One of my favourite plants to use in a shady spot in the garden is Iris Foetidissima. Not only does it love shade it provides useful winter interest with it’s bright orange berries. There aren’t many plants that are happy under the dense foliage of a Viburnum Tinus that grows in my garden. However I … Continue reading
Evergreens play a vital role in the garden at any time of year – but it is in winter when they perform at their best. They become the ‘back bone’ in our borders and give them shape and structure when everything else around them has died back and lost it’s leaves. Many people find them … Continue reading
All gardens look drab in the winter but adding extra colour is easy. There are flowers, ornametal stems and berries that all look fantastic at this time of year and will give you and your garden a boost. Top of my list to plant in any garden for their coloured ornamental stems are Cornus. They come in … Continue reading
Adding winter interest to a garden is not difficult you just need to adapt a different way of thinking. Don’t think flower – think texture and colour instead. Grasses ooze texture and planted in bold groups either on their own or within a border the effect can be stunning. Add to that a covering of … Continue reading
Anything that flowers in the winter months should be celebrated especially if it’s pink! Plant Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ in your garden and it will reward you with colour on a cold, grey day. It’s a mediumto large sized deciduous shrub with attractive bronze foliage in autumn and exquisitely fragranced flowers fom November right through till March. … Continue reading
January is always grey and after the Christmas snow the garden looks at it’s most bleak and uninviting! But as usual the sight of a group of planted dogwood always lifts my spirits. Grown for their bright stems dogwood looks stunning planted in groups and will lift any garden border in the winter. Whether you … Continue reading
As a garden designer in Hertfordshire I think it’s really important that our gardens work for us in the winter months. You can do this by creating a ‘focal point’. It will add interest and colour at a time when most of your other plants have died down. By making a statement with plants or … Continue reading
Front gardens often get neglected and dismissed when it comes to plants. But a small area can still look great if planted well. Choosing low maintenance, slow growing evergreens is one way of providing texture and colour all year round. This courtyard front garden worked well keeping the planting simple with interesting foliage. Euonymus are … Continue reading
If you haven’t got the space in your garden for a clematis armandii but would like a clematis that is evergreen – consider planting one of these. It’s one of my favourites and is called clematis cirrhosa ‘Wisley Cream’. It has small, creamy, bell-shaped flowers and mid-green leaves that are retained throughout the year. It … Continue reading
It’s always exciting to discover new local things. Last week I visited Hertfordshire Hellebores based in Levens Green near Ware. It’s only 25 minutes drive from Hitchin and they are open from Jan 30th – March 31st. In their large polytunnel you will find an excellent range of good quality plants for sale. For garden … Continue reading
