Ideas please.

My niece arranged to have a tree planted on my sister's grave in their local garden of remembrance on the Isle of Wight but the funeral director has now told her she cannot have a tree, a shrub would be OK. We had planned to plant a Rowan.(Flowers, berries, bird food.)
The garden has about 12 ins of topsoil with clay underneath. Faces the S.W. salty air stream, with a fairly dry climate.
I have asked my niece if the director explained why no tree. I am assuming the plant we choose should be fairly small in dimensions height and width wise. I am also guessing the director is not a gardener.
She has asked me to choose a suitable replacement so suggestions for a June flowering shrub, evergreen, scented flowers, able to cope with salty air, would be interesting. I do not think the soil is particularly acidic. I live in Cornwall and have noticed over the years that the plants in my sister's garden are always about 3/4 weeks ahead of mine when flowering.

 

Hebes would be salt tolerant. There is a very pretty lilac one flowering in a garden nearby.
...and another thought, Leptospemum. The one they get manuka honey from apparently grows by the sea in New Zealand.

 

I did wonder about Leptospermum but there is one growing in a cottage front garden near me that has reached gutter level. It is a lovely red one, no idea of its name.
Hebes I had thought of but no scent.
My list so far is Dwarf Hungarian Lilac,(not evergreen), Gardenia Kliems Hardy or Pittosporum tobira, I think the pittosporum would grow too tall and wide.

 

If size is of concern, Daphne transalantica Eternal Fragrance range might be suitable for that spot. Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher' is another that can do well but without pruning once it ages, will have quite a laxed habit.

 

Daphnes have been at the back of my mind, must research them thoroughly. I have grown them and love them but one or two have been very shortlived. Abelia is not scented and I am not sure how close to each other the burial plots are for anything floppy.
It is not a traditional cemetery with coffin plots, it is a Garden of Remembrance where ashes can be scattered or buried and headstones erected.

 

Most flowering shrubs have short flowering periods. Also an evergreen shrub is going to look rather cheerless unless you include flowering annuals or perennials around it. Have you ruled out a long flowering rose? Although not evergreen, they do start to show signs of growth early on in the year ahead of many other plants.

 

Abelias are scented from my experience. Maybe not to everyone's taste as it's closer to the scent from Privet flowers. Another small shrub that's quite neat in habit is the smaller myrtle, Myrtus communis subsp Tarentina. Much more slower growing and will look mostly like a loose buxus when not in flower.

 

Lavender is another option, often planted with roses.

 

Cistus. The flowers aren't scented but the foliage is aromatic and they fit the bill in all other respects.
There are dwarf Pittosporum varieties available nowadays

 

While Cistus are drought tolerant they are not the toughest of flowers. A stiff coastal breeze and the flowers are gone.

I'd recommend Escallonia which is as tough as old boots, great for the bees and flowers in June. I don't think it has a scent though.

 

Thanks everyone, some interesting suggestions. I must check with my niece but I have feeling there is no attention given to any plants in the Garden and my niece is no gardener, the grass is mown, end of, so roses are a no no. I like the idea of myrtle, another favourite of mine, I am envious of the huge one growing in my daughter's garden. Many years old. Lavender and cistus need regular cutting back each year and are short lived if left to their own devices. I must also check with my niece to find out if the funeral director gave her a maximum height/width as Escallonia and Abelias can grow really big when happy.

 

How about a Buddleia? You can get some nice compact ones now, and lots of different colours. And they are tough as old boots.

 

I saw an advert today for an 'Exocharda Blushing Pearl', a hardy shrub with white flowers April to June. H 1m x 70cm S.
Unfortunately it's not evergreen though.

 

I think there are some new Escallonia cultivars which are smallish. Pink Elle is about 1 x 1m

 

Thank you for your ideas everyone.
I have checked out myrtles and found a couple which I think will fit the bill. They are commonly called bog myrtles and I had no idea there were so many varieties.
Myrceugenie parvifolia Pataguilla or Myrcenagia lancelates.
Max. height around 6', compact, fragrant white flowers, evergreen, hardy, edible yellow/red fruit a bonus, green tipped bronze foliage, prefers damp conditions but not fussy about type of soil or location. Not easy to find suppliers but Jurrasic Plants sell them, also Burncoose Nursery not far from me.
I will check with my niece and take it from there.