The Winter Garden
In winter the need to hibernate really appeals as the days shorten and the temperture drops.
It might be cold, wet and windy, yet there is still so much value in having a garden that looks good at this time of year.
One important reason is our wellbeing.
Getting outside, even for a few minutes, can make a huge difference.
You feel calmer and more refreshed after spending time in nature and stepping away from a screen.
There may not be as many gardening jobs to do, but a gentle walk around your garden can lift your spirits and help you appreciate the quieter beauty of the season.
What makes a garden interesting in the winter?
Dark nights
There are many ways to make a garden appealing in winter – espcially for those long dark nights.
Lighting is one of the most effective ways to bring atmosphere to your garden.
You might choose soft feston lights over a covered seating area or to use uplighters to highlight a beautiful tree or structural plant.
Good lighting extends the use of the your garden and creates a warm and inviting feel throughout the colder months.
Another great option for enjoying a winters night is a cozy fire pit area.
There is something magical about sitting outside with the warmth of a real flame, a few toasted marshmallows and a starry nights sky
Hot tubs and saunas can also bring a touch of luxury to the winter garden.
They encourage us to slow down, relax and reconnect with nature, much like our Scandinavian neighbours who embrace the season so beautifully.
Water
Water brings movement, reflection and a sense of life to a garden at any time of the year.
There are countless types of water features available, each offering a different character and style. Reflective pools, formal rills and wild-life ponds all contribute something unique.
In winter a water feature will often take center stage.
It has beautiful reflective qualities and can mirror the bare branches of trees and shrubs.
Water draws the eye and adds interest at a time of year when the rest of the garden is quieter.
Look outside
If you are anything like me, when you are not in your garden, you spend a lot of time looking at it from inside.
This is when winter planting really shows its value.
Think about your main viewpoints.
What do you see from the kitchen when you are washing up, or from the lounge when you are relaxing?
Are you able to enjoy the changing seasons as they move from autumn into winter and then towards spring?
Seasonal change is what makes a garden truely captivating.
Plants may die back in late autumn, giving a final burst of colour, while new treasures such as Cyclamen start to emerge.
These gentle transitions are easy to appreciate when your garden is designed for all the seasons.
Brown doesn’t mean boring
In the old days of gardening, if you grew a lot of perennials, you were told to cut everything back and leave it all neat and tidy, until spring came along.
We don’t tend to do that now, less tidy, less work and more seasonal interest with beautiful seed heads which look stunning in the haw frost.
Ornamental grasses and especially valuable in winter.
Many retain upright through storms and bring movement and texture to the space. They catch the low winter light and add warm, golden tones.
Winter interest plants
Winter interest comes from textural grasses, brightly coloured stems, stunning barks and evergreen structure.
Decidious multi-stemmed trees can also look particularly striking.
When planning a winter garden, it helps to think beyond the evergreen shrubs and lawns.
They are important but texture, shape and form are what makes a garden come alive.
Now for a few of my favourites for winter:
Grasses
- Calamagrostis ‘Karl Forester’ – tall, upright grass and reliable through winter
- Nasella tenuissima – soft , floaty and beautifully golden in winter
- Sesilaria autumnalis – evergreen grass with lime green tones in autumn
- Miscanthus – many different cultivars with beautiful flowerheads that last into winter
Shrubs
- Mahonia’Soft Caress’– lovely soft foilage ( not spiked) and flowers in winter
- Daphne ‘Jacqueline Postil’ – Evergreen pale green foilage and the most beautiful scented flowers late winter
- Camelias and Rhododendrons - have great foilage for winter and many species Rhododendrons have amazing bark
- Osmanthus delvayi – evergreen with white scented flowers late winter
- Cornus ‘Midwinter fire’ - glowing stems that look beautiful paired with ornamental grasses
- Hydrangeas – dried flowerheads add structure and look great with a light covering of snow.
Winter flowers
- Cyclamin coum – marbelled foilage and dainty pink and white flowers
- Hellebores (Christmas Rose)– Evergreen and a very useful woodland plant. From the fresh green of Helleborus Foetidus to some beautiful orientalis hybrids. H. ‘Emma’ is favourite for dusty pink flowers flowers
- Galanthus nivalus – Simple an timelsess looks best on mass to carpet a woodland floor
Winter seedheads
These plants keep giving after flowering. Their seedheads add structure and provide food for birds and other wildlife.
- Lunaria annua (Honesty) - beautiful white seedheads that look like silver pennies in the winter
- Phlomis russeliana – tiered flowerheads that look wonderful with oranmental grasses
- Cynara cardunculus ( Cardoon or globe artichoke) - dramtatic architectural thistle heads
- Echinacea (Cone flower) or Rudbeckia (black eyed susan) - simple daisy shaped flowers
This is just a small sample, there are many more perennials that will have beautiful seedheads and provide a valuable habitat for wildlife.
Make the most of your winter garden
I hope I have inspired you to enagage with your garden over the winter and provided a few tips and ideas to make the most of your garden in the winter season.
For more help and ideas on how to make the most of your garden why not try a consultation with Anna at Blackwood Gardens
