Buying shrubs

Buying Shrubs online

A shrub is defined as woody-stemmed plants, usually freely branching from the base.

Things to consider

Chaenomeles sucker from the roots so need more space

Size - Shrubs range in size from a few inches in height to twenty feet or even more, but most fall comfortably in the middle of these extremes. As well as eventual height, you need to consider the spread of a mature shrub. As this can take several years to be reached, it is often a good idea to surround a young shrub with annuals or other short-lived plants which will fill the space in the short term but will not interfere with the shrub as it gets larger. Some shrubs also sucker from the roots (for example chaenomeles, the flowering quince) and allowance should be made for this too in the space allowed.

Look to see if your neighbours are growing Camellias

Soil - Your soil type (light, sandy and free-draining or heavy, sticky clay) will dictate what will thrive as some plants hail from hotter climates than ours and will not tolerate sitting in cold, wet soil during British winters; similarly others have strong, fleshy roots that need, and can cope with, a heavier soil. Whether the soil is acid or alkaline governs whether you will be able to grow such things as rhododendrons, camellias and other ericaceous shrubs. Looking in nearby gardens to see whether your neighbours are successfully growing these is the quickest way of guessing which you have, but a soil testing kit is a more precise way of determining soil acidity.

Aspect - Aspect is also an important factor – again some shrubs need all the sun they can get while others need shady conditions more akin to the woodlands of their native habitat.

One way to do your research is visit some Garden Centres and read labels to identify plant sizes and requirements; another is to purchase a small book for reference such as the Hiller Manual of Trees and Shrubs.

Buying shrubs online

Buying shrubs online has advantages and disadvantages. On the negative side, you may not be happy with the quality of what you receive. Try to stick to reputable firms or go with recommendations rather than finding a seller on a site such as EBAY. Not only are you more likely to get a better plant, there should be a customer service department if there is a problem. Also, check out the size of the plant supplied; sometimes a very cheap price only purchases a very small specimen that needs to be grown on before it is ready for planting in the garden. On the plus side, you can probably purchase a range of shrubs with different flowering times in the year all at once instead of having to wait until they are available in local Garden Centres. Reputable mail order suppliers will only ship plants at suitable times of year for getting them established in your garden and many will hold an order back if you tell them when you would like to receive it.

Crocus lists over 300 shrubs and allows you to search by criteria such as flower colour, eventual size or soil type (although most categories only have a few entries). Crocus charge a fixed £5.95 delivery fee regardless of the order size.

Gardening Direct have a decent selection of shrubs and a low delivery charge of £2.95 regardless of order size.

J Parkers offer a small selection of shrubs at very competitive prices but some of the plants supplied are very small.

Gardens4u lists around 80 shrubs with a search facility including evergreens or uses such as ground cover.

Specialist Nurseries/ Rare shrubs

If you are looking for a smaller specialist nursery then your best bet is to go to the Royal Horticultural Society website where typing in the name of a shrub lists suppliers in the UK including ones offering mail order like Burncoose Nurseries in Cornwall, Perryhill Nurseries in East Sussex, Beeches Nursery in Essex and Larch Cottage Nurseries in Cumbria. Delivery charges vary according to size and weight of your order but expect to pay at least £12 for delivery by Royal Mail (48 hours after despatch) but more by overnight courier.

Buying shrubs

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