Features
Winter glory
Winter; there is so much for gardeners to look forward to. Crisp white frost decorates the naked twigs of winter shrubs; from the early morning mists dramatic and dusky forms appear; glowing red berries start to shine in the first gentle sunlight and sweet scents rise from blossoms to surprise us throughout the garden. From the first winter days after Halloween until the stretching evening of February there is much to enjoy in the winter garden. Much of the pleasure is provided by woody members of the plant world; particularly shrubs.
Shape and Texture
Shrubs, by the virtue of their permanent branch structure, are with us throughout the whole year. They are not like the majority of herbaceous perennials that go dormant and retreat to their underground winter refuge, reappearing only when the temperatures start to rise and the days get longer. Many shrubs retain their foliage making them popular choices for their foliar colourations or ever-present shapes.
The bright yellow foliage of Choisya ternata ‘Lich’ Sundance can brighten the nether regions of the dullest garden, while more subtle shades of Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’ provide smouldering warmth. Shades of green like the small pointed leaves of Luma apiculata, bigger shiny leaves of Skimmia japonica and feathery branches of conifers provide soft textural back drops, a low growing habit and add contrast and mingle with finer textures. Green is perhaps the most valuable colour for gardeners, although it is often taken for granted. It goes with everything, you could say it is the gardeners’ black.
Those shrubs, that drop their summer cover and remain bare for the winter, can provide treasures, sometimes overlooked. The falling foliage can create a dramatic prelude as the plant prepares for winter. Some only gradually reveal their winter beauty. Even in November, the red leaves of Euonymus alatus, a type of spindle tree, await a strong wind to dislodge them. The fiery foliage then flutters to the ground to create a temporary carpet of red. Fallen leaves are an added bonus; they can be collected and composted to make wonderful leaf mould, ideal for future shrub plantings. Throughout the winter the stems of E. alatus arranged in horizontal layers will continue to impress; each green twig is lined with four cork-like wings that travel down along the older stems. These angular outgrowths are the perfect place to admire the cold crystals of an early morning frost.
Winter Colour
The display of some other shrubs is more brash and obvious. With the onset of winter dogwoods’ autumnal tints hastily wave farewell leaving behind the outstanding bright stems, exposed to light up our winter days. The shoots of Cornus alba are scorching red if pruned hard to the ground every two years. Just as hot but with a softer, warmer atmosphere are the orange tones of Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’. It is not as vigorous, it likes a wet soil and does not require biennial pruning.
There is no dull winter day that cannot be brightened by your garden. Barks, berries and blossoms offer colour and ornament throughout the dormant days.
Luma apiculata is a large evergreen shrub with one of the most attractive barks to grace any garden. It is related to myrtle, and bears a multitude of small white flowers in late summer. As the plant ages its cinnamon coloured skin peels away in irregular blotches to reveal white wood below, the effect not unlike military camouflage.
Red berries are not just for Christmas and not only found on holly. A small evergreen shrub, Skimmia japonica, produces its shiny crimson berries in late summer and they remain untouched by birds providing beauty until late spring. Production of fruits by S. japonica requires that both male and female plants are grown in close proximity. The male cultivars never produce fruit but are essential to pollinate the flowers of female plants. One male plant is sufficient to provide adequate pollination for about nine female Skimmia, growing close-by. Luckily, named cultivars are available to make selection easier; S. ‘Rubella’ is a male with attractive wine coloured flower buds throughout the winter, S. japonica ‘Veitchii’ is the most widely grown female variety although S. ‘Nymans’ has bigger fruits. They flower in spring and the delicious fragrance will fill the air. Acid soil is not required for Skimmia except for the hermaphrodite S. japonica subsp. reevesianna, a much lower, slower growing plant, useful for pots and window boxes, where space is limited. One plant alone will produce an abundant crop of berries.
Flowering Shrubs
Floral highlights for the winter garden are relatively unknown. Already in bloom in October and still welcoming the March spring days is the long flowering deciduous Viburnum, V. farreri. Not only does it bear delicate small tubular white flowers, its sweet scent uplifts the spirit on mild mornings. As the leaves fall the flower buds, rosie pink with winter chill, become visible and hold resolute through all the inclement weather, opening in constant succession. V. farreri and the similar V. x bodnantense both grow to three meters or more if left un-pruned, they are hardy and easy to grow in any open situation and reasonable garden soil.
The real gem of the winter garden is the powerfully fragrant Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postil’. Unlike many other members of the genus it is fast growing and will reach two meters or more in five or six years. The evergreen leaves are slender and tapered to the tip. In February the first of the deep pink buds open to reveal a paler flower with an unbelievably strong and delicious fragrance that, without exaggeration, fills the air. Hardy and easy in cultivation, this sweet scented shrub continues to please until the end of March.
Shrubs without winter flowers can add interest by virtue of their presence and shape. The strange and unusual growth habit of Pseudopanax crassifolius makes a dramatic statement in any garden. It provides a welcome perch for the robin to observe us while we work. As the tree ages it will change shape, the descending foliage will fall away to be replaced by a ball top head and more normal looking leaves, as it leaves its juvenile era behind and enters its adult phase.
A dwarf palm tree, Chamaerops humilis, brings a touch of the exotic. This hardy palm is a native to the High Atlas mountain of Morocco and is capable of surviving quite hard frosts once it has adequate drainage. A good coating of frost or light covering of snow on the narrow pointed leaf divisions is a delight on a winter morning. It takes it many years to reach one a meter in height and will spread slowly by growths produced from around its base.
Low Maintenance
Shrubs are quite low maintenance plants and apart from their beauty they have additional benefits: groups of shrubs create effective shelter from cold winds providing good growing conditions throughout the garden. Unlike walls or fences they provide habitats for a wide range of wildlife and valuable nectar for bees and butterflies. The wider the range of plant species, the greater the diversity of the inhabitants.
Little feeding is required. An annual dressing with Blood, Fish and Bone or wellrotted manure will be enough to feed establishing plants. Older shrubs do not generally require any additional fertilizer. Chemical free weed control is effective in shrub borders; no other group of plants is as well suited for using weed control membranes and organic mulch. Take care when applying mulches to keep the base of the plant free, so the bark does not get a rot. An established shrubbery is a self-sufficient source of mulching materials. Leaf fall can be composted and prunings chipped and shredded.
There is a wide selection of shrubs available around the country, but unfortunately there are few organic ornamental plant producers. Luckily many shrubs can be easily grown from seed and quickly propagated by cuttings. Hardwood cuttings of V. farreri can be taken in winter and they will be ready for potting up in spring. Dogwoods are exceptionally easy, even pruned branches stuck in the ground will root readily.
Many species such as Euonymus alatus can be raised from seed, but more patience is required. The seeds of Skimmia, Luma and spindle can be collected when ripe and sown immediately.
When sowing shrubs, it is best to sow them in a pot with gritty compost and leave them outdoors or in open cold frames, where they are exposed to winter cold and rain. A thin layer of grit on top of the pot helps to reduce the growth of mosses and liverworts that interfere with young seedling growth.
Winter is not a time of discontent. It is a time of happy industry; preparing beds of hope for next season, sowing seeds of the future, taking cuttings for posterity. It is a time to enjoy special moments, admire the finer details and less obvious qualities of plants. So roll on misty morns, frosty nights and crisp December days. We inhale the glory of winter flowering viburnum, gaze at the glistening dogwoods and listen to the appreciative chirps of the robin while our footsteps crunch across the whitened grass.
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