How to add..Winterstyle

21/10/2007

YOUR garden doesn’t have to fade into oblivion as the season tails off – there are still plenty of flowers, berries and colourful foliage to intrigue and surprise, whatever the weather.

BACKDROP

A BORDER featuring a white-stemmed birch set against a backdrop of fiery-stemmed dogwoods is a real treat to view even on dismal days. When the spring bulbs burst through the bare soil this colourful and ever-changing scene is bound to dispel any thoughts of winter gloom.

EXPERT TIP: Coloured twigs look best when the sun shines on them from directly over your shoulder.

HOW MUCH? Special offer, pack of two plus one free costs £8.90 from J Parker (0161 848 1110, www.jparkers.co.uk).

WINTER BLOOMS

THE winter-flowering honeysuckle, lonicera purpusii winter beauty, is a perfumed favourite which can be grown in a border or a pot. The creamy-white flowers should appear in time for Christmas and last through to March.

EXPERT TIP: After the flowers fade the straggly shrub is of little interest. Re-plant it in a sheltered spot so that its scent lingers for longer.

HOW MUCH? Expect to pay around £8.99 from garden centres.

LIGHTING

USE lighting to create atmosphere and to enhance the planting, garden features and architecture so you can prolong the enjoyment of the garden from different rooms in the house, as well as outside seating areas when the sun goes down.

EXPERT TIP: Use low-voltage spotlights to light walls and throw plants into silhouette.

HOW MUCH? Low-voltage spotlights cost from £14.98 from B&Q.

PLANTING PATTERN

KNOT gardens made by interlocking low box and lavender hedges in square or rectangular-shaped beds have been a popular feature in gardens for over 600 years. The spaces between are popularly planted with seasonal flowers or in-filled with gravel to suppress weeds.

EXPERT TIP: It’s a good idea to site a knot garden close to the house where you can best appreciate its intricate pattern from upper windows.

HOW MUCH? Box and lavender cost from £3.99 each. Buy plants with plenty of shoots to make cuttings for free.

WINDOWS

SKIMMIA is one of the most useful plants for winter interest and especially in containers as its large bunches of brilliant red berries last right throughout the winter and usually until the flowers, which have a scent of lily-of-the-valley, appear again in spring. Skimmia looks great in pots and will brighten up any windowsill.

EXPERT TIP: For female skimmias varieties to continue producing flowers and berries, a male plant such as skimmia japonica fragrans, must be planted nearby.

HOW MUCH? Expect to pay around £5.95 for skimmia from garden centres.