WALKING IN A WINTER WANDER-LAND
Seed heads of Honesty and Chinese Lanterns combined with the inflated pods of Nigellas when frosted add drama to the herbaceous borders. Shrubs, in particular evergreens, play a vital role at this time of year.
The many varieties of Holly seem to really stand out in this festive season with their many foliage and stem colours, not to mention their warming berries.
The equally seasonal Ivies provide intense interest again with their many different coloured leaves. Some of the variegated ones quite literally project sunshine on even the really dullest of days. They are invaluable for clothing boundaries of your garden.
On the patio ornamental grasses look superb in pots, namely the steely blue Festuca Glauca and the variegated Carex ‘evergold’. Combine these with some mini Cyclamen which will flower with gusto in a sheltered spot.
Other superb patio plants worth considering are the super hardy Violas and some of the wonderful late-autumn flowering heathers.
Indoors, there is no better plant for the Christmas table than the traditional Poinsettia but many spring bulbs will provide immense colour and scent to a cooler room.
For if you’ve got snow idea
(A special festive version of Tovey’s Tips)
2. Order bare root plants for using as hedging (which is beneficial to wildlife and far more attractive than synthetic boundaries).
3. Tidy up your rockeries by removing autumn leaves and dead or withering leaves, particularly of Auricualas and thin out invasive plants, especially Cerastiums and Campanulas. This will look better when your relatives visit.
4. Having bought your Poinsettia, it must be remembered that this is a tropical plant that needs conditions of high humidity and generous warmth. The living room is an ideal environmant providing you can stand the pot on alarge moist gravel saucer.
In the dark about plants – why not try these matches?
LAST MONTH we talked about sorting out herbaceous borders for next year’s displays and suggested some planting combinations for each month of the year. Here are some more to try.....
January - Yellow Winter Aconites with Ophipogon Nigrescens.
February - Daphne Mezeureum alongside white Snowdrops.
March - Primula ‘Wanda’ with pale blue Crocus and mini Narcissi.
April - White Saxifrage and blue Hyacinths, a nice scented duo.
May - Allium Christophii with blue Omphalodes and Myosotis.
June - Blue Lupins accompanied by pale lilac tall Campanulas.
July - Deep red Hollyhocks alongside heavily scented pink roses.
August - Physotegia ‘vivid’ with Kniphofia ‘little maid’.
September - Ceratostigma and purple Hydrangeas.
October - Sedum ‘Autumn Glory’ with Colchicum ‘Water lily’.
November - Pink Cyclamen with any red or pink flowering Heather.
December - Variegated Holly alongside turquoise leafed Ivy.
And remember, when moving, dividing and planting the above add plenty of bonemeal and water in well. Good luck!
1. Stipa ‘Gigantea’ - Golden oats is a fluffy evergreen grass with gold and silver seedheads persisting throughout winter. It will grow to a height of 8ft, this makes an imposing statement at the back of a herbaceous or prarie border.
2. Viburnun ‘Eve Prince’ - The clusters of pink buds are beautifully set against the dark green foliage and last all winter, opening to fragrant tiny white flowers during mild spells and in the early spring. This shrub will tolerate shade.
3. Thuja ‘Rheingold’ - This is an attractive and very vibrant dwarf conifer with golden foliage tinted orange and turns bronze during the winter, especially those which are very cold. It is apple scented when rubbed. It will grow in most spots.
4. Jasminum Nudiflorum - As the name suggests, the yellow flowers are borne on bare stems which are deep green in late autumn and winter and can sometimes last until February or March and this shrub is excellent for training against walls.
5. Gaultheria ‘Wintertime’ - An evergreen, which is very dwarf and slowly spreads to around two feet. It has large showy, snowy white berries which last all winter. A young plant in a patio tub looks magnificent with silver Ivy and blue Pansies.
Try this and you’ll become decs mad!
WHY NOT make your own Christmas decorations by spraying dried Allium heads with silver paint or by collecting twigs of native shrubs such as Hormbeam and sticking cotton wool buds to them?
If you can get hold of some holly, it looks excellent sprayed gold. The same applies to Yew or Mahonia leaves. If you have Snowdrops, dig some up in the first week of December and pot them up into silver sprayed containers next to your forced Hyacinths.
The Bloomin’ Great team would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year.
"I’ve heard Santa will be bringing us rain dear!"
AFTER a soggy first day in Advent, things will soon settle down into a long dry spell. This will be one which will be cloudy and sometimes misty. Around mid-month, very cold south-easterly winds should pick up and perhaps lead to a snowfall.
This should be followed by milder weather with stronger south-westerly winds, bringing occasional rain interspersed with bright spells in the run up to and over Christmas.Expect some sun and frost before the new year.
There’ll be more in Jan 2004
In January 2004 we shall explore the exciting types of colourful bark on trees and take a look at deep coloured evergreens, such as purple Hebes and our native Yews.
See you next month!
Go back
