Five ways to enjoy your garden this winter
Just because the days are shorter and the blousy summer flowers and fiery autumn foliage are over doesn’t mean there’s no joy to be had from your garden.
1. Incorporate winter interest in your planting
In summer there are so many plants vying for our attention in the garden, where as plants that look attractive in the winter can really stand out and lift the spirits on a dull and frosty day. Some of my favourites are dogwoods which have amazing bright stems – Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ is bright red and Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ is a flaming yellow, orange and red. If you have space they make a real impact planted as group – make sure to hard prune (either fully to the ground or a third of old stems) in spring when new growth is visible, as the young shoots have the best colour. Colour isn’t the only option – the vanilla-like scent of winter-flowering Sarcococca confusa (sweet box) is a delight, make the most of it by planting by a path or entrance so the fragrance can welcome you home on a cold day. If you’re looking for flowers then Hellebores, Clematis cirrhosa and Hamamelis (witch hazels) are all great options.
2. Leave structural seedheads standing until spring
Traditionally a lot of herbaceous perennials have been cut back in autumn after flowering to keep things neat, but leaving this job until the spring not only provides an essential habitat for wildlife to shelter in over winter, but also can leave visually interesting structure. Seedheads that look particularly lovely covered in sparkling frost include Dipsacus fullonum (teasels), Phlomis russeliana (Turkish sage) and Hylotelephiums (sedums). Remember that if you have anything that you don’t want to self-seed in your garden, then this will need to be cut back after flowering.
3 Wrap up warm and sit outside
Sitting in the garden doesn’t have to be a summer-only activity. Enjoy a mug of something warm outside on a crisp winter morning and watch what’s happening in your garden – it might be birds making the most of any remaining Pyracantha berries, or the shape of snow covered branches against the sky.
4. Forage in your garden for wreath making materials
You can keep it traditional with holly, ivy and fir, or do something a little different with the dead seed heads that you’ve left up in the garden. Dried out hydrangea flowers can look lovely, or go minimalist with woven twigs (you could use some brightly coloured stems from your dogwood) and heads of ornamental grasses. Anything you think looks good and will last for a while without needing water is on the table.
5. Plan for next year
You’ve been busy tending your garden all year and now everything is a little quieter it’s your chance to sit down and plan for next year – if you’re like me then creating a schedule of when you need to buy and plant new additions will help you keep on track when things get busy again in the spring. Try and think back to how your garden looked in the spring, summer and autumn, and where there were gaps, or periods of time when you were lacking interest and could do with introducing something new to add a pop of colour. If you’re struggling to remember then in the coming year try and take a photo of your garden every month so you can look at them all next winter and plan your improvements.
