Associate the laurel tin

In a free-standing hedge

Very much at home in garden hedges, whether for separation or delineation, laurel tin is a bush that pairs well with other flowering bushes, often outpacing its companions in the border with its long flowering period from January to April, sometimes even starting as early as December. For a free-standing hedge that is easy to maintain, many cultivars of Laurel tin are suitable, such as Viburnum tinus ‘Purpureum’ with its purple foliage emerging in spring, or the species type, adaptable to all situations, or even the variety ‘Lisarose’ with particularly rosy flowers. 

The ideal is to alternate evergreen and deciduous bushes, and to stagger the flowering periods: Weigela, Syringa, and Abelia grandiflora or Abelia chinensis create a beautiful combination of soft, spring-like flower hues that continue well into autumn with Abelia. For the evergreen stratum in a tall hedge, consider a Prunus lusitanica ‘Angustifolia’ with its beautiful glossy leaves, and a Eleagnus ebbingei with its silvery reflections. An Abeliophyllum distichum, the white cousin of forsythia, can also be included in a slightly lower hedge, flowering concurrently in winter. A Ceanothus or evergreen Laurel will add substance and colour in milder regions, and an Osmanthus fragrans aurantiacus will also bring an interesting orange and fragrant note late in the season.

Viburnum tinus ‘Lisarose’, Abeliophyllum distichum in winter bloom, Osmanthus fragrans ‘Aurantiacus’, Abelia chinensis, Eleagnus ebbingei and Weigela florida ‘Rosea’

In a classic garden

The laurel tin has the versatile quality of being able to thrive in radically different types of gardens. It can perfectly fit into a formal garden, of classic design, known as a French garden: this is a garden where the flowerbeds are organised in a very defined manner, arranged in rectangles bordered by low edges (often boxwood), with rather narrow, linear paths, which can also be the case in a vicar’s garden or in a rose garden, for example.

As the laurel tin responds well to pruning, it can accompany other plants with very varied habits, always ensuring to maintain a neat shape, regardless of the chosen form (ball or on a stem). For instance, it can create a structured duo in perfect symmetry at the end of a path, defining it. The flowerbeds will be planted with soft and structural perennials, such as a combination of lupins, steppe lilies, and roses that bring a sense of classicism and great elegance. A few topiaries will be wisely positioned throughout. Other contrasting evergreens, such as purple Berberis, also blend well into this classic atmosphere.

Viburnum tinus pruned into a ball, old rose, mix of perennials, Eremurus himalaiacus, and Thuja shaped into topiary

In a large pot on the terrace or balcony

You can also train a laurel tin on a stem on a terrace or balcony to form a charming little bush, whose round, fully flowered head in the coldest months will bring a lot of elegance. This type of silhouette will suit a balcony, even a narrow one or a long one. It will be perfectly complemented by Oriental Hellebores at its base, which will bloom for a long time in winter.

Around a Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’, with its pale pink flowers and small foliage perfect for this use, you can also install, depending on your available space, a few other large evergreen pots, as well as deciduous shrubs that will enliven the scene in spring or summer: a good idea is to complement our laurel tin on a stem with another subject, evergreen like a Trachelospermum jasminoides, also trained on a stem, which will bloom later in June, filling the terrace with fragrance, or a privet (Ligustrum), a dwarf ornamental apple like Malus Toringo ‘Tina’, or even invite a standard rose to bring a bit of colour all summer long.

Evergreen viburnums blooming a little later in May or June, taking over, like Viburnum cinnamomifolium or Viburnum davidii, have a lovely rounded habit and glossy, veined foliage. Finally, for contrast with smaller leaves, a Pittosporum tenufolium, also evergreen, will be perfect, chosen in a variegated version, and of varying sizes (‘Green Elf’, ‘Silver Ball’).

Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’, Viburnum davidii, Helleborus ‘Cinderella’, standard rose, and Pittosporum tenuifolium

In a courtyard, a patio, or a small shaded garden

Small spaces with limited light deserve some evergreen and variegated foliage to brighten the area. Viburnum tinus has the advantage of thriving in so-called difficult conditions, often found in shaded courtyards, patios, and small urban gardens: lower light levels, poor-quality soil, and urban pollution. As long as the soil is adequately drained in such spaces, a variegated variety of laurel, Viburnum tinus ‘Variegatum’, will enhance a flowerbed with its leaves of a beautiful green edged with cream yellow, although it may flower a bit less than in sunnier situations.

In a sufficiently large pot (with a minimum diameter of 60 cm) or in the ground, pair your variegated laurel with shrubs that perform well in pots, are low-maintenance, and have ornamental foliage: an Aucuba japonica Crotonifolia for its cream and yellow variegation, a Pieris with pink flowers like ‘Katsura’, a Choisya for its graceful, white, repeat-flowering in autumn, and one or two hostas that thrive in shade, such as the elegant Hosta ‘Stiletto’ with its fine cream-edged leaves. In the case of a garden, install some groundcovers that will flower in white and pink tones to accompany the laurel: Anemones blanda ‘White Splendor’ and long-flowering Ipheion, or a carpet of pink lily of the valley, for example. For summer, a compact hydrangea like ‘Cap Sizun’ will provide the necessary splash of colour.

Pieris japonica ‘Katsura’, Hosta ‘Stiletto’, Choisya ternata ‘White Dazzler’, Anemone blanda ‘White Splendor’, Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’, Convallaria majalis ‘Rosea’, and Viburnum tinus ‘Variegatum’