Winter shrubs masterclass: best expert content

Is your backyard in need of winter color? Take inspiration from these expert impartial gardeners and learn the way to get pleasure from heady floral scent, garlands of berries, vibrant stems and attention-grabbing foliage all through the coldest and darkest months of the yr. 

For those who’re planning a brand new scheme with wildlife in thoughts, browse our online assortment of shrubs with winter berries. Our winter flowering shrubs brighten the gloomiest of days, and for a robust, structural assertion, check out our fiery vary of cornus shrubs.

Thompson & Morgan weblog

“There’s nothing like a splash of bright yellow to cheer up a wintry day,” say the horticultural specialists at Thompson & Morgan’s weblog. Their high winter shrubs for vivid yellow flowers embrace Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca ‘Citrina’, Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’ and Mahonia x media. Learn the complete article to seek out out which different flowers, climbers, grasses and shrubs made their shortlist.

Richard Schmidt – @greengenus

“Cornus shrubs and Salix, depending on the variety chosen, provide bark in tones from bright yellow, through all manner of oranges, to deep red,” says high backyard designer Richard Schmidt over at @greengenus. Plant cornus (dogwood) alongside darker evergreens for a placing distinction that basically exhibits them off. Try his Instagram web page for beautiful photographs and intelligent backyard design recommendation.

Lee – Backyard Ninja

To be sure you get fiery stems every winter, you’ll want to provide your cornus plants a hard prune in March, explains Lee over at Backyard Ninja. Simply be sure you go away the whippy younger development alone for 3 years after planting to permit it to ascertain itself, he says. Try Lee’s improbable pruning information to see the place you must reduce.

John & Melanie – John Horsey Horticulture

Need to make new fiery cornus vegetation without cost? Strive John Horsey’s layering technique. He propagates his Cornus alba ‘Kesselringii’ by rigorously scraping just a little bark away from a wholesome stem and urgent it into the bottom to develop new roots of its personal. See the complete course of in John’s tutorial at his YouTube channel John Horsey Horticulture. It’s a enjoyable mission should you don’t thoughts ready a number of further years on your vegetation to achieve an inexpensive measurement. For comfort, John has used Cornus as a topic for layering however it’s also very appropriate for hardwood cuttings.

Alexandra – The Center-Sized Backyard

Small backyard? You possibly can nonetheless develop winter shrubs, says Alexandra over at The Center-Sized Backyard. Select specifically bred varieties which might be smaller at maturity than their bigger counterparts, like Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’. Try Alexandra’s article to see which six winter shrubs head gardener Tom Coward of Gravetye Manor recommends for late season curiosity.

@mrsblake2020

Skimmia japonica shrubs do higher in gardens with acidic soil, says Instagrammer @mrsblake2020. Her male skimmia bears attractive flower buds all through the colder months, and appears particularly fabulous with a light-weight dusting of frost! Head to her full put up to be taught extra fascinating info about this beautiful addition to any winter backyard.

Stephanie Donaldson – The Enduring Gardener

Have you ever acquired a difficult space of deep shade in your backyard? Go for the flowering shrub Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna, says Stephanie Donaldson over at The Enduring Gardener. “If you have a shady spot near a doorway or path, it will more than repay you with its glorious winter fragrance,” she says. Try Stephanie’s top ten list of shrubs and trees for winter fragrance to provide your winter backyard an additional sensory dimension.

Bel Grierson

Sarcococca can also be the scent ‘must-have’ for backyard designer Bel Grierson. “I like to grow this in containers so I can move the plants nearer to the house in winter to benefit from the heady fragrance,” she says. Learn this expert plantswoman’s full article about evergreen shrubs for winter interest to discover a record of the opposite specimens she recommends for “colour, texture, flowers and a fresh look during the grey winter months”.

@dawns_gardening

A winter scent essential in Daybreak’s enviable Leicestershire backyard is Hamamelis or witch hazel. “When we get a frosty morning I’ll cup my hands around the spidery flowers and breathe in the fragrance,” she says. One other winter-flowering shrub she loves is honeysuckle – try her attractive picture of Lonicera purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’. “It has sweet fragrant small creamy white flowers on bare stems,” she explains. Daybreak’s backyard is rigorously planted to have loads of winter curiosity – observe her over at @dawns_gardening to see extra.

@getplantinghort

“Plant your garden for Christmas using shrubs that have attractive berries,” says BBC Beechgrove presenter Kirsty Wilson. She recommends Cotoneaster shrubs for his or her festive vivid pink berries and darkish shiny leaves. The berries present a welcome meals supply for winter wildlife too! Scroll via Kirsty’s Instagram web page over at @getplantinghort to seek out heaps extra high gardening suggestions.

Carol Bartlett – The Sunday Gardener

Holly is a improbable winter choice, and never only for Christmas, says Carol Bartlett at The Sunday Gardener. “An evergreen, slow growing shrub, with bright variegated leaves and colourful berries”, holly is a superb alternative for troublesome areas. It’s additionally extremely versatile, making an attention-grabbing addition to borders, a chic customary or a wind-resistant hedge. Simply be sure that your feminine shrub has a male pollination accomplice to get loads of berries, she advises. Learn her full article on growing hollies for high suggestions and rising recommendation.

We hope our assortment of winter shrubs content has given you loads of meals for thought. You’ll discover much more inspiration at our winter flowers hub page. Don’t hesitate to get in contact or share your personal favorite winter shrubs – tag us on social media utilizing #YourTMGarden.

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