Shrubs that do well in the perennial garden

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

This is perhaps a bit off topic, but I like having a mix of shrubs and perennials together. Some of the shrubs I have added have not played well with perennials such as Ilex verticillata/winterberry holly ‘Winter Red’, which suckered so vigorously that it now takes up a swath of garden 10’x4’, or several shrubs that got large enough to shade out nearby perennials.

Some shrubs that have worked well in my perennial gardens for more than 5 years include

- smaller to medium sized Spiraeas. Most I don’t find very interesting, but Spiraea ‘Ogon’ has white spring flowers, narrow chartreuse foliage, and gold to orange autumn color which holds on late in the season.

- dwarf Deutzia are chock full of flowers for a short time in spring. Many are just tidy green blobs the rest of the season, but ‘Chardonnay Pearls‘ has chartreuse foliage.

- Some of the smaller Rhododendrons

- several roses, though my cold winters may keep size in check in a way that may not apply in areas less frigid in winter

- some of the smaller Hydrangea paniculata

- Hydrangea serrata ’Tuff Stuff’

Do you have shrubs that play well with perennials in your garden beds? (If your location isn’t included in your name, please add that to your post.)

Featured Answer

bellflower

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I am (slowly) getting there. When I first started to garden, shrubs seemed a terrific wheeze to effortlessly fill space. In short order, my tiny garden was filled with weigela, escallonia and other slightly dull but large and easy specimens. Naturally, after only 17 measly shrubs, the garden was stuffed and I was bored, bored, bored. Out they came and fell into a continuing infatuation with seed raised annuals...and later branched out into perennials. When I got an allotment, I was fixated on huge roses and rapidly filled the entire plot. Fruit gardening probably opened the door again and when I actually got some acreage, shrubs have been appearing on my radar a bit more frequently...although I have struggled a bit with dismissing prior assumptions of innate stodginess. Aso, having a very alkaline soil has rendered some really choice shrubs unusable (enkianthus, disanthus, fothergilla, zenobia, eucryphia, even cornus...but otoh, lilacs, philadelphus and deutzia fit well in the not very manicured woodland spaces, while lavender and salvias play happily in the perennial borders...but yep, this is an area ripe for exploration (for me).

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Comments (7)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
I have always included shrubs with my perennials - a mixed border rather than just a perennial bed :-) Few perennials have enough year round presence and I dislike bareness in winter so shrubs will always be a mainstay of any planting bed I design or plant.

My only limitation is size.......and even then I don't focus on that excessively. They can get pruned or moved if they eventually exceed the space allotment.

Some that are included in my current garden are abelia, pieris, hebes, choisya, viburnums, Lonicera nitida 'Lemon Beauty', Japanese holly, dwarf rhododendron, hydrangeas, rosemary, woody salvias, fothergilla, deutzia, Japanese barberry, nandina and various dwarf conifers.

In my previous garden - larger space and lots more sun - I had weigela, spiraeas, roses, twig dogwoods, Rhamnus 'Fine LIne' and daphnes in addition to most of the above.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
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FrozeBudd_z3/4
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Yes, for colder zones Hydrangea ’Tuff Stuff’

H. 'Incrediball'

H. 'Invincibelle Spirit II'

H, 'Invincibelle Limetta'

Berberis 'Concorde'

Berberis 'Rose Glow'

Daphne 'Carol Mackie'

Spirea 'Glow Girl'

Thuja 'Danica'

Thuja 'Marjam'

Thuja 'Janed Gold'

Taxus 'Morden Upright'

Juniper 'Moffat Blue', 'Medora'

Rosa 'Campfire' among a wide array of hardy roses.

hydrangea paniculata, I grow several varieties well suited for the north.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
GardenHo_MI_Z5
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I’ve been adding a variety over the years myself.

Doing it bass ackwards as I started with all perennials, with the exception of a few dwarf Alberta Spruce...since adding many more.

I know some of these are known to be invasive in other zones, but thankfully they do great here. Others I’ve listed are not true shrubs but with their size and great foliage I’ll list them also.

So far these are doing well here in zone 5/6...

A variety of H. Paniculata

Cotinus (purple yellow and dwarf)

spirea Tor

caryopteris

red twig dogwood

buddleia

Burning bushes

Little henry

ROS Blue chiffon

dwarf fothergilla

Berberis

dwarf serviceberry

gold globe arborvitae

peonies

hibiscus

ninebark

Black elderberry

Sky pencil holly

Gold privet

sand cherry

Baptisia

lilac

Also added a few conifers/evergreens and small trees...I’m getting there finally : )
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked GardenHo_MI_Z5
oursteelers 8B PNW
5 years ago
My love affair with gardening started on a smaller plot so I basically focused on perennials. Now that I have an acre I can appreciate the value of shrubs.

Rhododendrons, hydrangea, lilacs, azalea, weigelia, spirea, viburnum and daphne all bring value to the garden.

Roses have made a strong comeback (I had a few at the old place but they were pretty lame) and I really, really appreciate the vertical interest the climbers bring.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked oursteelers 8B PNW
Jilly
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
8a, Texas ... some of mine over the years that I like with perennials:

Various nandinas. (Non-invasive ones, before anyone sees the “NOT A NATIVE!” bat signal in the gardening forums’ skies.)

Various abelias. Currently loving ‘Twist of Lime’ in several beds. They have the cutest tiny white flowers.

Drift rose. They’re such prolific bloomers! And I love the small size.

Dwarf Yaupon Holly. Love. Not showy at all, but a well-behaved, extremely hardy and dependable plant for us. Quietly stays solid and in its lane. Drought tolerant.

Salvia greggiis.

Med size crapes.

Cenizo. Great velvety silver leaves, sporadic purple flowers. Butterflies and bees adore them. Extremely drought tolerant.

I know I’ll think of more at around 2:30 am tomorrow morning ... “Oh! A blah blergh and herp derp! I forgot to list those!”
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked Jilly
mazerolm_3a
5 years ago
My favourite shrub is spireas. I have 24 of them. I love that they leaf out early in Spring and can handle heavy snow loads (think 6 feet of plowed snow). Here are the other ones I have planted with perennials:

dwarf amélanchiers

azalea Rosy Lights

hydrangea paniculatas: limelight, Bobo, Diamant Rouge and Dentelle de Gorron.

hydrangea arborescence: Invicibelle Ruby, Annabelle, Incrediball Blush, Sheep Cloud

cotinus Royal purple

lilac: Charles Joly, Sensation and Miss Kim

barberry Concorde

barberry Sunsation

itoh and herbaceous peonies

dogwood Elegantissima

variety of dwarf conifers
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked mazerolm_3a