Author: Antonio Pachowko

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the not often seen Daboecia in containers. If you look in gardens throughout the UK, you will see Callunas and Ericas grown everywhere but you will not see Daboecias. This is very puzzling because like its cousins, it is not more difficult to grow and they require the same growing conditions.

Daboecia is a small species of flowering plants of the Ericaceae (the Erica or Heath) family, where only 3 species are known to exist, Daboecia gets its name from the Irish Saint Dabheog.

It is a shrub that is native …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the beautiful flowering shrub of Abelia in containers. Abelia is an old genus, no longer recognised by botanists, which contains around 30 species belonging to the Caprifoliaceae (the honeysuckle) family.

Some botanists think it should be included in the Linnaea genus, excluding Zabelia which was raised to its own genus.   The problem is that not all Botanists accept this and to this day, you will see Abelia sold in shops, whilst Linnaea is not listed as a synonym by most suppliers.

The shrubs of Abelia are native to Asia (especially Japan …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the beautiful shrub of Convolvulus cneorum, the shrubby bindweed in containers. When we think about Convolvulus, we think about the climbing and beautiful annuals and the hard-to-kill weed, but we do not think about the low-growing shrubs.

Convolvulus is a large genus of around 200 to 250 species belonging to their own family, Convolvulaceae. There are annual or perennial vines, but we are not interested in these but instead the small group of shrubs.

The only shrubby species you will find is Convolvulus cneorum which grows up to 60cm high. It …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the beautiful flowering Ceratostigma in containers. Ceratostigma is a small genus of flowering shrubs that belong to the Plumbaginaceae (the Plumbago or Leadwort) family, where 8 species are known to exist.

Ceratostigma is native to warm temperate and tropical regions of Asia and Africa. The hardy plumbagos are low-growing shrubs, often only growing to 1 to 2m tall.  The leaves are normally simple, 1 to 4cm long, arranged spirally with hairy margins. Some of the species are evergreen, whilst others are deciduous. There is one perennial in this genus called Ceratostigma …

In this article, we will discover how to grow the flowering plant of Cassinia in containers. Cassinia is a genus of flowering shrub that belongs to the Asteraceae (the Aster or Sunflower) family, where 52 species are known to exist.

It is a native and found all over Australia and New Zealand. It is mainly grown for the leaves and not the uninteresting flowers that are produced in summer.  The genus is named after French botanist Count Alexandre Henri Gabriel de Cassini. If you have a liking for acid-loving plants and are in the market for an alternative to heather …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the colourful shrub of Chaenomeles in containers. Chaenomeles is a small species of deciduous shrubs that can grow up to 3m tall, all having spines. They are closely related to Chinese Quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) but differ in degree of serration and leaf fuzz. It is a member of the Rosaceae (the Rose) family.

Chaenomeles is an old favourite and you will find it growing in many gardens throughout the UK. The green leaves are simple, oval, alternately arranged and have serrated margins. They are nothing special but the large 4.5cm flowers …

In this article, we will discover how to grow the small but delightful shrub of Caryopteris in containers. Caryopteris is a flowering shrub of the Lamiaceae (the mint or sage) family, where 7 species are known to exist. It is a native of East Asia and found in China, Korea, Japan and Mongolia.  It is a small bush often found growing no more than a few metres in height.

The main selling point is that it is in flower after most other shrubs have finished blooming, the leaves are not only attractive but they are aromatic as well. The leaves …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the slow-growing shrub of Andromeda in containers. Andromeda is a flowering shrub in the Ericaceae, the heath family and is found in all areas of the Northern Hemisphere.  There are either one species or two species depending on who you talk to, as some see Andromeda polifolia as the only species, whilst others see Andromeda glaucophylla as another.

To others, the latter is classified as Andromeda polifolia var. glaucophylla.  It is a species that is native to the British Isles, where it is often found growing in boggy, cold, peaty areas.…