Fill a sculpted, undulating landscape with trees, shrubs, perennials and early bulbs
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Layer plants
Margery Fish liked to plant densely, mixing bulbs with perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees to create long-lasting, year-round interest.
Sculpt the land
Create interest and planting pockets by making mounds and delves with soil and compost.
Make a woodland corner
You don’t need a natural stream like this one, instead create a woodland corner under a tree using logs, moss-covered stones and a bark-chip path.
Tidy borders
In areas where spring bulbs grow, clear away dead plant material in early winter to avoid standing on the bulbs as they emerge. This lets you see the flowers at their best.
Use hard-working plants
Bulbs such as snowdrops shine for a short time so combine them with plants that have more than one season of interest, such as the winter flowers and autumn colour of witch hazel.
Provide summer shade
Snowdrops don’t like to be too hot in summer so plant them beneath a deciduous tree or shrub.
Galanthus nivalis
The common snowdrop is perfect for naturalising, creating carpets of white. H and S10cm (4in)
Hemerocallis
Asplenium scolopendrium
Hamamelis mollis
Bushy shrub with spidery, sulphur-yellow flowers Jan-Feb. Needs acid-neutral soil. H and S4m (13ft)
Helleborus argutifolius Prickly-edged, dark green leaves and pale green blooms Feb-Mar. H50cm (20in) S90cm (3ft)
Rodgersia aescuiifolia
Fabulous clumps of large leaves and star-shaped flowers on tall stems. H2m (6½ft) S1m (3ft 3in)
Hamamelis mollis
Astrantia major ‘Shaggy’ Perennial with green-tipped white bracts surrounding pincushion-like centres. H80cm (32in) S40cm (16in)
Hosta ‘Halcyon’
Compact mounds of greygreen ribbed foliage; lilac flowers June-July. H50cm (20in) S30cm (12in)
Galanthus nivalis
Geranium versicolor
Hardy geranium with small white flowers and exquisite deep pink veins May-July. H45cm (18in) S60cm (2ft)
Darmera peltata Handsome undulating rounded foliage with good autumn colour and spring flowers. H and S1m (3ft 3in)
Primula pulverulenta Perennial with magenta flowers May-June and silvery stems. H1m (3ft 3in) S40cm (16in)
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