The hardy Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is the perfect pick-me-up, combining a winter-warming mixture of evergreen leaves and rhubarb-red stems. I first noticed the charm of this often ...

It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Question: Each winter I give our Portuguese laurel a haircut to retain its bowl shape. However it is progressively getting wider and higher.

There is laurel and then there is laurel; in this case, the ferociously hardy Portuguese form (Prunus lusitanica) which was once immensely popular, but now, like so many of those dark evergreens ...

Suitable hardy evergreen alternative hedging species that will give you year-round shelter and privacy, and also tolerate regular clipping to keep them neat include Portuguese laurel (Prunus ...