Bringing colour to the winter garden
From the Himalaya sweet box to the simple dogwood, there are many options
Q
I very much want to inject more winter colour into my garden. Can you suggest some plants? This winter, the past summer’s calendula plants have produced the odd flower. Is that usual? I garden at the coast.
A
In a mild winter at the coast, calendula plants will sometimes bloom. Calendula is from the Latin calendae, meaning the first day of the month. The allusion is to the long flowering period. The plants can be sometimes seen in bloom in almost every month.
Many plants bring reliable points of interest to the winter garden with flowers, fragrance, and colourful berries, bark and foliage. You’ll likely find some that attract you on tours through local garden centres in winter. At almost every garden centre, you’ll find plant enthusiasts keen to offer suggestions from their own personal favourites.
One of the stars of this winter’s garden has been a Himalaya sweet box (Sarcoccoca humilis) plant whose small white flowers have perfumed my back garden since December. The fragrance has been most striking on warm(ish), sunny days.
Sweet English violets are more favourites for their beautiful scent, usually in late winter and early spring. As with many things this winter, the plants began flowering early.
A common winter preoccupation among home gardeners is to look out for the first snowdrop and crocus blooms, which also arrived early this winter.
Tall Mahonia media bears substantial sprays of yellow flowers that shine in brief bouts of winter sun. The showy flowers are followed by colourful berries. This evergreen shrub has holly-like foliage.
Skimmias bear red berries or red buds all winter. Golden-hued evergreens glow in the winter landscape. Examples are a choisya called “Sundance” and golden yews.
Brightly coloured stems of yellow-twig and red-twig dogwoods are winter garden points of interest and striking additions to winter and holiday arrangements. Winter-flowering heathers fit easily into most landscapes.
The bright coral red of coral bark maple glows in the winter landscape.