In article , Janet Baraclough
writes

The message
from JackD contains these words:


Hello to you all. I've just had my front garden paved. I've left a
quarter-circle corner with a 12' radius to break it up. The corner
of this 'corner' is facing SW, and bounded by 4' walls which give
shade half the day. I would like to plant a large bush in the corner,
with progressively smaller bushes towards the front. Any advice on
ones that keep their foliage all year around?

In the back corner, I'd have fatsia japonica (dinnerplate/handshape
sized shiny green leaves). In front of it or slightly to one side a
phormium ( huge spiky leaves). In what space is left at the front,
several small bushes of any evergreen hebe, all the same kind. (Most of
them have a good season of flowering and respond well to tight clipping;
eventually they will become one seamless mound). Mulch the soil with
bark chips. This will give you a handsome group of very tough evergreen
contrasts with minimal maintenance.


Speaking of evergreen Hebes... Anyone else had significant problems this
year with black spot and defoliation? I've mostly used Hebes in pots, so
far, to pleasing effect - but this year most of them look desperate.

Apparently they're not keen on being watered from above, but when hand
watering I've kept this to an absolute minimum. My local garden centre
suggests it might be down to our mild but wet winters, and they're
planning to not stock them after spring/early summer next year, as
clearly no one is going to buy anything that looks like...well, what I
have out there now, sadly.

It's a shame, as I really fell for Hebes in quite a big way when
beginning gardening a few years ago.

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK