SHRUBS WITH FLOWER POWER

Flowers are favourite! As a nation we have an enduring love affair with them and flowering shrubs offer gardeners an un-missable opportunity to put on a show with the minimum of effort.

For a shrub with real 'flower power' go for an Abelia. This plant makes a big impact in later summer borders, with displays of wonderful flowers. Depending on species, these can also bring fragrance to the garden - delightful on a warm evening when you're taking a stroll or relaxing in a deck chair.

An Abelia can add an extra dimension to a border, establishing quickly and delivering an impressive show of flowers. Abelias are also admired for their glossy green leaves, but their flowers are what really earn them a reputation. Abelia x grandiflora produces masses of funnel-shaped white flowers, tinged with pink from mid-summer to autumn. It is a vigorous shrub which establishes quickly and will soon become the highlight of the border during this time. The flowers of Abelia x grandiflora are fragrant and pretty, nestling among the dark green leaves of the plant, which is evergreen or semi-evergreen. This Abelia can reach a height of 3m and a spread of 4m.

Abelia 'Edward Goucher' is more compact, so would make a great choice where space is limited. Fully grown it reaches 1.5m and a spread of 2m. The flowers of 'Edward Goucher' are trumpet shaped and lilac-pink in colour. Abelia chinensis is a spreading shrub, but still compact. Individual flowers are tiny at 5mm long, and form in fragrant clusters at the tips of the stems. Flowers are white tinged with pink and show on the plant from summer to autumn.

Abelias need sheltered, sunny positions and frost pockets should be avoided. An ideal position for an Abelia is against a warm wall, in full sun. The three species mentioned will cope with some low winter temperatures, but give them a helping hand and they will get through the winter more comfortably. This can be anything as straightforward as laying a mulch over the surface of the ground around the plant to protect its roots from frost, to putting horticultural fleece over the plant itself. Cut out dead or damaged growth in the spring to get the plant off to a good start. It's also a good idea to cut back some of the older growth to ground level after flowering; this will help to keep the plant vigorous and will encourage it to produce another beautiful display the following year.

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