In spite of our slow spring and chilly wet weather and everyone having a lousy spring cold, the plants are coming in. I’m as dribbly as the rain! A few highlight you may find in your local garden center…

First off, my all time favourite, a magnolia 🙂 This one is Centennial Blush, a star magnolia with large white flowers blushed pink at the base. It forms a broad rounded multistem shrub about 4m x 4m (13x13ft) and grow in sun to part shade.
For a sosphisticated colour palette in shade choose a combination of vibrant purples and yellows. Here are heuchera Northern Exposure, Twist of lime, and Grape Expectations. Pair this with the stately ligularia, The Rocket, whose stems echo the purple, and flowers the yellow of the coral bells.
For sunny sites, this is an interesting variation on the emerald cedar, Thuja occidentalis ‘Jantar’. It has golden foliage brightening to intense yellow in the summer. It would look great with this Nepeta ‘Cats Pajamas’ and add colour to an evergreen border.
So pop out to your local nursery or garden centre and see what will brighten your day and garden!
Happy gardening 🙂