Lemon Verbena. This open and rangy shrub will not win you over with its looks but will wow you with the delicious aromatic fragrance. Likes good drainage, sunlight and tolerant of light frost. Steep leaves in water to make a refreshing drink. Deciduous.

Give this plant a good tidy up every now and then with sharp secateurs - it will respond well. Small sprays of pale lavender flowers appear in summer but it is really the foliage that makes this shrub desirable.

A hardy and easy to grow plant with the brightest yellow foliage that appears in spring and is highlighted by coral pink stem tips. In autumn the leaves turn to coral pink and orange. Grows in a natural columnar shape - a great accent plant for sun or part shade. Deciduous. PVR.

A favourite amongst florists. The Chinese Beauty Berry is unique and beautiful when the slender branches are all dressed up with rich purple shiny berries from autumn through to winter. These are followed by soft downy sage green leaves. Prune after berries fall. Deciduous.

Recently introduced by the JC Raulston Arboretum, this hybrid boasts 5-8cm deep wine red magnolia like flowers. Handsome shrub with lustrous dark green disease resistant foliage; flowering stems are outstanding in vases.

A small deciduous shrub that gives a rich carpet of pretty small blue flowers from summer through autumn. Leaves will colour red for the autumn colour change. Prefers sun to part shade, grows in most soils. Deciduous

Well we can't award this winter flowering shrub the top prize for beauty but we can give it 10 out of 10 for perfume. From mid winter the bare branches are covered in soft yellow flowers with the most delicious fragrance. Picks well so put some in a vase for instant aromatherapy. Deciduous.

An awarding winning cultivar of the much loved and highly fragrant 'Winter Sweet'. Yellow waxy flowers appear in abundance on bare branches in winter and fill the air with their delicious fragrance. Plant in sun or part shade, perhaps towards the back of the garden as it smells better than it looks.

Winter Hazel. You'll love this unusual shrub from Japan that has highly fragrant racemes of bright yellow bell shaped flowers in early spring. Attractive bare branch structure that becomes covered with rounded grey-green heart shaped leaves in spring. Prefers semi-shade and rich acid soil.

Smoke Bush. A unique form of this easy to grow multi-stemmed shrub that has golden-green foliage from spring to summer. Combines particularly well with blue shades and picks well for floral work. In autumn fiery tones of burgundy and scarlet prior to leaf fall. Sun or part shade. Deciduous.

It is common practice to prune Cotinus quite hard in winter which will encourage a tidy growth habit and renewed growth that produces a better foliage display. Not absolutely necessary though.

Smoke Bush. A beautiful foliage shrub with new spring leaves emerging with crimson purple tones aging to green with a purple tinge as summer progresses and once again deepening in tone prior to leaf fall. The frothy cloud of pink flowers appears in summer. Easy to grow, healthy and hardy. Deciduous