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With space often at a premium, plants in urban gardens have to perform. Choose wisely, and a classy, modern garden can be yours. Here are some to consider
Ferns are great for shady corners. They make seas of textured underplanting with their soft, arching fronds. Taller selections and tree ferns make exceptional punctuation marks and striking focal-points.
The foliage of these mound-forming, generally evergreen perennials, make them fine plants for containers or ground cover. They don't grow too tall or spread rapidly and are ideal for naturalistic or modern styles.
With a graceful habit, beautiful foliage and slow growth rate, Japanese maples are great for smaller gardens. They also make good container plants that won’t need regular re-potting.
Maximising space in an urban garden goes beyond the horizontal - it can also mean the vertical plane. Trachelospermum (star jasmine) are evergreen, twining climbers with a heady scent. Their glossy foliage is retained through winter.
These evergreen shrubs have glossy leaves, often pleasingly crinkly. They can be used as specimens or as low hedges. Best for urban gardens, they are compact cultivars that grow to 1.5m (5ft).
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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.