Colour is everywhere at the moment and the garden looks fantastic.
The peculiarly warm climate for this time of year in South Wales and throughout the UK has brought plants into flower we were not expecting just yet including the dramatic purple, pink and white scented flower racemes of the Wisteria and even more bizarrely the jasmine like star flower of the Trachelospermum which usually don't appear until high Summer.

One welcome addition to the spectacular spring & summer colour palette is the Californian Lilac - Ceanothus. Ceanothus is one of the most eye-catching garden shrubs, producing a profusion of wonderful fluffy flowers with a delicately sweet cent.

Depending on the variety, the Ceanothus flowers can be surrounded by a dense cloak of deep dark green foliage - Ceanothus Puget Blue or be sat amid a much more open habit - Ceanothus Concha. Ceanothus is often displayed to its best advantage when grown against a wall - Ceanothus Trewithen Blue but there are also varieties which are excellent for ground cover - Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens as well as mound forming Ceanothus for transforming a shrub bed - Ceanothus Skylark.
Ceanothus require a nice sunny, sheltered spot in a well drained soil and if they are put in this ideal position, they will look 'blooming' lovely!

The deep blues of our Ceanothus at Dyffryn Nurseries are breathtaking and can make you stop dead in your tracks and appreciate these floral works of art. Trained around a sunny front door, I couldn't imagine a more stunning and elegantly scented welcome anyone walking into your home would receive!

Victoria Hardaker