We all look forward to the beauty, splendour and scent of a colourful spring garden as it comes to life after a long, dull dismal and grey winter. Colourful spring shrubs and trees not only add fresh foliage, but many will also bloom, adding to the spring gardening experience.

If you're looking for spring flowers, Forsythia Lynwood provides vibrant, rich yellow blooms along the length of the stems; Cercis Forest Pansy boasts clusters of rose-purple, pea-like flowers which smother the branches and trunk; Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) has fringe-like petals of yellow or red flowers resembling small strips of paper that have just exited the shredder; and Skimmia Rubella has rich panicles of scented white flowers against a backdrop of dense, aromatic, bright green foliage.

For exceptional foliage and form, Japanese maples such as Acer Katsura offer beautiful, rich, palmate foliage; Paper Bark Maple has smooth, peeling, cinnamon-coloured bark with ornamental value and Willow plants have arching, twisted branches and silvery-grey silky catkins with bright yellow stamens in early spring. If you're looking for a spring-flowering climber, the vanilla scented, purple-maroon flowers of Chocolate Vine (Akebia Quinata) will appeal, whilst Blueberry plants have the added benefit of delicate, white, bell-shaped spring flowers also.