LEAVES have fallen; hats and gloves have been tugged on – winter is here, bringing with it the challenges of celebrating and enjoying the chilly landscape. Writers love words and the best for this season is ‘brumal’, from the Latin brumalis. Dating from the early 1500s, it means ‘belonging to winter’; and at this time of year brumal plants are what’s needed to deliver splashes of colour from flower, leaf and stem.
Wintry blooms can take non-gardening folk by surprise. I’m often asked to explain why a cherry is flowering three months early, only to find that it’s actually the winter cherry Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’. Similarly, daffodils in December are viewed with suspicion, seen as symptoms of global warming, yet they usually turn out to be nothing more alarming than ‘Rijnveldt’s Early Sensation’.
My advice for the winter garden is this: refuse to accept an outlook of greens and browns; there are plenty of plants to colour our winter plots.
Winter wonders
For inspiration, consider visiting gardens famous for winter plantings – just be sure to observe current government restrictions, check for opening times and be prepared to book tickets first. Cambridge University Botanic Garden, the winter garden at RHS Rosemoor in Devon, Dunham Massey in Cheshire, the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire, and Cambo near St Andrews in Fife will not disappoint. And if you can’t visit in person, look for pictures instead.
To site midwinter stars, work out how you view the garden and place prime performers so they’re framed by windows in the house. Use trees with pleasing bark colours and textures, flowering viburnums, witch hazels or daphnes – either as solo focal points or to inspire groupings of compatible hues and shapes.
Denne historien er fra December 05, 2020-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
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Denne historien er fra December 05, 2020-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters