WEIGELAS are deciduous flowering shrubs that have been popular for almost 200 years, long-lived stalwarts of the Victorian shrubbery and then of the mid-century suburban garden. They combine good looks with reliable winter hardiness, adaptability to a variety of garden conditions and we know we can depend on a weigela to perform, colourfully, year after year.
Traditional weigelas
Older varieties of weigela tend to make plants 6½ft (2m) or more in height with one colourful burst of red or pink or white, trumpet-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer. A few of these old-timers are still available, in particular the wild species and rosy-red ‘Abel Carrière’. Their colourful displays are still valuable, while laterthe season these robust shrubs support summer varieties of clematis.
