SIX ICE-PROOF FLOWERS
Ultra-hardy plants that will handle the cold weather
WHEN it comes to winter gardening, people tend to fall into two camps. There are those who hardly venture out into the garden at all from November to March, except to scurry along the front path. Others – a minority, it’s true – believe that if we work hard on the winter garden, the summer will look after itself.
I think they’re both wrong! For me, the flowers of winter are so uplifting, their fragrance so comforting and other winter features such as stems and foliage so reassuring, that putting in the work to ensure winter brings a succession of appealing developments is definitely worth it.
That’s not to say I neglect the other seasons – the last thing I want is to be stretched out on a sun lounger in August, thinking: “This is all a bit disappointing.” But right now I’m after flowers that will take everything winter can throw at them – sometimes literally. For while camellias and dwarf rhododendrons will flower in winter, the merest touch of frost reduces the blooms (and buds) to a soggy brown.
Instead, what’s needed are the likes of hellebores and snowdrops. No matter how vulnerable these late-winter stalwarts may seem on a frosty morning when their stems have collapsed, you can bet that, by lunchtime, they will be standing proud once more.
In the same way that our summers are getting hotter, chilly winters are becoming the ‘new normal’. And with climate research predicting more to come, it makes sense to focus on the plants whose flowers or other features will look good when the mercury dips.
Of course, it’s not just about the cold. Wet snow is heavy, and more than a smattering can weigh down and break the branches of evergreens – and those of deciduous shrubs. Thoughtful pruning to reduce the number of long branches helps, as the increased bushiness will support a heavier load. Knocking off snow after its first fall (so it never builds up) will also significantly reduce any harm caused.
Ice storms, when the temperature dips just below zero and drizzle or mist freezes to branches, can be even more damaging with the weight of all that ice. But ice storms are also beautiful, and with plants designed to cope with these conditions you can fully appreciate that beauty – and never fear the forecast.