It's Easter... they were going cheep !!

It's Easter and these shrubs were going cheep ... well, to be honest, they were going cheap!

There I was cruising round 'The Range' looking for 'things - other - than- plants' when they caught my eye. They were tucked away on a 'bargain shelf', calling out to me to give them a home. How could I refuse ? They cost me £6.50 for the lot ! Two of them cost £1.00 each, and the other two cost £2 . Alright, I know they need a little tlc and a little love, but they look no worse than a lot of the shrubs in my garden right now.

The Pyracantha is as tough as old boots and is always a stalwart to grow against a wall. It will stand a little shade and won't mind the cold, so I won't waste it on a South or West facing wall. It is described only as 'Pyracantha red' so I know no more than that, but I think it is a fair assumption that the berries will be red !

The Perovskia 'Blue Spire' has silvery stems and leaves and so would look really good alongside the red stems of Cornus. It is also hardy and has, as the name suggests, lovely blue flower spikes. RHS advice is to prune it hard in early Spring to keep that lovely silver colour.

The evergreen shrub is 'Arbutus Unedo' - and I will admit to having one before and killing it off rather speedily. The RHS describe it as 'hardy' and 'large'. It is also known as the 'Strawberry tree' as it has cream flowers followed by red fruits, which resemble strawberries.

The last of my bargain buys is 'Lorapetalum Fire Dance' (say it in a Cilla Black voice!) which is a new one on me but it looks quite special. It is related to Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) and has quite similar flowers , those lovely fragrant, stringy, spidery ones, produced in late winter, early Spring. It is evergreen (ever-red), so it has a lot going for it. Hardy, but needs a bit of protection during the first few winters.

So, by my reckoning I have saved at least £20 which I can spend, with a clear conscience on yet more plants ...