Inspiration requested for a front lawn centre shrub

Hi All,

Some inspiration required please. Over the last few years, I have been steadily working to improve the borders at the front of the house, and have added a number of different plants to the existing shrubs (the previous owner, my great uncle, was a very keen gardener!) most of which seem to be doing well.

However, the front garden has an (almost) square patch of grass which the borders run around. I was mowing it last night (first cut!!) and thought to myself that it could really do with something in the middle - a shrub of sorts - to brighten the place up a bit. The grass is just there, not really doing very much apart from providing a bit of shape to the borders as the picture shows:



So what to put in the centre? The lawn is in front of our window, so obviously nothing too big to block out the light - max 5ft I guess. The area is east facing, and gets the sun all morning and part of the afternoon. After that, it can get quite cold as the house blocks all the sunlight.

I have euonymus down one side (with a large aucuba japonica), a set of beautiful old pink rose bushes at the top, and the rest populated with things like choisya, helleborus foetidus, crocosmia, Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) and salvia.

So please feel free to suggest an eyecatching centre piece for my boring lawn! I want a shrub that is:

* interesting to look at, preferably a bit unusual
* evergreen (or at least an interesting looking deciduous plant)
* gets good amounts of colour (pinks, reds, purples, blues, yellows etc - no more green flowers though, I have enough with the helleborus!)
* flowers for a long period (not a quick blossom)
* can cope with sun in the morning, shade in the evening

I was looking at things like tree peonies, but not sure I really want one there. I am in your very capable hands - advice please!

Cheers,

Dave

 

How about a Variegated Cornus - white and green leaves, some flowering buds and the wonderful red stems in winter. It will need cutting back each Spring to prevent it turning into a monster, but it responses well to that (and needs it to get the required red stems the following winter).

Sorry not to be more inspiring - I prefer herbaceous perennials, but I have a few Cornus doted about to provide some winter interest

 

Thanks Aaron, I already have a few cornus in the back garden, but will definitely put it on the list

 

Hi, Dave,

If SussexGardener meant Cornus controversa 'Variegata', that's a gem indeed! :luv: As a centerpiece you might consider Pieris 'Winter Flame', although it won't grow as tall as a Cornus but at least it's evergreen. You could plant an unusual Japanese Maple there as well, e.g. 'Orange Dream', or 'Ukigumo' or you might think of an Acer davidii or Acer palmatum 'Orido Nishiki' with vibrant red barks in winter.

If a taller tree is not an obstacle, there's Magnolia tripetala with its huge leaves and it's not a sorry sight in winter either although it's decidious (here). Or if you like weeping trees, there are the vast palette of conifers, Pinus strobus 'Pendula' is also a sight worth considering.

BTW, as I look at your lawn, I can't help thinking that I'd remove four quarters of a circle from each corner and put there round little things, e.g. variegated boxes pruned into balls, or some other small evergreen shrubs with a formal look...

 

Actually Dave, to be honest, I would dig up the whole lawn and replace it by extending the flower beds. Lots more room for more plants and no grass to cut then. It doesn't look big enough to warrant getting the lawnmover out...

 

Hi guys, thanks for the tips. You're right, Aaron, that the lawn is very small, and I have thought about taking it up completely, but we're new parents this year so I need every bit of time saving I can - adding more beds to weed and care for (and I have a large back garden) is not on the cards at the moment!

Agatha, I like your formal idea, maybe something to think about! :D

 

Just had a look up for Cornus controversa 'Variegata', and got this:

"Fully hardy, it has a height and spread of about 15m (50ft)."

ah, a beautiful sight, but possibly a little bit large for my needs at the moment!

 

Hi Dave - good luck with the 'new parent' phase. What a fantastic time, full of excitement and joy. I have three boys and I can honestly say that they make life fantastic. Hard work!!! But brilliant.

Have you thought about a camellia for the centre of the bed, or one of the dwarf magnolias. I can't grow them - wrong soil, but not sure if you could. My mum gets around it by putting them in big tubs, and they look wonderful as centre pieces.

My mum has some amazing acers too - which I have my eye on but she never offers to donate one! Beautiful little trees with glorious red leaves.

The other thing you could do is invest in a beautiful obelisk of some kind, and grow climbers up it?

Or, an ornamental grass? I'd never been much of a fan but saw them last year at a flower show and the purple flowered variety of this one, Pennisetum, was absolutely beautiful. The seed heads just swayed quietly in the breeze. This is one of the most popular of the ornamental grasses because it does not get too tall or invade other plants in the perennial border.

 

They respond to trimming, pruning and a hatchet job. No need for it get to that height!

As I said earlier, you have to cut them down in Spring to get the red foliage the following winter. Cut right down to within a foot or less of the ground.

 

I was thinking of a camelia too, although it flowers early in the year and they don't last long, sadly. Otherwise, a pieris is a good idea if you have acid soil, or a hydrangea - check out Annabelle who's a real beauty, in a slovenly sort of way :wink: There are lots of different types of hydrangeas, some are white, but many have very deep colours of blue on acid soil, or pink on alkaline . They flower for ages in the summer and last well into autumn and need minimal care.

 

Dave - one of my favorites is


Salvia microphylla (also goes under the name of Salvia greggii or S xjamensis). Thats the small shrub of about 3 ft by 3 ft in the centre. The reason I love it is because it flowers for anything up to 6 months of the year - that's longer than anything else in my garden.

However - if you put any shrub in the centre of the lawn, it will make mowing difficult.

 

Did you see the small trees for small gardens bit on gardeners world last week? The white berried rowan looked beautiful. Sorbus Kashmir... something! Can't remember rest of name but I'm sure Google will find it on a search.