Gardeners looking for an instant transformation to their outdoor spaces are being encouraged to plant Weigela, a fast-growing shrub that offers stunning seasonal colour, fragrance and ease of care.

'Dwarf Pringles' is an evergreen, multistemmed, compact shrub that can spread but is kept in check easily at 2-3 feet with light pruning. Partial shade to full sun.

Recently, however, breeders have been developing dwarf varieties of many plants, including some with dark leaves, which are much more suitable for small garden spaces.

Nigel Colborn says shrub roses are far less trouble to grow than bush varieties. The UK-based gardening expert says favourites include the R. Nevad and R. Marguerite Hilling.

Robert Fortune (1812-1880), the Scottish plant collector, introduced the Weigela in 1845 to England from China, where it first grew at the Gardens of the Horticultural Society. This shrub, with ...

Though it is a dense, rounded, deciduous shrub, the Weigela florida typically grows from 6 to 10 feet tall and may spread over time to as much as 12 feet wide. Branching is somewhat coarse, and ...

Height:cultivated variety • My Monet weigela (Weigela florida'Verweig') is one of the more recent varieties of weigela. The low-growing, mounding deciduous shrub is compact and lends itself to ...

Lots of new choices in shrubs are available in sizes that top out in the 2- to 3-foot range, including 'My Monet' weigela, 'Blue Chip' butterfly bush and 'Filli' crape myrtle.