"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Well, I have probably done that :-( But there wasn't much option,
as it had got terribly tangled in a space far too small for it, and
I had to prune it right back to very old stems.

Assuming that it doesn't recover, I am wondering what I could put
there instead. It is a very sheltered position (for my garden, but
still gets down to -5 Celsius in a typical winter), faces south
west but is only 5' high by 8' wide.

I would like something evergreen and flowering, but have difficulty
in thinking of any that would do well in that small a space. Also,
many of them are a bit tender for me (e.g. Holboellia latifolia
thrives but its buds get frosted). Clematis alpina would do well,
but I have one of them and always like something new.

Any ideas?

I think Osmanthus (fancy kind of holly) is evergreen and hardy and
supposedly has white flowers in a good summer (according to that chemical
guy, although a nurseryman who sold me one didn't seem to think so). Don't
know whether it's your taste or not.