Gleaming stars amid gloom of chilly February
February is the coldest month of the year, when snow and “lazy” winds so often destroy the gardener’s great expectations of an early spring.
Snowdrops were out and about in late January but were soon covered by snow – and more snow. In the South Pennines there has been a lot of snow and my own garden has often been blanketed.
There can be something quite beautiful about a garden clothed in snow but there is something even more beautiful about plants that can show off their true colours in the midst of the long grey days from November through till March.
That’s why some people plant winter gardens; perhaps just one bed or border packed with plants that retain foliage throughout the year.
Take the garden in the photograph accompanying this article – it’s basically just a long border. The backdrop of Yorkshire hills helps, but it’s the plants themselves that are the real stars.
In that rich soil (plenty of well-rotted manure and used compost went into its making) are a lot of cheap and cheerful plants that, basically, require very little attention. In summer, they play second fiddle to a host of perennials that are just starting to show signs of new life after spending several months sleeping.
While they were dozing, ivies, various ornamental grasses (some evergreen and some not), lesser periwinkle, elaeagnus, cotoneaster, box, euonymus, spurges and even the silvery foliage of a pruned lavender or two have filled the gap with form and colour.
Dotted in and among are numerous hardy low-growing sedums and houseleeks and even a camellia.
And right at the very back, but still the brightest (in my opinion, at least) are the winter stems of a dogwood. In the winter sun they shine vivid red and even when covered with snow they still manage to produce a small beacon of brightness.