12 Plants For Winter Interest
There’s no reason why your garden should be boring in winter time. Here are 12 of my favourite plants for winter interest.
- Sarcocca confusa: Sweet oak
- Stipa tenuissima: Mexican feather grass
- Mahonia
- Cornus midwinter fire
- Daphne
- Silver Birch
- Hellebore
- Cordeline
- Witch Hazel
- Fatsia Japonica
- Evergreen fern
- Topiary trees and shrubs
Sarcococca confusa
Its name is a bit of a mouthful but the plant itself has a really endearing property. It smells divine! Also known as the Sweet Oak – which is much easier to say – this is an evergreen plant with fairly small but shiny leaves. It flowers in midwinter.
The blooms are fairly insignificant, in fact if you are looking at this plant through a window you probably wouldn’t know that it is flowering. But as soon as you open the window – wow! The scent is powerful and glorious.
Plant this in a pot near your door so that you can enjoy it every time you go outside. Or, better still place it near to an outdoor seating area, that way you won’t be able to resist taking your morning coffee outside and getting some fresh air into your lungs.
Stipa tenuissima
The Mexican Feather Grass. Honestly, it looks good all year round and I tend to include it in lots of planting schemes simply because it’s incredibly good looking easy to care for. In my book, that makes Stipa tenuissima great value for money.
This isn’t an evergreen plant, but in late summer, it produces wonderful feathery seed heads which tend to stick around until early spring. In winter you’ll see delicate golden stems waving about in the wind. And- when the sun is low in the sky, the foliage seems to glow. It’s joyful.
At night time, this plant looks almost ethereal in the moonlight. It almost takes the pain out of taking the dog out for that last wee of the evening.
Mahonia
If you like a shrub with visual impact, you’ll love Mahonia. It never fails to deliver winter interest, no matter what the weather does.
There are around 70 different varieties of Mahonia to choose from, each is subtly different from the rest. Mahonia Winter Sun is a good choice for most gardens. Large, shiny green leaves and spectacular yellow flowers that last for ages. Bees seem to love Mahonia flowers, possibly because there is not much forage for them in winter.
Cornus Midwinter Fire
Ahhhh the humble dog wood. Cornus is a really useful shrub. It’s easy to grow, reliable and flowers nicely in summer. But it’s in the winter that this plant provides most interest. Cornus has gloriously coloured stems that really catch the eye.
There are dozens of different Cornus varieties, but my favourite has to be, the aptly named Midwinter Fire. Wow! Starting at the bottom of each stem and working upwards, the colour changes from rich red, to fiery orange and finally gold. In certain lights the shrub looks as though it is on fire.
For maximum effect, position this shrub where it can be a focal point. Better still, plant a whole group of them.
Daphne
You probably don’t expect to see a shrubs covered with flowers in the middle of February. Daphne is a lovely plant for winter interest. Not only are the baby pink blooms really pretty, they smell good too. Pick some stems and bring them indoors to perfume the house and lift your spirits.
Daphne Perfume Princess is a lovely compact shrub which grows to around 1 metre high. Good for the back of the border, or for the edge of a woodland planting scheme. They’re not the cheapest plant to buy, but are well worth the investment if you want winter interest.
Silver Birch Trees
Winter interest in the garden should never be confined to ground level. Plant something that will draw your eye upwards so that you can appreciate the sky. Winter skies are fascinating with changing cloud patterns and some really dramatic shades of blue (and are!)
Silver Birch are great trees for gardens. Their summer foliage is fine and filigree, so they don’t cast heavy shade. Trunks are slim – they don’t take up much room. And once the tree has developed it’s pale coloured bark, oh boy! Do these look amazing with garden lighting?!
In winter time, the structure of the tree and its bare branches looks spectacular, especially when lit from below. Or, why not create a winter wonderland by stringing fairy lights in the tree. Fairy lights are not just for Christmas!
Hellebore – the Christmas Rose
Just between you and I, Hellebores are one of my favourite foliage plants. They’re low to the ground and have big exotic-looking leaves all year round. It’s winter time though when they produce those classic Christmas-card-worthy flowers.
Choose from a range of colours from the whitest of whites to the pinkest of pinks. Or, if you fancy something ‘different’ take a look at Hellebore Harvington Lime. For maximum impact, cut the foliage back when the plant starts to flower. Don’t worry, it’ll soon grow new leaves.
https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/helleborus–hybridus-harvington-lime/classid.2000016550/
Cordeline Charlie Boy
Take a look at my portfolio of gardens and you’ll see how much I like exotic looking plants. Cordeline Charlie Boy is an absolute beauty. With long strappy leaves in a rich red colour, it really does stand out from the crowd.
Cordelines can be a wee bit sensitive to really sharp frosts, but here in Somerset we usually have fairly mild winters so if you like the look of it, go ahead and plant one. Don’t forget to add lighting for extra drama.
Hamamelis – aka Witch Hazel
I do like these trees for winter interest and for autumn colour. Hamamelis flowers are a fascinating shape and appear directly from the bare stems in January or February. They have a delicate, almost spicy scent to them. Lovely.
Fatsia Japonica – The Castor Oil Plant
I couldn’t talk about plants for winter interest without mentioning Fatsia japonica. Its one of those plants that can make you feel as though you are in the middle of the jungle, even though it’s freezing cold.
Huge, deep green shiny leaves stay on the plant all year round. Unless of course, you pick some to use in your indoor flower arrangements. Looks great with bamboos and/or ornamental grasses.
Evergreen Ferns
If you enjoy a walk in the woods as much as I do, you may be forgiven for thinking that ferns die back in autumn time. Bracken certainly does, but bracken is not the only fern. Search online for the Asian Sabre Fern, or the Button Fern, both have fascinating leaf shapes. Or, try my favourite, Polypodium vulgare, its tough and its lovely and only 30cm high, so great for the front of the border or for edging a path.
Topiary
Topiary is THE classic way to create winter interest with plants. From box balls in pots to full-on living sculptures like Monty Don’s topiary Nigel, there’s a real joy in creating shapes with shrubs.
The next time I’m in Suffolk, I’ve promised myself a trip to Kentwell Hall where the story of the Pied Piper has been recreated as a topiary hedge. Now there’s a sight!
Are You Struggling To Find Winter Interest In Your Garden?
Book a consultation with me, Daniel Richards to discuss how a garden makeover could help you make more of your outdoor spaces in the winter months. We can chat about layouts, lighting, shelter, movement, safety and creating spectacular views to enjoy from inside your home.
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