Winter in the garden
I love winter and its low level soft light playing with the colours and textures in my garden…
The low key browns and greys of bleached stems and seedheads are very attractive, especially on a sunny day.
Do you leave the stems and seedheads of perennial plants into the winter?
I you do, they will thank you for it with a sparkling display – whether sunshine or frost greets you outside…
And you are not the only one benefitting… birds love the seedheads too, although for entirely different reasons!
But there is so much more to winter than that!
New buds are being produced on trees and shrubs…
The bark and branch structure of trees can be really appreciated without the distraction of foliage.
Some plants actually excel in winter due to their colourful stems!
Look around you… Winter colours are more muted in general, but there’s always a pop of colour somewhere!
Top plants for winter gardens
You don’t have to devote a separate part of your plot to a winter garden, like some of the larger gardens open to public do.
In fact, it is much better to ensure that your whole garden, or as much of it as possible, looks great all year round, including the winter months!
My favourite plants for winter interest – including bark/stem colour and long-lasting stems/seedheads – must be:
- Prunus serrula
- Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Jelena’
- Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’
- Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii
- Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
Of course, there are so many more excellent trees, shrubs and perennials which look great year round.
The short list above is supposed to only whet your appetite…
If you feel inspired by what you see here, please explore some more…
Or contact us if you would like to discuss your project!