You can still plant any shrub or tree at the moment...im not even starting planting for a few weeks yet.

Make sure you keep the plants well watered until established....which will be most of this growing season.

Ground still hard frost where I am in Angus.

But you can buy pots of shrubs now ready to plant as soon as frosts lift Pam.

Pam Rhodies do very well.

Good luck.

I'm preparing the ground to plant shrubs this week. If yours is frozen or waterlogged, you'll have to wait a while, though. What sort of soil have you got - acid or alkaline? Rhodies only like acid soil.

Most of the soil in Scotland is naturally acidic, so Rhoddies do well, too well.

They certainly do Kildermorie and I so love my rhodies:)

I've got 2 corners of rhodies established a pink and a white. I have to say I'm not a fan and they look a bit "weeviled" at least something is eating them.

We aren't frozen here the gardeners have dug everything over and the soil is workable.

Glad I haven't missed the boat. I wasn't going to plant anything else until the other end of March.

I was thinking Pieris as I had a couple I asked them not to take out but they've gone and they did well in the back (south facing) garden. I have no storage space other than out in teh garden so I may wait a week and fingers crossed the frosts stop soon. I need to improve the soil a bit before hand.

What a shame as Peris is nice Pam .

You must get a Daphne the perfume is just so wonderful.

And Corylopis they are and just coming now into bud for the Spring.

Just read your blog and seen the picture of the garden, Pam. You have lots of room for shrubs so remember to use some winter flowering ones. These could include Viburnum x bodnantense, Hamamelis or Mahonia (prickley leaves). And, echoing Scotkat, Daphne for it's scent. Sorry that Rhododendrons don't do it for you as different species can flower over a long period of time.

I had a Daphne removed it was about 2-3 ft high and wide and managed no more than 10 leaves and less flowers. I'd read they didn't like being cut back but this globe of twigs did nothing in 2 years! I may start again as some perfume would be lovely in the evening.

What is the name of the shrub that gets pink blossoms close to the stem - very straight upright branches? Reddish bark from memory. I see it in gardens around here doing well. There are no leaves on it when it flowers.

That could be the Viburnum? Flowers from November to about March.

Yes, and Viburnum is such a great family of excellent shrubs...well worth planting. V. tinus for winter flowers and evergreen, viburnum bodnantense 'Dawn' for those pale pink and fragrant winter blooms, v. Opulus for lovely shiny red berries....loads of them to use :)

Also, I find photinia 'Pink Marble' is excellent, and all of the Cotinus vars do well here too. Physiocrat pus as well....grow fast, flower well and lovely foliage. And for a really fast grower with flowers and wonderful foliage, you can't beat Sambucus racemosa Plumosa Aurea (Red berried Elder).

Have fun!

What is 'Physiocrat pus' please, Karen?

Oh, this blinking IPad!!!!!! So sorry! Physocarpus! :)

Haha - mine does that, guessing what I wanted to write! :-D)