Plant this Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ puts out sprays of pinkish-white flowers in June, but it’s the dark-red foliage shaped like little maple leaves that makes this hardy, deciduous shrub a hit. It reaches 2m x 2m; keep it smaller by cutting stems to the ground in early spring.
Try this If your rosemary and lavender plants suffered last winter, take cuttings to renew your stock. Strip off non-flowering side stems of this year’s growth, about 5-10cm long, and trim to just below a leaf joint. Strip the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and sink around the edges of a pot filled with seed compost and a handful of grit. Cover pot with a clear plastic bag; in a few weeks, they should be ready to pot on.
Visit this If you want to expand your herb horizons, the Herb Society garden at Sulgrave Manor, Northamptonshire, which has dozens of culinary and medicinal herbs, is the place to go; sulgravemanor.org.uk.
