Category: Winter interest
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Ranunculus ficaria ‘Brazen Hussey’
This form of lesser Celandine was discovered by Christopher Lloyd and his head gardener of the time in a nearby wood and what a find it was! This varies from the wild form in that its heart shaped ground hugging leaves are a rich deep brown almost black which in early spring set off the
Stephen Ryan
Chimonanthus praecox
I know that this isn’t the rarest thing around but of all the scented plants I know Winter sweet has to be my favourite. Forget your Daphnes and Jasmines I would take this plant above all others for perfume and it is tough as they come as well. It is a large deciduous shrub from
Stephen Ryan
Euonymus alatus
Now that autumn is here we (at least in the cooler areas) should be revelling in the autumn coloured foliage, but have you noticed that so many of the best known plants of this season tend to be large trees and wouldn’t it be nice to have some of this largess at a lower level.
Stephen Ryan
Stephen Ryan
Cyclamen hederifolium
There can be no more useful Genus of small plants for a shady spot than the species Cyclamen and this species has to be the best and easiest to grow. Flowering from mid February to May and then having lovely leaves through to the spring what more could you ask. I have written a full
Stephen Ryan
Brugmansia sanguinea
I have always had a love hate relationship with the Angel’s Trumpets as I love them but they hate our cold frosty climate! However I have found that the hardiest species B. sanguinea in both its forms thrive at less than tropical Macedon and I now have one of each that have to be at
Stephen Ryan
Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’
Bronze and purple foliage plants are so useful in the garden that I find it hard to stop and unless you are a gardening Goth you do need to hold back. After all they are great with hot colours and will tone them down and they are equally at home with soft pinks and other
Stephen Ryan
Callicarpa bodinieri var.giraldii
There are masses of plants with red, yellow or orange berries and i love them all but isn’t it fun to have something completely different? The plant in question Callicarpa ( which translates as Beauty berry which doubles as its common name) is one such. It is a deciduous shrub to 2metres or so with
Stephen Ryan
Rubus phoenicolasius
The Japanese wine berry is a close relative to the ubiquitous Blackberry and as the common name would suggest is Asian. It makes a suckering clump with arching stems to 2metres or so long, which when the plant is bare in winter are covered with masses of tiny bright red bristles. For me this is
Stephen Ryan
Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’
The Crazy Filbert has to be one of the best conversation piece plants you could have in your garden especially for its winter effect. It will eventually become a large shrub and its main claim to fame are the twisted contorted branches which in late winter are festooned with pale yellow catkins. No one can
Stephen Ryan