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Gardening Advice Gardening advice index page
Anne is a garden designer based in Glasgow. For more information about her work please visit her web site ..... As the evenings become darker and the day's cooler, it's more inviting to snuggle up in front of the fire and forget what is happening in the garden. The central heating is being switched on and suddenly we're approaching Christmas, well at least my local Garden Centre thinks so, with its abundant displays of colourful baubles, (I'm sure they start this earlier every year) and the garden seems to get less attention. The weather does not help, with drizzle and cold days, why would you want to spend time in the garden? It would be easy to close the door and ignore the garden until the spring but there really is a lot to do now in preparation for next year and gardens can look just as attractive in the winter. A bit of planning and planting now can transform your garden into an interesting and colourful spectacle right the way through the winter into spring. We can start with the bulbs. Bulbs can be planted now, both in planters and in beds and borders for that spring and summer colour. Time spent now can reap huge benefits in the spring when you will be rewarded with pockets of magical colour and interest when others gardens are perhaps a bit drab and lifeless. I tend to plant my bulbs in pots now (October) and leave them in a sheltered area behind the greenhouse and then as soon as they start to appear above the compost bring them out to a sunnier aspect where they will grow taller and give splashes of vibrant colour leading up the path to my front door. Don't forget to label the pot as it's easy to forget what you've planted a few months before! (Also see Spring Thinking article.)
There is plenty amongst the border to catch the eye during winter. The Hellebores of which there are many e.g. The Christmas rose - Helleborus niger or Helleborus orientalis - Lenten Rose really liven up the borders with their purple, pink, white or green flowers and are perfect for brightening up a shady corner. The bare red stems of Cornus alba 'Sibirica' and the green stems of Kerria japonica together will add to the Christmas colour theme. Add a Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Corkscrew Hazel) with its twisted branches which looks stunning when covered in a fine frosting of ice and you've the makings of an interesting winter scene. So what are you waiting for? Get your fleece or quilted jacket out of the cupboard, wander down to your local Garden Centre or Nursery and see what's on offer. Start now before the bad weather arrives and you'll have a garden full of interest throughout the winter and the birds will enjoy it too. © Reckless Gardener Magazine 2004 - 2006 Mill Cottage New Media |
Seasonal planting written by Anne Macfie. 
For that winter colour I plant small evergreen shrubs in containers e.g. Skimmias, Gaultheria (previously Pernettya), Cotoneasters, various grasses, Euonymus fortunei and ivy. Add a touch of colour with seasonal flowers like pansies, violas or cyclamen and it's a great recipe for an attractive hardy display for both pots and planters. The great advantage of planting when they are small is that next year once they are more established you can plant them out into your garden or just transplant them to a larger container. Unlike summer bedding which get discarded after the season these shrubs will continue to please for many years. Mix the leaf colours for a vibrant display or pick one colour with the accent on flowers or berries for a Christmas display. Buy Online |