Q & A: Flowering shrubs and acidic soil

Our soil is quite acidic so we are limited as to what we can grow. This autumn we have had to clear a small part of the garden. We would like to grow flowering shrubs there. Have you any suggestions as to what would grow well in an acid soil?
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Dec 2010, 11:28 BST
Updated 21st Dec 2010, 11:29 BST

You don't say how big the chosen site is, but there are numerous acid-loving plants which can be accommodated in even a relatively small space.

Camellias are among the most beautiful of all flowering shrubs and although they may look tender, put them in the right spot and they can cope with just about anything the weather can throw at them

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Plant them out of cold winds and where the early morning sun can't reach them, and you should have the perfect plant – fantastic flowers as early as February (depending on the variety) and glossy green foliage.

Fothergilla are slow-growing shrubs whose leaves go out in an autumnal blaze of colour. They're not evergreen, and, before new leaves appear in spring, small, fluffy white flowers burst out. They grow best in light shade but to make the most of that brilliant autumn colour, try to position the plant where it will get full sun late on in the year.

Pieris are a familiar sight in many gardens where they offer year-round interest. In spring, it's the turn of bell-shaped white flowers followed by new leaf growth which starts off vivid red before calming to pink, cream and, finally, green. For an extra small shrub, consider P japonica 'Variegata' with its creamy foliage.

If you fancy rhododendrons or azaleas ensure you don't pick a variety that will eventually grow too big for its roots and take over the rest of the site.

YP MAG 24/12/10