Hi,

Looking to leave our next door neighbour a plant/shrub as a present. We're
moving and I thought a plant might be a nice reminder. I'm not an
experienced gardener at all, so I'm after some suggestions from the group.

A few parameters to play with.

a) It's for outside, so ideally be something that would flower year on year.
b) Size wise, it'd be something that doesn't grow too unmanageable - my
neighbour is in her 70s. She loves pottering around in the garden, but
she's not as nimble as she once was.
c) So, low maintenance is another something to consider.
d) Nice scented flowers would be ideal, pleasing to the eye.
e) Colourful.
f) Price wise - somewhere between £20 - £30.

I've got a lovely Rhododendron bush in my front garden, but that's grown to
about a meter wide, and nearly as high. That I think would be too big,
although it does fit many of the parameters above. Are there many types
of Rhododendron that remain relatively small in adult size.

I'm open to suggestions. Something a bit 'different' would be nice, but
any thoughts would be welcome.

Cheers all.
Mike.

On 17/6/06 14:23, in article , "borntorun75"
wrote:

Hi,

Looking to leave our next door neighbour a plant/shrub as a present. We're
moving and I thought a plant might be a nice reminder. I'm not an
experienced gardener at all, so I'm after some suggestions from the group.

A few parameters to play with.

a) It's for outside, so ideally be something that would flower year on year.
b) Size wise, it'd be something that doesn't grow too unmanageable - my
neighbour is in her 70s. She loves pottering around in the garden, but
she's not as nimble as she once was.
c) So, low maintenance is another something to consider.
d) Nice scented flowers would be ideal, pleasing to the eye.
e) Colourful.
f) Price wise - somewhere between £20 - £30.


Viburnum bodnantense 'Dawn' smells delicious in winter, and is a lovely
colour. The other lovely one is Daphne odora aureomarginata. Then you could
look at a Hamamelis mollis (witchhazel) or a Lonicera purpusii which is a
scented shrubby honeysuckle flowering in winter, too. Many of the most
highly scented things flower in winter, which is a lovely bonus during those
dark, grey days. In the Rhododendron line you could get her Azalea luteum
which is yellow and very highly scented but not too big.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)