Mark Porter has a 7 acres meadow garden near the A33, and their garden was on the front cover of “English Garden” magazine in 1991 with a caption “Fire & Ice”.
“What can we use to create a garden that looks good in Winter ?” :
Shrubs with evergreen foliage (Eleagnus x ebbingel “Limelight”, Prunus lusitanica, Cupressus macrocarpa “Goldcrest”, Buxus sempervirens “Box shrub”)
Shrubs with good winter structure (twisted hazel)
Trees with good winter colour (Silver Birch)
Trees with interesting bark, colour and texture (Acer griseum, Prunus serrula)
Brightly coloured stems (Dogwoods, willows, – red
Early bulbs (Snowdrops, Aconites, Crocus)
Interesting seed heads (Phlomis, Verbena)
Scent (Daphne bholua “Jaqueline Postill”, Sarcococca, Mahonia x media “Charity”, Lonicera purpusii)
Berries (Holly),
Grasses (Miscanthus, Calamagrostis, Melianthus)
Vegetables (Kale)
Lovely Winter plants… – and Pests to beware of – and some solutions that might help :
“Yew” shrubs look lovely – but Deer eat Yew, so chicken-wire to protect Yew from Deer is essential.
“Box shrub” can be shaped into any shapes to look good all year round, even in Winter when many plants are asleep.
But “Caterpillar Moths” eat “Box shrub”. You need to spray “Box shrub with poison every 6 weeks, 3 times per year.
Colour :
Silver Birch trees such as “Greyswood Ghost”. . . but if you try a high-pressure-hose to wash Silver Birch bark to show it’s ghostly-silver-white colour, then if you stand too close high-pressure-hosepipe can shred Silver Birch bark…
Red “Midwinter fire” Dogwood is colourful, but you can’t take cuttings – it sends shoots underground and you can sometimes propagate “Midwinter fire” Dogwood from underground side-shoots.
If you cut-back “Midwinter fire” Dogwood by more than 6 inches, the stems will turn grey instead of red.
Other Dogwoods varieties can have Yellow-green coloured stems, or some varieties have Black stems.
“Amy’s Winter Orange” Dogwood actually has red stems (not orange !)
Some Dogwoods can grow to 8 to 10 feet high.
Bulbs :
Snowdrops (“Chawton House” near Jane Austin’s house in “Chawton” village has lovely Snowdrops)
Crocus can be many colours, including pale-mauve varieties (Pat Elkington’s “Little Court” garden)
“Aconite” in January have yellow flowers.
All 3 (Snowdrops, Crocus, Aconite) scatter their seeds on the wind
. . . so you may find seeds spread colours to unexpected places
(Pat Elkington in “Little Court” digs out & re-plants Crocus if they plant-themselves in places that spoil her colour-pattens !)
Hellebores plant themselves in many places, and sometimes White and Purple Hellebores cross-breed to bring future years with Pink Hellebores….
Sculptures
Sculptures can add Height when many plants are asleep during Winter.
For example plants in “Urn” sized huge plant-pots add a different height in Winter, when many Trees and Shrubs have lost their leaves.
Mark Porter once bought a full-sized Sculpture of a Lady to sit on a bench-seat . . .
The only way to fit the Statue into Mark’s car was into the passenger’s seat . . .
A bubble-wrapped Lady sitting in the front-passenger-seat of Mark’s car DID bring more-than-a-few “raised-eyebrows” from drivers in the same Traffic-jam waiting at Traffic-lights…
Scent :
Mahonia x media “Charity”,
Honeysuckle (although some varieties can be rampant and spread into places you didn’t expect…)
Daphne azora, Daphne bholua “Jaqueline Postill” – Daphne plants send out side-roots you can use for propagation.
Vitax V4 can help Daphne plants.
Trees
Witchhazel,
Pittosporum tenuifolium “Tom Thumb” has deep purple leaves, even during Winter.
Prunus subhirtella winter flowering cherry blossom trees
or Prunus “Starlight” flowers in March/April.
Willow grow from cuttings 12 inches long that look like just “sticks”, but will grow (if from a reliable nursery).
Willow varieties can have different colours of bark.
Silver Birch trees such as “Greyswood Ghost”.
In Summary – some ideas you could use for a good Winter Garden :
Evergreens
Structure and Height
Colour
Bulbs
Scent, Grasses, Bark, Vegetables
Looking after grass and lawns