In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote:
On 06/02/2014 14:46, sacha wrote:

Maybe some of the fastigiate Cornus might meet the bill. But if you
can do without the spring flowers, and get them at a time of the year
when not much else will be in flower, then Eucryphia x nymansensis
‘Nymansay’ or E. cordifolia might be worth consideration.

Could be a bit chilly for Eucryphia?

I believe that they may well be a lot hardier than often thought, in
particular Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~gdk/sta.../septpom02.htm

I am not sure if the original plant is still at Nymans, but there are a
number of fairly large Eucryphias there. They must have survived some
cold winters, and, as far as I remember, they are not in the walled
garden. True, Sussex isn't Cambridgeshire, but it can get cold. I
guess that Nick could always take a stroll over to the Cambridge Botanic
Gardens to see if there is anything growing there which takes his fancy.

Thanks for the reminder! I tend to not go that often, since they
started regarding people like me as an easy income stream, which
made popping over for a quick half-hour every now and then an
expensive proposition. But it would be a good time of a good year
to check up on hardy, early-flowering shrubs!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.