Summer SUPER SHRUBS

These five summer-flowering shrubs will give you impressive blooms and foliage

- CHRIS MORLEY

Mopheads and pom-poms

Hydrangeas are super popular and rightly so: they’re low-maintenance, unbothered by pests and diseases, and flower for months. Mophead types (macrophylla) change flower color depending on the soil – pink on alkaline or blue on acid/neutral – and age to soft, smoky tones. Pompom types include the frothy lime-white Hydrangea arborescent ‘Annabelle’. Or you could opt for cone-shaped paniculata, like ‘Vanille Fraise’, whose flowers turn from white to pink, then red. All need space to breathe, spreading 1-3 meters. The mopheads need partial shade to stop flowers from fading. Other varieties tolerate sun but all need plenty of watering.

Sweetly scented