by Ethel Smith

Created on: June 12, 2008   Last Updated: October 03, 2009

One of my favourite flowering shrubs finishes flowering in late Spring for yet another year. We had our first Forsythia plant quite few years ago, in our second home, and recently have rediscovered this pretty Spring shrub.

I bought the one that I have planted in the back garden of my home, at present, a couple of years ago from a large, local supermarket. It was a very small shrub back then, bought in a wrapper similar to the type covering rose bushes when you buy them. We planted this Forsythia it near to our small fish pond, in a tiny corner, as I did not think that it would grow quite as big as it has. Despite the fact that the Forsythia has been pruned each year it is now well over six feet high and quite bushy. The downside is that it has gone a bit woody, but I still love this plant.

If you haven't seen a Forsythia or are unsure which plant I mean it is a shrub which, for a lot of the year, is covered in green leaves. The one we used to have resembled a privet for most of the year. According to my husband the one we have now resembles a weed for most of the year. Not true, say I. The leaves of the Forsythia drop in winter and during February buds start to appear. This culminates in the Forsythia flowering in March or April with a mass of bright yellow flowers.

If you look close up at the flowers you will see that they are cross shaped, almost star like, and a wonderful shade of bright yellow. When mine flowers, as the daffodils are also starting to bloom also, I know that Spring has arrived or, at the very least, is just around the corner.

You can buy a few different types of Forsythias and I am going to buy one for my front garden which will hopefully be more compact and densely flowered than the one I own now. This is because, as the shrub in my back garden has gone a bit gangly, the flowers are not so dense on it these days.

A FEW FACTS ABOUT FORSYTHIAS:-

Forsythias like full sun, or very light shade.

They flower in late winter or early spring depending on where you live and plant them.

They can be used as a garden or park plant, in isolated groups or hedges.

Forsythias are a robust shrub.

They are named after William Forsyth, 1737 - 1804.

They do not require specialist soils but do grow best in rich well drained soil.

Forsythia plants will need watering in summer, especially in very dry weather.

The propagation of Forsythias is fairly easy. I have a small Forsythia growing in a tub which has taken well. This was a branch, snapped off my plant accidentally

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