Winter garden treasured for its tranquility
Once again I can blame the weather for the fact that I have barely started the winter cleanup, the pruning of roses or the pruning of shrubs and trees. Some weekends it has just been too wet and cold to even think about venturing outside. When I did eventually get out last Saturday, I really did not know where to start which is the way I always feel at this time of year.
It can be quite daunting but you just have to take one step at a time and hopefully I will achieve doing a small part of my ambitious plans.
Thirteen years ago I wrote about how the winter garden does have an air of natural charm until you start to tidy it up and then you change the appearance into a chilling and barren winter scene.
I also talked about how I hated seeing the garden take on a dismal and lifeless appearance which you are faced with for two or three months until it gradually comes back to life in the spring.
This old article made me realise just how much the garden has completely changed, grown and matured over the years and when I do tidy it up in winter it no longer becomes a chilling and barren scene.
Whereas once there was only one small area (that I called my winter garden) that looked attractive during winter, now the rest of the garden also has an attractive appearance.
So now I have to try to explain to you what exactly has made the garden mature into an attractive winter garden.
Naturally full credit must go to the mature evergreen shrubs such as the rhododendrons and camellias. I have several of these shrubs around the borders and in other parts of the garden and they undoubtedly enhance the scene even though they are a plain green.
I particularly love the handsome, leathery and shiny leaves of the camellias and at this time of the year they have pregnant green buds with a few that have already burst into flower and others that are bursting at the seams.
The rhododendrons also have large buds with Christmas Cheer in full bloom as it always is for the month of July. There are several trees that enrich the garden scene. Some are evergreen, there are deciduous ones which are still holding on to their colourful leaves and others that have bared their branches but add a skeletal beauty to the scene.
Looking downwards, I see numerous small shrubs. Some have colourful attractive leaves such as the Nandina Fire Power or there is a winter flowering Erica with its attractive purple flowers. Osmanthus delavayi was originally selected because it smothers its branches in spring with small white flowers that are capable of scenting the surrounding atmosphere for some distance whereas a Cotoneaster gives a touch of warmth to the winter scene because of its rosy red berries.
Every winter garden simply must have two particular shrubs. One is named Daphne bholua (the taller growing Himalayan Daphne) which smothers its branches with its small but heavenly fragrant pink and white flowers from April to August. The other priceless shrub is the Wintersweet ( Chimonanthus praecox) that has powerfully perfumed, small yellow spider-like flowers. The little flowers would not win any beauty contest but their perfume transports you into a fragrant paradise.
Naturally the hellebores (winter roses) are an essential part of a winter garden because of their soft, subtle pretty flowers. I particularly value the early flowering ones, two of which are in bloom now.
Helleborus foetidus is often referred to as the stinking helleborus but I have never noticed a strong smell. It grows to a height of approximately 50cm and has deeply divided dark green leaves with panicles of pendent, bell shaped, and red margined, pale green flowers. Helleborus lividus (also re- ferred to as Helleborus corsicus or Helleborus argutifolius) grows to about 60cm and has divided, leathery and spiny leaves with cupshaped, pale green flowers borne in large clusters. Some of the sternii variety also have tones of delicate pale pink.
Over the years I have also added many groundcover plants that smother a lot of the barren soil and with a variety of different textures and colours, these also help to enhance and beautify the winter scene.
So while there are no stunning, spectacular or colourful scenes in the winter garden it does present a quieter and peaceful picturesque scene that bestows a sense of serenity and tranquillity which no other season is capable of doing.
You may be surprised to know that out of all the different seasonal gardens, it is the winter one that I value and treasure the most highly.