12 Gorgeous Shrubs for Year-Round Interest

Perennials and grasses are really having their moment in the sun, and I absolutely love them. I’m a huge fan of Piet Oudolf and the new perennial movement.

However, I’m increasingly warming to shrubs, and particularly flowering shrubs.

These somewhat unfashionable plants do an enormous amount of quiet, reliable work: they hold their structure through winter when perennials disappear, they cope with the ups and downs of our changeable weather, and they anchor the garden from one season to the next.

Here are twelve shrubs for providing seasonal interest right through the year:

Winter

1. Viburnum tinus (‘Eve Price’ or ‘Gwenllian’)

For structure and reliable winter colour, Viburnum tinus is hard to beat. This dense evergreen keeps the garden looking alive when everything else is asleep. From late autumn into spring, it produces rosy-pink buds that open into small, lightly scented white flowers, often followed by blue-black berries. It’s unfussy, takes pruning well, and will cope with sun or partial shade.

2. Sarcococca hookeriana (Sweet Box)

A compact evergreen that shines in shade, Sweet Box sits quietly all year and then suddenly fills the garden with a powerful vanilla scent in mid-winter. Its tiny creamy-white flowers hide among glossy foliage, but the fragrance is extraordinary — ideal by a doorway or path. Give it humus-rich soil and partial to full shade and it will reward you for years.

3. Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’

If you want knockout scent in the bleakest months, this is the one. Flowering from late winter to early spring on bare stems, the pink buds open to paler, intensely fragrant blooms. It needs a sheltered, well-drained spot and can be a little less hardy than some shrubs, but when it performs, it’s unforgettable.

Spring

4. Camellia japonica

Camellias signal the start of spring with elegant, rose-like flowers in whites, pinks and reds. Evergreen and glossy, they also offer great structure. Plant in acid soil (ericaceous compost is essential) and protect from early morning sun to avoid bud damage. Ideal for a sheltered spot where they can really shine.

5. Choisya ternata

A cheerful, aromatic evergreen that brings masses of starry white, citrus-scented flowers in late spring. Neat, rounded, and versatile, it grows well in full sun or partial shade and often treats you to a bonus autumn flush. Go for “Aztec Pearl” if you prefer a daintier leaf.

6. Ceanothus (‘Puget Blue’ or ‘Skylark’)

For an explosion of deep blue in late spring, Ceanothus is unmatched. It prefers a sunny, sheltered position and well-drained soil. Ideal against a warm wall or in a hot border, where its glossy foliage continues to add structure after flowering.

Summer

7. Lavender ( esp. ‘Munstead’ or ‘Hidcote’)

Silvery foliage, fragrant purple flowers, pollinators everywhere — Lavender is one of my absolute favourites. Technically a sub-shrub, but I’m including it anyway! It needs full sun and sharp drainage. Great for edging paths or filling sunny gaps.

8. Hydrangea

A dependable option for shadier spots, Hydrangeas bring bold mophead or lace-cap flowers from midsummer well into autumn. Colours vary with soil acidity, but all varieties offer big, long-lasting displays. Leave the dried flower heads on through winter for extra structure. Perhaps the traditional mophead can be a little on the garish side, but the lace-heads are super pretty. And you can always opt for a classier white “Annabel” or “Lime Light”.

9. Shrub Roses

Shrub roses are some of the most hardworking summer plants you can grow. Modern, disease-resistant varieties flower for months on end, offer excellent scent and colour, and are far tougher than their reputation suggests. Many will thrive in ordinary garden soil, cope with heat or wet spells, and provide a strong, bushy shape through the season. Rugosa roses are especially resilient, tolerating poor or sandy soils, coastal winds, and minimal care. With regular deadheading, many shrub roses continue producing blooms well into autumn, making them one of the most rewarding choices for long-lasting summer interest.

Autumn

10. Abelia × grandiflora

A quietly reliable shrub that flowers from summer right into late autumn. Small, lightly scented, pink-tinged white flowers draw in pollinators, while the foliage takes on warm bronze and purple tints as the weather cools. Easy-going and happy in sun or part shade.

11. Fuchsia magellanica var. gracilis (Hardy Fuchsia)

A graceful, fully hardy fuchsia that delivers months of red and purple, dancer-like flowers. It brings a slightly tropical feel and provides late nectar for bees. Cut it back hard after winter and it will come back enthusiastically.

12. Skimmia japonica (‘Rubella’ or ‘Reevesiana’)

A must for shade. Compact, evergreen, and incredibly reliable, Skimmia adds rich colour from autumn through winter. 'Rubella' produces striking red buds that open to fragrant spring flowers, while ‘Reevesiana’ (female) carries clusters of bright berries if there’s a male nearby. Excellent for brightening darker corners.