Purple flowering shrubs

The Juniperus horizontalis 'Icee Blue', often referred to simply as the Icee Blue juniper, is a low-growing, spreading evergreen shrub prized for its vibrant, frosty-blue foliage. This hardy, resilient juniper is well-suited to various landscaping applications, especially as a ground cover or in rock gardens, thanks to its dense, creeping growth habit.

Reaching a mature height of around 10-15 cm (4-6 inches) and spreading up to 1.5-2 metres (5-7 feet), the Icee Blue forms a thick, carpet-like mat that suppresses weeds and provides excellent coverage. The foliage boasts a silvery-blue hue throughout most of the year, turning a purplish-blue in the colder winter months, adding seasonal interest to the garden. This colour transformation makes it particularly popular in ornamental landscapes, where it creates striking contrast against darker foliage plants or brightly coloured flowers.

Juniperus horizontalis 'Icee Blue' is well-known for its hardiness and tolerance of poor soil conditions, making it a practical choice for challenging environments. It thrives in full sun but tolerates light shade, and it prefers well-drained soil, though it can endure dry conditions once established. Its resilience to cold weather and wind exposure is an added benefit, making it suitable for gardens across the UK, including coastal areas.

Low-maintenance by nature, the Icee Blue juniper requires little care once established. Occasional pruning can help maintain its shape and control its spread, but it generally grows uniformly and resists disease well. Its salt tolerance also makes it a reliable option for areas near roads or pathways treated with de-icing salt. Overall, Juniperus horizontalis 'Icee Blue' is a versatile, visually appealing, and low-effort shrub that adds year-round colour and texture to a variety of garden settings.

Dasylirion longissimum, commonly known as the Mexican Grass Tree, is a captivating evergreen succulent that brings a unique architectural flair to gardens and landscapes. Native to arid regions of Mexico, this striking plant features a dense rosette of fine, needle-like leaves that radiate elegantly from a stout, woody trunk. The leaves are dark green and have a smooth, spineless texture, creating a soft, fountain-like effect despite their rigid form.

This drought-tolerant species thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping, modern landscapes, and desert-themed gardens. In mature specimens, Dasylirion longissimum produces a dramatic, towering flower spike with small, cream-colored blooms, attracting pollinators. With its distinctive form, resilience, and low maintenance requirements, this plant offers year-round interest and a sculptural statement to any outdoor space.

The Deutzia 'Pink Pom-Pom' is a deciduous shrub highly regarded for its striking floral display and robust nature. This cultivar, belonging to the Hydrangeaceae family, is a hybrid developed to enhance garden aesthetics with its profuse and showy blooms. Reaching a height and spread of approximately 1.5 to 2 metres, it forms a rounded, bushy shape, making it an excellent choice for borders, mixed shrub plantings, or as a standalone specimen.

From late spring to early summer, 'Pink Pom-Pom' dazzles with its abundant clusters of double, pink flowers. Each blossom is composed of multiple layers of delicate petals, creating a full and fluffy appearance reminiscent of pompoms, hence the name. These flowers not only add a splash of colour but also attract pollinators, making the shrub a lively addition to any garden setting.

The foliage of Deutzia 'Pink Pom-Pom' is equally appealing. Its lance-shaped, serrated leaves emerge in a fresh green shade, providing a lush backdrop to the vibrant blooms. As the seasons progress, the leaves may take on subtle tints of purple and red, adding further seasonal interest.

This shrub thrives best in well-drained soils, although it is quite adaptable to a range of soil types, including clay and loam. It prefers a position in full sun to partial shade, where it can receive at least four to six hours of direct sunlight daily. Deutzia 'Pink Pom-Pom' is also noted for its hardiness, withstanding temperatures as low as -20°C, making it suitable for various UK climates.

Pruning should be undertaken immediately after flowering to maintain its shape and encourage healthy growth. This involves cutting back the flowering shoots to a strong pair of buds, which promotes vigorous new growth and ensures an impressive display the following year.

Deutzia scabra 'Plena' is an upright, airy, deciduous shrub with simple, lanceolate, rough, serrated, dark green leaves and long, slightly arching branches with clusters of double flowers, pink outside and pure white inside, yellow tipped anthers, blooming in summer. Deutzia scabra 'Plena' is adaptable to any type of soil, acid, alkaline and neutral, but prefers fertile, moist, well-drained soils. It likes full sun, but grows well in partial shade as well. Once established, it is tolerant of drought. Very resistant to frost, it can withstand very low temperatures and exposed conditions. Tolerant of urban pollution. Generally, pest-free and disease-free. Low maintenance plant, doesn’t require pruning. Very easy to grow. Deutzia 'Plena' is an adaptable and resilient plant, perfect for beginner gardeners. It is a nice addition to any informal, cottage, and urban garden. Great for flower beds, mixed and shrub borders, banks and slopes. Suitable for growing in containers.