dark leaved evergreen shrub needed
Jess is in the Garden
Posts: 1,022
It's a verry shallow border, bordering plum slate. Raised flower bed one side, small buddleja the other and a dwarf apple tree.
Pretty good soil - heavy clay mixed in with lots of well-rotted stuff, so very free draining and rich. Just been mulched too.
No idea what pH but roses love it.
Ideally looking for something that has a very striking deep plum/burgundy/maroon leaf, possibly evergreen, but not anything spikey like berberis as kids running about nearby.
A gorgeous Cotinus (Smoke Bush) caught my eye today and that's just the colour I want, but grows up to 5m so that put me off a bit (my garden is only 6mx6m urban, so I need a bush that won't invade and will grow quite compact, perhaps no more than 1m or so)
Can a Cotinus be cut back a lot to keep it in check, or is there something even better out there I know nothing about?! (very likely, as my knowledge isn't vast!)
Exposure: bit of early east sun, then sun again from about midday to 2ish. Protected, against a fence in a walled garden.
Thank you 
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Oh wow Verdun - I'm off to do some serious googling! Thank you
Cotinus is amazing, but I'm worried that I may not be able to control it as I'm away for much of the Summer...may return to find a baobab tree in my garden.
Hadn't thought of hebes - good idea too.
I have some purple heucheras which I love...Tom Thumb is probably the best option as it's not too massive and I have another pittosphorum close by too. I love the fact it's evergreen - in such a tiny garden that's so important or things look a bit bleak come December.
Thanks again