be good

How about a winter scented evergreen like sarcoccoca, sweet box? Or a daphne odora aureo marginata another highly scented evergreen?

Not a shrub but an evergreen perennial, hellebore orientalis? Attractive foliage and flowers from late winter to late spring ...white, pink, red, purple, single, double flowers?

For summer, although not evergreen, potentillas will flower all summer long ...white, yellow or even pink and red flowers. Semi evergreen is hypericum Hidcote.....large yellow flowers in summer.

Or a group of lavendar, if the spot is sunny, warm and well drained. Evergreen with aromatic foliage and wonderful billowing blue flowers for most of the summer.

If your soil is acidic, pieris would look great.....new foliage is red and has white spring flowers. Dwarf and not so dwarf varieties. Likewise for acidic soils rhododendrons or azaleas are spectacular in spring.

Semi evergreen are the hydrangeas.....a white on the shady side. Blue flowers for acid soils or pink or red for alkaline soils. Again, dwarf varieties are available now.

Phormiums come in spectacular colours .....red, pink, yellow, variegated ......and provide evergreen impact all year round

I’m sure there will be lots of suggestions barryman so good luck

 

Lilac syringa microphylla superba is a good choice. Its shape is basically an inverted cone, so you can plant it fairly close to the edge of the bed without it causing problems with the lawn. Pretty pink flowers, highly scented, with a main flowering in spring and then (unlike other lilacs) on and off throughout the summer. It's deciduous though.

Ceratostigma is a lovely shrub. Vivid blue flowers from late spring to well into autumn, and pretty foliage. It's basically what everyone wants a periwinkle (vinca) to be, and then some. The one downside is that its foliage can be a skin irritant.

Ceanothus comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and shades of blue for the flowers. A small one would see you right. Flowers from early spring, and highly attractive to bees. Dark green leaves all year round, so it ticks that box.

Lavender has already been mentioned. English lavender has longer flowering than French. Also rosemary, sage, marjoram, and a number of other herbs are evergreen, and some (like sage) can be found in interesting colours.