Cutting back early colour

It’s time to tackle winter heather and aubrietia, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

ALTHOUGH our garden has extremely chalky soil, one of its late winter/early spring glories is a vast mound of pink early heather.

If this seems wrong on such alkaline soil, think again, because winter and spring-flowering varieties (Erica carnea, Erica x darleyensis and Erica erigena) will grow well in most soil types.

It is their more picky summer-flowering cousins, the Erica vulgaris strain, that require an acidic soil that is lighter in structure, which is why they are usually found on heathlands where the soil is thin.

Early-flowering heather is a spirit-lifting addition to the garden. It provides a stunning start to the gardening year, heralding the arrival of brighter days and giving a gorgeous splash of colour against fresh green grass and spring blue skies.