Viburnums are the easy-to-grow shrubs every garden needs

Some people can be sniffy about viburnums. I suppose they are the epitome of the old-fashioned shrub, but there is much more to the genus than the common laurustinus, Viburnum tinus, the nice-but-dull evergreen leaves and creamy flowers of which are never going to rock the boat. It is, in fact, an incredibly varied group, with some species grown for winter scent, some for summer cutting and others for their colourful autumn berries and foliage. Some are deciduous, while others are evergreen, ideal for growing in a native hedge or bringing structure to a winter garden. The flowers vary widely, with some having small clusters of tubular flowers (typically the winter-flowering species), some round pompoms and others horizontal sprays of blooms that look like lace-cap hydrangeas. Most are also foolproof, growing comfortably in most soils, and can largely be left to their own devices with very little mollycoddling.

There's a viburnum for each time of year, so work out your priorities and choose accordingly. The winter-flowering species are especially valuable for bringing colour and scent to the garden at a time when both are in short supply; they are a good alternative to the similar-looking Daphne, as they're more tolerant of extreme weather conditions and certainly rival them in scent. One of the best known winter viburnums is V. x bodnantense ‘Dawn’, a hybrid between V. grandiflorum and V. farreri developed at Bodnant Garden in Wales. Best planted next to a path or near the house, so you can bury your nose in the flowers every time you walk past, it produces clusters of pale pink, honey-scented flowers on bare stems from the end of November until spring. Flowering can be sporadic according to the weather, with a milder winter resulting in a more prolific flowering. Eventually growing to about 4 metres, it can get a bit rangy and ungainly, so if space is an issue, it would be better to choose a cultivar of V. farrer, which will reach about 3 metres. V. farreri 'Candidissimum' has pure white flowers, while 'Farrer's Pink' has deep pink buds opening into clear, pink flowers. 'December Dwarf' or 'Nanum' grow to about a metre high and wide, so they're ideal for the smaller garden. Another bonus of the farreri cultivars is that the leaves are more interesting in spring, with coppery tints and veining, although it has to be said that none of the winter viburnums are truly spectacular in summer or autumn and should be planted wisely so that other plants can take over later on in the year.

Moving into spring, there are several viburnums that look quite similar: V. carlesi and related hybrids V. × juddi, V. x burkwoodi and V. × carlephalum, all of which are deliciously scented with rounded clusters of pinky-white flowers in April and May. V. carlesi, also known as the Korean spice bush, grows to about 1.5 metres tall, with blush-pink flowers that fade to a waxy white once open, while V. × juddi is slightly smaller and denser in habit, producing masses of sweetly scented flowers. On the opposite end of the spectrum, V. × carlcephalum is larger, growing to about 3 metres tall, shown here trained as a standard. But if I were to choose one spring-flowering viburnum, it would be V. × burkwoodit ‘Mohawk’ for its pretty flowers that open from dark crimson buds, giving a lovely contrast with the pure white, starry blooms. V. × burkwoodit cultivars are semi-evergreen, so some leaves should stay on the shrub all winter, as others turn orange and crimson before falling.

In late spring, other viburnums start to take over. The guelder rose, V. opulus ‘Roseum’, sometimes called the snowball tree, is a large shrub up to 4 metres tall grown for its sprays of showy pompom flowers during May and June - excellent for cutting. Smaller but similar in flower is V. plicatum ‘Popcorn’, which is smothered in spherical, white blooms in spring, while V. plicatum 'Pink Sensation' has pale pink powder-puff flowers. Confusingly, V. plicatum var. tomentosum and its cultivars have completely different flowers, more like lace-cap hydrangeas with flat heads of lacy fertile flowers surrounded by larger sterile bracts. The cultivar 'Mariesii' is one of the most dramatic, with distinctive horizontal layers of flat-headed flowers against dark-green leaves. Growing to about 3 metres, it can be grown as a stand-alone specimen or even trained against a wall or fence.

One of the most useful viburnums to grow for a double season of interest is V. nudum, which has white flowers in May, followed by attractive berries in autumn. But to get a good crop of berries you must plant two cultivars of the same species so they can cross-pollinate. Shrub specialist Karan Junker suggests planting ‘Winterthur’ and 'Pink Beauty' together, either near each other or even intertwined in the same planting hole. Both cultivars have lovely berries that morph through an interesting colour spectrum as they mature, from greeny white to pink then bluish-black, often with different colours in one cluster - all displayed against tinted autumn foliage. The flowers are an attractive creamy white but are subtle rather than show, held in delicate umbels over the foliage. Other berried viburnums include the native wayfaring tree, V. lantana, which has clusters of crimson berries turning black, and V tinus, with its dark metallic-blue-black berries. V. lantana 'Aureum' is an unusual form with golden leaves that can lighten up a dark corner of the garden, and indeed is best in light shade as the golden foliage can be scorched by hot sun.

Most viburnums are easy to grow and will flower obligingly with very little prompting. The only thing they dislike is being waterlogged, so well-drained soil is essential. Most species are best left to their own devices, when they will form a natural, multi-stemmed shape, needing little or no pruning apart from the occasional removal of dead or damaged branches. However, V. tinus responds well to clipping, and can even be cloud pruned to form an undulating hedge that will grow well in shade. Grow larger flowering species such as V. plicatum var. tomentosum and V. × bodnantense in long grass as stand-alone specimens; smaller varieties such as V. carlesi and V. x burkwoodi can be integrated into a border, perhaps under-planted with pale-pink or mauve tulips that will pick up the colour of the flowers.

When buying viburnums, bear in mind their provenance. Plants from commercial garden centres may be grafted specimens with a vigorous rootstock, resulting in weaker specimens that produce lots of irritating suckers. It's best, therefore, to choose plants from specialist nurseries, which grow their own stock from cuttings. More expensive they may be, but you will end up with a stronger, shapelier and healthier shrub.

A good range of viburnums is available from shrub specialist Junker's Nursery in Somerset (01823-400075; www.junker.co.uk)