On 11/04/18 18:50, Nick Maclaren wrote:
This faces south, but gets direct sun only in summer, due to other
buildings. While it is the warmest spot in my garden, the garden
is cold and Erythrina crista-galli grew but flowered poorly (too
late, or not at all) and I have just lost lemon verbena. It's well
drained, though obviously not this winter :-(

I want something interesting, with no permanent foliage more than
2' high or so (it is in front of a window), though flower spikes
etc. could go up to 8'. It needs to be no more than 2-3' wide, too,
and not seriously thorny.

Any ideas?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

You don't say what the soil pH is. Are you looking for a shrub only, or
would a perennial or sub-shrub be acceptable?

Some ideas:
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tom Thumb'
Hedychium densiflorum 'Assam Orange'
Gardenia jasminoides 'Kleim's Hardy' (yes, really!)
Less hardy Salvias
Low-growing Grevilleas, Correas, and maybe other similar southern
hemisphere plants.

By the way, if you can flower Erythrina crista-galli, you obviously have
a warmer spot than me here in south central Hampshire! And, for what
it's worth, I've just lost lemon verbena too (in a sheltered spot).

--

Jeff