Ideas to brighten up a winter garden - any favourites?

[busylizzy]

I’ve just acquired two red-stemmed Dogwood – Cornus alba ‘sibirica’ – Dogwood which I couldn’t resist to add drama to the winter garden. Impulse buy? Possibly but I do have a position in mind which is in between 2 winter-flowering honeysuckles – Lonicera x purpusii – Winter honeysuckle so the delicate white and very fragrant flowers which are out now will act as contrasting bookends to the Dogwood.

Other favourites at this time of year? Winter flowering heathers such as Erica carnea ‘Springwood Pink’Heather

And of course the ornamental grasses. Wouldn’t be without them. My Zebra grass, Mischanthus zebrinus is living up to expectations – tall upright oaten stems which are withstanding the wintry gusts.

Has anyone got any other plants they are finding do really well at this time of year?

[mosy]

Hebes (as baby ones) are remarkably hardy and can fill empty areas as ground cover. They are baby bushes though, so whether you'd keep, transplant or chuck them... Ornamental cabbages? (Not exactly an impressive addition though.) A favourite eye catching flower is fritillaria(sp?) - a tiny (c.6" ish tall) delicate snow-drop-type bulb flower, as a highlight against relatively static hardy plants.

Some herbs are hardy and attractive, e.g. purple sage. Winter-flowering perennial polyanths as a border or a "patch" planting?

A big joy is to see new things sprouting/growing after the winter rest, so continual coverage completeness can detract from the anticipation of waiting excitedly for new season growth. Or is that just me...

[Nigel]

How about helleborus nigra ( and Corsica ) and Fothergillia and of course snowdrops

[marymck]

Daphne
Witch Hazel
Dogwood
Christmas box
underplanted with a succession of winter aconite, trillium, dog's tooth violet, fritillaria, sweet violet, simple snowdrops and proper English bluebells (those Spanish things that hybridize them should be outlawed before our bluebells go the way of the red squirrel).

And a space for the celandines of February ...

Thinking of her had saddened me at first,
Until I saw the sun on the celandines lie
Redoubled, and she stood up like a flame,
A living thing, not what before I nursed,
The shadow I was growing to love almost,
The phantom, not the creature with bright eye
That I had thought never to see, once lost.

She found the celandines of February
Always before us all. Her nature and name
Were like those flowers, and now immediately
For a short swift eternity back she came,
Beautiful, happy, simply as when she wore
Her brightest bloom among the winter hues
Of all the world; and I was happy too,
Seeing the blossoms and the maiden who
Had seen them with me Februarys before,
Bending to them as in and out she trod
And laughed, with locks sweeping the mossy sod.

But this was a dream; the flowers were not true,
Until I stooped to pluck from the grass there
One of five petals and I smelt the juice
Which made me sigh, remembering she was no more,
Gone like a never perfectly recalled air.

[Robin Orton]

What a nice poem, Mary. Edward Thomas, I see. I don't think I've come across it before.

I read his biography by Matthew Hollis, Now All Roads Lead To France, a year or two ago, and enjoyed it. Actually though I've never really got on very well with his poetry (except Adlestrop, which is perfect). I find it a bit gawky and clumsy, somehow - it doesn't seem to me to sing. Even in Celandines, I find 'not what before I nursed' really horrible.

[Tim Lund]

On the matter of ideas to brighten up a winter garden, I'd recommend viburnum



which I have in my front garden, although this last summer I cut it back massively, since it was starting to take over.

On the poetry - I quite like Edward Thomas, and agree completely about Adlestop. I also think "As the Team's Head Brass" is pretty well perfect too. OTOH, I find This is No Case of Petty Right or Wrong disturbing.

[Lumen]

Lovely plants mentioned. I would add evergreen sedges to the list, in particular Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' and Uncinia 'Rubra' also my all time favourite plants - Heuchera. All these are best planted en masse for greater impact. I have several in my front garden. For winter scent I love Mahonia and second Tim's choice, Viburnum x bodnantense.

[mosy]

@ Lumen: Do you recommend a particular variety of mahonia as I've read that some are the reverse of sweet-smelling? Also, on some, apparently the berries are edible if made into a sort of jam. Any views on that please?

[busylizzy]

Mahonia x media 'Charity' has more upright standing racemes of flowers - so the overall effect is rather like a goblet shape - rather than the drooping effect of other Mahonia flowers. It is a large variety getting to 4m if not unchecked.

There is a newer variety which is completely spineless and has softer leaves - Mahonia 'Soft Caress' full name Mahonia eurybrachteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Soft Caress'. It won the RHS Plant of the Year in 2013.

[Lumen]

I did not know Mahonia berries were edible, will look up some recipes. I quite like Mahonia nitens 'Caberet' as it has orangey red buds that open to bright yellow flowers.

[mosy]

Thank you Lumen re the mahonia variety. Someone I know had theirs randomly and wrongly ripped out by contractors, sadly, so have passed on your info since they'll have to plant anew. Much appreciated.

[Tim Lund]

Here's another possibility



which I think is a jasmine, but the white flowers don't seem to match any jasmines I can find by googling. It's nicely scented, though. Any ideas, Lizzie or Lumen?

(Don't be confused by the darker leaves at the front - they are brambles again ...)

[busylizzy]

It is winter flowering honeysuckle? Lonicera purpusii - possible 'fragrantissima'. Can be a bit of a thug - but can be very fragrant, and has that appeal of flowering on the bare stems. I have 4 - having been given 2, then some years ago I had 2 cuttings which I had labelled - 'Trachelospermum jasminoides' - goodness knows why.

Anyway the 2 cuttings (of the winter flowering honeysuckle) are now about 60cm h x s - planted against a fence in a narrow planting strip alongside a gravel path. Completely the wrong place - so if anyone would like to have one or both they are very welcome to them as they will have to come up. The other 2 are at the back of a deeper border where they will be kept in check

[Tim Lund]

It is winter flowering honeysuckle? Lonicera purpusii - possible 'fragrantissima'. Can be a bit of a thug - but can be very fragrant, and has that appeal of flowering on the bare stems.

I think you're right - thanks

It's certainly vigorous, and shows signs of having been kept under control with a hedge trimmer.