Emma Fell, head of horticulture at Hillier, recommends Photinia fraseri “Red Robin” for our list of fast-growing shrubs.

Gardens can wither away in a Southern summer, which is why we need reliable flowering shrubs. These easy summer-blooming shrubs will thrive in the heat.

Not long ago, I stood reflecting at the edge of a once glorious iris bed, now a tangle of drooping stems and withered blooms.