Border Rescue
Red cornus stems make a flamboyant statement, says Ian Hodgson. But what to plant with them?
Red cornus stems make a flamboyant statement, but what can you plant with them?
Q What can I plant with my gorgeous red ‘Sibirica Variegata’ dogwood?
BORDER SIZE 4x3m (13x10ft) SITE South-facing SOIL Clay-loam EXISTING PLANTS (L-R) Phyllostachys nigra; Cornus alba ‘Sibirica Variegata’; Gaultheria procumbens; Helleborus argutifolius COLOUR SCHEME Red and acid green THE LOOK Natural country border THERE ARE SO many plants to partner with this lovely cornus that you’re spoiled for choice. Much depends on whether you intend to cut back the stems in spring, before the buds start to break – hard pruning promotes the vigorous red stems ready for next year’s winter show. But rather than cut the whole thing back at once (leaving a big gap in your border from March to July), it’s better to thin out some of the congested growth, ‘tipping back’ the longer whippy stems by about 1m (3ft 3in). On either side of the cornus I’d plant a matching pair of leafy evergreen shrubs to act as a backdrop for the red stems and help them ‘pop’. You could go for brightly variegated euonymus ‘Emerald ’n’ Gold’ but remember that in summer, your cornus will have variegated leaves too, in delicate cream and green, so you’re better off sticking with a shrub in the silver-green-cream palette to avoid a clash. Plain green Choisya ternata would be effective, as would black-stemmed Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Variegatum’ or Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’, the latter two shrubs offering a closeenough green-and-cream match for the cornus in leaf. Topiaried Buxus sempervirens would look smart, or one of its small-leaved look-alikes such as Ilex crenata or Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’ clipped into a pair of neat spheres. Nestling under the cornus, I’d plant drifts of red-tinted bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’ and clumps of white-variegated sedge, Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’ – both reliable partners that won’t mind a light canopy of leaves once the pruned cornus has come back into full leaf. For a darker note, if you prefer, replace the carex with black mondo grass, Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’. A pretty, green-and-cream variegated ivy such as Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ offers another good groundcover option. You might like to pop in a couple more Helleborus argutifolius to echo the existing one (plants always look more natural in odd-numbered groups). An alternative would be to put in a balancing Euphorbia amygdaloides in acid-green (robbiae), or red and green (‘Purpurea’) to pick up the red stem colour. Finish with a few snowdrops, white narcissi and red or black tulips.