Winter Highlights
Winter 2022 is really gifting us with an abundance of color and beauty.
Below a few highlights form the past few weeks.
- You’re looking through a drift of Cornus, the star of the show in the garden. In the background, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost'. In front, the gold and finely textured Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Kamarachiba'.
- Not all coloured-stemmed dogwoods belong to Cornus sanguinea, one of our native shrubs. This is Cornus alba ‘Sibirica', which the name gives a clue to its origin from Siberia to Korea. The red stems are equally as vivid as the Cornus sanguinea forms, but it shoots much earlier in the year and the leaves do not stay on the stems in autumn. Here in the Winter Garden, it forms a nice contrast with Pinus thunbergii 'Thunderhead’.
- Abies procera 'Glauca Prostrata' As so often happens when a named plant is grafted onto a more vigorous seeding, the seedling can change the habit of the plant over time. In this case, you can see that this 20-year-old plant has aspirations to head towards the sky, but we have to prune out the upward leading shoots to keep it true to its original name.
- you’re looking through a drift of Cornus, the star of the show in the garden. In the background, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost'. In front, the gold and finely textured Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Kamarachiba'.
- Nandina domestica 'Fire Power' Living up to its name in the Winter Garden, best in sun, very fiery indeed, especially close up.
- Nandina domestica 'Fire Power'
- A Drift of Galanthus Sam Arnott in Foggy Bottom. Adrian was given a small cluster of these beautiful Galanthus in the 1970s. he loved the fact that they are so tall, sented and with big bells. From that one clump comes every single snowdrop you can see at Foggy Bottom today.
- Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost' This is a tree with a white-coloured bark, although you can see it has started to get some algae on the older bark. Unlike some winter gardens, we do not wash the bark each year, preferring to let them develop their normal growth in a natural environment. This is about 20 years old and the bark has started peeling to reveal a different colour beneath.
- Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost' This is a tree with a white-coloured bark, although you can see it has started to get some algae on the older bark. Unlike some winter gardens, we do not wash the bark each year, preferring to let them develop their normal growth in a natural environment. This is about 20 years old and the bark has started peeling to reveal a different colour beneath.
- Conifers add to the contrast offered by the taller growing Cornus. Foreground is Pinus leucodermis ‘Schmidtii' with green needles and Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis ‘Tenas' centre.
- Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ Here are images which show its value in the Winter Garden, if you have studied a fire you’ll know that it tends to be orange where its burning brightly and redder at the tips, so it is well-named. Looking through the slender stems to view the Abies procera 'Glauca Prostrata'
- In a small space, you can achieve a lot of colour in the winter. Here in the foreground, you have the black-leaved Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' intermingled with Galanthus S. Arnott. The ruby-flowered Helleborus × hybridus in the centre with the golden-leaved Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ and in the background Erica × darleyensis 'Kramer's Rote’.
- Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' with Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’ These plants make a fine contrast and at one time were planted separately, although the grass-like Acorus has spread, the Iris is still there (and no, we didn’t shove in some cut stems of Iris to make a good photo).
- Abies nordmanniana 'Golden Spreader’ and Erica carnea ‘Ice Princess’ A softer contrast, which offers good winter colour but potentially a problem as the heather is beginning to climb into the lower branches of the golden fir. We are inclined to let them cohabit, but some of the lower branches may die back due to lack of light.
- Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby' Well-named for the colour of the leaves which change from green in summer, to ruby red in winter. We may have featured this before, but, here it is this morning in late February showing its true winter colour.
- Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby' Well-named for the colour of the leaves which change from green in summer, to ruby red in winter. We may have featured this before, but, here it is this morning in late February showing its true winter colour.
- We often forget to look up and one of the things about winter is the changing sky (mostly not blue) and the tracery of twigs which you can see on the silver birch. In the distance is Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' and in the foreground next to Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light’ is a new selection called Cornus sanguinea 'Magic Flame’.
- Helleborus Walberton Rosemary's Wood - Foggy Bottom
- you’re looking through a drift of Cornus, the star of the show in the garden. In the background, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost'. In front, the gold and finely textured Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Kamarachiba'.
- A look through the Winter Garden Portal made of Cedar Atlantica Pendula.
- Just waiting for the first bees. Erica x darleyensis Kramer’ Rote flowers for weeks.
- Barking up the right tree …. Acer x conspicuum Phoenix brightens Winters day in Foggy Bottom Garden
- Barking up the right tree …. Acer x conspicuum Phoenix brightens Winters day in Foggy Bottom Garden
- A conifer that changes to from green in summer to gold in winter? But it needs to be in sun. This is Pinus mugo Winter Gold