In the midst of a gloomy winter, these bright colorful plants will make your garden stand out
When night falls, the rain pours down – and the Elf on the Shelf starts demanding too much attention – it’s no surprise that our focus shifts indoors instead of outdoors.
Let’s admit it, we often feel guilty when our gardens are in full bloom in Spring and Summer, but come Winter we have empty beds, forgotten pots – and even less. talk about the condition of our lawn the better.
If you’re looking for professional help to maintain your garden year-round, consider visiting Michaelangelo’s website for expert landscape design services that can keep your outdoor space beautiful in every season.
But with a little planning and careful planting, there’s no reason why we can’t enjoy a bright and beautiful garden on Christmas day.
One of the most notable winter shrubs is the deciduous tree Calicarpa Profusion ‘Beautyberry’ – bursting with incredible neon purple berries from Fall, right through to Winter.
Plant in full or partial sun – to encourage more berries – in moist, well-drained soil.
Hellebores – also known as ‘Snow Rose’ is a classic. And while their glossy evergreen leaves provide a groundcover or border year-round, they come in all sorts of lovely colors.
Helleborous Niger ‘Christmas Carol’ is elegant white and looks beautiful among the bulbs and ferns of early spring. They also don’t mind being in partial shade, in moist, well-drained soil.
Cornus Sanguinea ‘Midwinter’s Fire‘ is a Dogwood shrub that grows an orange, bright red, stem in Winter – bringing just the right amount of drama to your outside space – whether it leans against a wall or fence or stands proud in a pot. .
Prune it thoroughly to just a few inches above the ground each year during the dormant season to maintain its color. And make sure it’s in partial or full sun – it will suit most soil types.
Nandina Domestica ‘Firepower’ is a dense, compact shrub that looks beautiful in containers.
Green leaves with small, star-shaped white flowers in summer that turn hot red in winter. Plant in partial shade.
Climbing mountant man Jasminum Nudiflorum Looks great propped up against a fence or wall, with its bright starry yellow flowers in Winter – as well as providing a green cover all year round.
It prefers some sun in fertile, well-drained soil – and although it’s not fragrant, it brings a bit of morning joy.
cyclamen will fill your contour all year long – and come in plenty of hot pinks, purples, whites and reds from late autumn onwards.
A really reliable perennial – you can grow it in partial or full sun – and it looks great in a pot too.
Mahonia x Media ‘Winter Sun‘ is a stunning evergreen shrub for any outside space, with clusters of bright yellow flowers along the stems of glossy green pinnate leaves – followed by berries for the birds – and it smells divine.
It is quite tolerant – tolerating full sun and shade – in moist, well-drained soil.
And don’t forget the classic Ivy, Holly, Skimmia’s and Daphnes, all of which help keep your outdoor space happy.
berry CHRISTMAS!
Get £10 off a 3L jar of Callicarpa Profusion Beautyberry from YouGarden using code VERON102 at YouGarden.com
IN RED
This Tuesday is National Poinsettia Day! And whether you love them or hate them, you know they’re a sign that Christmas has really arrived.
They’re often thrown away, but if you’re careful, you can actually keep them going next year.
Poinsettias tend to be very cheap, so trying to keep it until next Christmas falls into the ‘do you mind/interested in a challenge’ category.
But if you’re into gaming and have the space to hide it, it’s a great experiment to try.
First of all, choose wisely – they don’t like the cold – so if they’re out in the shop or sold near a drafty door there’s a good chance they’ll start to wilt and die – and worst of all, no nothing. can do it.
In all seriousness, protect it on the way home and once inside, keep it warm at 13° to 15°, away from glare and drafts.
Water sparingly when the top of the compost feels dry and mist regularly to prolong flowering.
And now the science…
If you want to keep it – feed it tomatoes once a month.
Prune strongly in April, about 10cm and keep at a temperature of about 13oC.
Repot into a larger container in May, use John Innes No 3 mixed with a little grit and leave in a cool place.
For the plant to bloom again at Christmas – from mid-September, the plant needs complete darkness for 12 hours a day and about 18 hours for the plant to develop and bloom.
The luckiest!
GOVERNMENT BAN GUNNERA
The government is set to ban gardeners from growing a variety of Gunnera – or giant rhubarb – in their outdoor spaces.
A new RHS study has found that the highly invasive plant Gunnera x Cryptica has taken over our gardens, killing native plants and causing serious problems.
So they have called for a ban on its sale, cultivation or cultivation, for it to be removed from store shelves – and for it to be listed as ‘of particular concern’ within the UK industry.
The RHS advises you dig it out if it is in your garden or prune it to prevent spread.
PURPLE QUALIFICATION
South Derbyshire District Council is planting 550 goat willow trees to encourage the rare purple emperor butterfly further north, where it usually hangs out in southern England. Its plans have been supported by the National Forestry Company and the East Midlands Butterfly Sanctuary.
TOP TIP!
Bare root plants are on sale now and are a much more affordable way to fill your garden with flowers next year – often much easier to grow than container grown plants.
WORK THIS WEEK
Check your houseplants. Move them closer to natural light sources, away from hot radiators and cold windowsills, and don’t feed them.
RESCUE!
Plant a bit of winter color in your garden with this gorgeous gloss Aasen 34cm pot from Wayfair at £61.99
Or save on the sale with this almost identical thing Chiswick egg planter 35cm from Homebase for just £25
WIN!
One lucky reader could win £200 YouGarden Gift vouchers to spend online.
Visit www.thesun.co.uk/WinYouGardenVoucher or write to Sun YouGarden Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP.
Include your name, age, email or phone number. T&C apply. Ends 30 December 2023 for 18+, UK only.
LEARN!
When is the best time to prune roses in the Winter and do I need to use any food until Spring? P. Maweb, Skegness.
Read more about the Scottish Sun
It’s been quite mild in London so I’ve started the odd pruning job in my client’s garden, but if you have plenty of time you can wait until February or even March in Skegness.
Avoid pruning during strong frosts and wait until buds grow back but before they turn green. Your roses will now be dormant – so leave them there and don’t worry about feeding. From mid-spring, fertilize them with liquid fertilizer every two weeks.