Winter wonders
Plants that look lush and perky through the coldest, bleakest season include Osmanthus ‘Goshiki’ AGM. This evergreen thrives in most soils, sun or part shade and grows slowly (max 1.5 high), so no need for pruning. It’s colourful, too, with green and gold holly-like leaves, and pink-bronze new shoots. Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ is a stately grass (1.5m) that stays upright all winter, giving an architectural presence through to spring, when it can be cut down.