Blossoming BEAUTIES

Create a gorgeous display with some stunning shrubs this spring

- CHRIS MORLEY

New-season awakening

Watch your garden transform from drab to dreamy with shrubs that burst into blossom this month. These delights are easy to grow and versatile, adding richness to beds with their structure and height, and creating frothy focal points. Some can be trained against walls and fences or snuggled up together to form a hedge. Underplant with a sweep of bulbs and ground-cover plants.

Fragrant lily-of-the-valley bush

Named after the exquisite white flowers that dangle from the tips of the branches, evergreen Pieris japonica is a show-off. It likes acid soil and a semi-shaded, sheltered spot, where its juvenile red- or bronze-coloured leaves are protected from frost.