As soon as I had posted my previous blog I realised that I had not mentioned the shrub that I had most wanted to, Viburnum Huron. Having now done so you might well ask why I have bothered. For instance it is not mentioned in either of my two 'bibles', the Hillier and Adeline catalogues, while its flowers are of a very ordinary viburnum type such as the Wayfaring trees (V.lanata) possess, which is to say flat heads of whitish flowers. These should produce berries, but one nurseryman at least warns that they are not up to much. But it has two features which for me makes it attractive. Everybody appears to agree that their autumn colouring is particularly good and moreover lasts for some time. Secondly, and this I can verify this myself, they are for a viburnum, at least particularly elegant. This is difficult to explain without a photo, but because the stems are long and not too heavily foliaged, there is Japanese quality to them, from a distance slightly resembling an Acer palmatum. Whether it will retain this elegance as it matures time will tell, and apparently it could grow to at least 2 meters, but for the moment I am delighted with it.
Another shrub acquired from the excellent Cotes Sud des Landes that I had never come across before is Itea japponica Beppu, or Japanese Sweetspire. I cannot pretend that it will have much of a 'gosh factor making a rather dumpy but suckering bush/clump of about 1 meter in height. As its name suggests its hanging white flowers have fragrance, but as so often with me it is the fact that it has very good autumn colour on leaves that last well into the winter that has persuaded me to buy it.
As I think that I have mentioned before we have not had great success with the deciduous Euonymus, I guess the most commonly planted being the various E.alatus, even losing E.hamiltonianus Indian Summer. Again what makes me try again, this time with E.planipes, is the prospect of autumn colour, and as with other deciduous euonymus, brightly coloured seed heads or fruits. Moreover apparently it has rather attractive leaf buds this in late winter and early spring. If all goes well this time it should make a big shrub or small tree growing to up to at least 3 meters.
Finally just a reminder that if you have an chance of acquiring Buddleja x bel argent do so. I put it in my top ten of shrubs. It is spring flowering.Its flowers unlike most Buddleja's droop in a most attractive way and are of a quite vivid purple while its grey leaves remain attractive throughout the summer. You can find it on the internet where you will find quite a good picture, but it is difficult to buy, and it may even be that only Le Jardin de Rochevieille can provide it.
