Winter Gardening Colourful Shrubs and Small Trees
I enjoy walking in gardens at this time of year … amongst last year’s flower stems and leaves, now brown and old, dried and brittle. They are a reminder of past planting successes (and failures) and also a prompt to think about new possibilities – plants that will add new structure and successional flower colours – not forgetting plants to support our beleaguered biodiversity. This is where SeeHow can help … what it was invented for! While the temperature outside hovers around zero and a sugar-coating of frost glistens along crinkled leafy edges in the low sun, you can sit indoors in the warmth and spread SeeHow’s plant illustrations across the table. They can be used to explore new colourful plant combinations. The plants are beautifully illustrated to show the, ‘how and when’ of each plant, so anyone can use them to explore planting options – even children – no gardening knowledge required! Starting with January is a good idea, as most of us probably regard it as the beginning of the gardening year. If your borders or balcony containers are looking a little bare just now, perhaps think about adding some plants specifically for winter colour and structure and then plan your garden from there. Using SeeHow’s plant illustrations, you can create a whole-year ‘garden calendar’. Just choose your plants and lay the illustrations side-by-side and, et voilà! Here are a few winter / early spring flowering shrubs and small trees, as food-for-thought.
Some winter / early spring flowering woody shrubs from SeeHow’s collection
A less well-known winter-flowering woody shrub, shown above, is the deciduous Lonicera purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’. This plant has open arching stems that will grow to a couple of meters in height. The flowers appear on the bare wood before the leaves appear in springtime. It can be trained against a wall, fence or pergola or simply left as a plant specimen in a wider border. As well as providing structure and height, the numerous small white flowers have the most intoxicating scent, so a spot beside a footpath or door is recommended, where the scent can be enjoyed.
The white scented flowers of Lonicera purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’
Another winter-flowering woody shrub is Jasminum nudiflorum. Jasmin is deciduous and can reach up to 3m in height. It is often grown as an addition to an informal hedge where other shrubs provide some support for its tall slender green stems. Its bright yellow flowers appear in December on bare stems and continue right through the Christmas period. Occasionally I have also seen it growing from large containers where it has been left to cascade in all directions, a bit like a head of unruly hair! Leaves follow the flowers.
Jasminum nudiflorum growing against a fence as a border backdrop
A medium height evergreen shrub worth considering is Daphne odora Aureomarginata. It has a compact structure and works well as a specimen in a border although it will take 5 years or more to reach full height. The dark green leaves are edged with gold – an additional attraction, but most people probably buy it for the pale pink-mauve flowers – white inside, that have the most intoxicating scent. So as with the Lonicera described above, plant this where the scent can be enjoyed. (Note – beautiful though this plant is, please be aware that all parts are toxic, so handle with gloves)
Daphne odora Aureomarginata planted with a Choisia ternatta for follow-on spring flowers and a large fatsia japonica - all evergreens providing good garden structure
For a real explosion of fiery winter colour, Cornus sanguine ‘Midwinter Fire’ - also known as ‘Dogwood’, may be the answer. The stems are orange close to the ground and slowly transform into fiery red tips. Other Cornus shrubs offer a choice of yellow or lime-green stems. They have to be pruned each year in late winter / early sping but will regrow to give a fantastic winter display. Height 1.5m to 2.5m.
Cornus sanguine ‘Midwinter Fire’ seems to glow in low winter sun
Deciduous Hamamelis - also know as Witch Hazel, can be shrubs or small trees. They produce spidery fragrant flowers growing from bare wood in late winter. There are superb colour choices available, from bright yellows to deep burnt oranges and dusky pinks and reds. Oval leaves follow the flowers and proved a good autumnal display of colour before falling.
Hamamelis mollis will grow from 2.5 to 4m - height and spread, so plant with this in mind
I thought I would finish by mentioning Cornus mas, also known as the Cornelian Cherry. This small tree produces a fantastic display of tiny yellow flowers growing from bare wood in late winter. Height 2.5m to 4m after 10 years, so bear this in mind when planting. The flowers are followed later in the year by small edible fruit - something for the birds and for us too!
Cornus mas otherwise known as the Cornelian Cherry
Happy winter gardening, from SeeHow.
The above Text and all Photographs are copyright of Wincenty (Wicek) Sosna. Please contact SeeHow (07939 226417) for permission to reproduce in any way, in part or as the complete text.
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