MY MONKEY TREEToday I have had to cut down my beloved diseased Monkey tree

Acer Osakuzuki is very dramatic and changes its leaf colour through the seasons.

That was my thought Choisya sundance it will always brighten the area up as lovely flowers and will how as big as you like which leaving it to gain a good rounded shape would look lovely and it is one of those shrubs that responds really well to hard pruning, renovated choisya will re shoot after three weeks, if I plant choisya for clients then I like to plant ophiophogum at the base it’s a good companion, the pampas I would be careful of as the leaves are razor sharpe, any kids pulling on them would slice their hands so be aware, other plants ilex silver queen or golden king, arbutus ? Does not always produce the strawberry fruits, but another good shrub with jaw dropping qualities would be a ceanothus nice foliage and knockout flowering, you could plant both choisya and ceanothus together they are great companions.

I would also suggest Choisya but Aztec Pearl variety. This would be more compact than Sundance and not suffer from the damage of frost and cold winds which tend to spoil the golden leaves.