A common misconception among gardeners is that shrubs are just ornamental plants. In reality, these hardy plants serve many purposes in the home garden: they provide a windbreak and shelter for other plantings, help to retain soil moisture, attract wildlife with their berries and flowers, and can be used as screens or to provide a vivid splash of colour to the border.

In short, shrubs are versatile and a perfect addition to any garden. Home gardeners of all stripes will achieve great results from planting shrubs and even the most inexperienced will see their plants flourish.

What are shrubs?

What differentiates a shrub from a bush or a tree? Sometimes the boundaries do get blurred as shrubs are woody plants.

But shrubs are shorter than trees and have multiple stems growing from their base. Shrubs are ideal for the border as they provide a variety of colour, lovely flowers and some also produce berries while others are wonderfully fragrant.

In many ways shrubs are the unsung heroes of the garden. Either deciduous or evergreen they can provide all year-round interest.

Planting your shrubs

Shrubs can be planted more or less all year round. Most of us however will usually plant in spring or autumn.

When you receive your shrub from Direct Plants it'll be securely packaged and wrapped ready for planting. The shrubs container serves as a handy guide for planting. The hold you dig (or the pot you use) should be the same depth as the container but twice the width.

Having pre-soaked the shrub's roots remove the plant from its container. Loosen the roots a little, if necessary, add some slow-release fertiliser into the hole you've dug and pop in the plant. Backfill the hole making sure the root ball is covered and firm down the soil. Finish with mulch.

After planting care

During the first year after planting, you should regularly water your shrub. Once established you can cut down on the regularity of the watering.

In early spring you can add fertiliser to your established shrubs. This will not only promote growth but can help prevent disease.

Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive offers and discounts. Click here.

Don't be afraid to prune your shrubs. Pruning helps growth. When you prune your shrubs will depend on when they bloom. Those that bloom early should be pruned after flowering while late bloomers should be pruned in winter or early spring.

Growing Shrubs in a Container

Many shrubs can be grown in containers. If you want to add some colour to a patio or the decking you've just had built, a selection of shrubs in ornamental pots will make a very attractive feature.

Use a good quality compost when potting the plant and make sure the container is large enough to accommodate the growth of the shrub. Making sure the shrub is well watered is even more important than when planted in the ground.

Choosing your shrubs

The sheer variety of shrubs is what makes them so perfect for the garden. You can't generalise too much about shrubs as they vary so much in colour, foliage, shape and in their growth habits. All of which means that no matter what your planting scheme is, whether you're looking for a special feature plant, filling the border or tricking out the patio you will find plenty of shrubs which will suit your particular purpose.

When choosing your shrubs from Direct Plants you'll find all the information you need in the product description. Click here to see all the shrubs we have available in the nursery right now.

If you need any further advice or help in choosing your shrubs don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be only too pleased to help.