I'm a gardening expert - these 7 low-maintenance shrubs have the most colourful flowers

Shrubs are the backbone of a brilliantly blooming garden. While most folks just reach for flowers to inject colour, foliage can steal the show - and for far longer. From rich reds to zesty yellows, colourful leaves deliver a vivid display from spring through to autumn. In some cases, they shine right through winter too.

Foliage-first planting delivers consistent colour, texture and structure and all with little effort. These shrubs bring long-lasting beauty and balance to any garden, working wonderfully as the backdrop or the main attraction. As the growing season peaks, here's my pick of showstopping shrubs that bring shape, shade and sensational colour to borders. These are low on fuss and high on impact.

Pieris japonica 'Forest Flame'
True to its name, this evergreen erupts with brilliant red new leaves that gradually soften to cream and green.
It suits acidic soil and partial shade and even treats you to dainty bell-shaped flowers.

Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin'
A popular choice for hedging or as a stand-alone feature. Its fresh red shoots provide a vibrant contrast against mature green leaves. Hardy, fast-growing and happy in sun or light shade.

Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'
This elder's dark burgundy foliage adds drama to borders. Lace-like pink flower heads bring a soft contrast, followed by edible black berries.
Grow in full sun for the richest colour and best performance.

Choisya ternata 'Sundance'
Bright yellow-green foliage lights up borders and lifts darker planting schemes. It also produces white flowers that attract pollinators. Thrives in full sun or dappled shade.

Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame'
This shrub bursts into colour with bronze-red young leaves that mature to golden yellow, then lime green. Flat clusters of pink flowers add another layer of interest, ideal for sunny spots.

Cornus alba 'Sibirica' (Dogwood)
A versatile deciduous shrub with pale green foliage and white flowers. Once the leaves drop in autumn, the bare red stems offer a striking architectural feature through winter. Best in full sun.

Salvia officinalis'Purpurascens' (Purple sage)
This evergreen herb adds a smoky, silvery purple tone to borders. Its aromatic leaves are ideal for edging pathways and can be harvested for cooking too

Few flowers bring such stately charm to the garden as foxgloves. With their towering spires of bell-shaped blooms and soft-textured foliage, they are real showstoppers, offering structure and elegance in early summer planting schemes.

Their flower spikes put on a dramatic vertical display in shades of pink, purple, cream and white, often speckled inside the blooms.
Foxgloves are also perfect for bees, making them a brilliant choice for wildlife-friendly borders.

They thrive in partial shade and moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil and are perfect for the back of borders, woodland gardens or naturalised drifts.

They are typically biennials, flowering in their second year before setting seed and many varieties self-seed generously, creating a natural rhythm in the garden with very little effort.

Try Digitalis purpurea "Camelot Cream" for soft yellow blooms flecked with burgundy, or "Pam's Choice" for a striking contrast of white flowers and dark maroon throats. For smaller spaces or pots, "Dalmatian Purple" offers compact growth.

Fun fact: Every part of the foxglove is toxic to humans and pets. However, it is also a source of digoxin, a life-saving heart medication.

1. Take softwood cuttings from pelargoniums now, while new growthis still fairly tender. Choose healthy, non-flowering shoots around 10cm long, trim them just below a leaf node, making sure you remove lower leaves, and pot them into gritty compost. Keep them in a bright, sheltered spot to root.

2. Keep your roses flowering freely by making sure you deadhead them regularly. Snip any faded blooms just above a strong set of leaves to encourage them to repeat flower and to help maintain a neat, healthy shape too.

3. Feed fruiting and flowering plants weekly as they reach peak growth. Tomato fertiliser is perfect for this, which is rich in potassium to support strong blooms and fruit. Use it on tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and summer bedding for better performance.

4. Sow sunflower seeds directly into warm soil. Early June is an ideal time to get them in the ground, and they will soon shoot up, adding height, colour and a feast for bees and birds later in the season.

5 Plant out tender vegetables such as runner beans, squash and sweetcorn now that the risk of frost has passed. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot and water well to help them establish quickly.

• If your lawn turns brown in dry weather, it's likely dormant, not dead. Grass naturally shuts down to conserve energy and will bounce back once moisture returns.

• The distinctive holes in Monstera deliciosa leaves help it cope with strong winds and heavy rain in its native rainforest habitat, allowing elements to pass through without causing damage. Learn how to support your Monstera plants properly at my

• Many flowers have UV markings called nectar guides. These patterns help pollinators like bees find their way to the nectar and pollen, boosting pollination efficiency.

• Private gardens in the UK cover an estimated 430,000 hectares, more than all the country's nature reserves combined, which approximately total 110,000 hectares. This makes gardens crucial green spaces for wildlife.

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