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 Adding Winter Colour To Your Garden
01 January 2004
To get colour in the garden at this time of year usually depends on foliage colours however there is a possibility of some flowers. A very popular shrub that is going to provide a really good splash of colour is Mahonia. The evergreen shiny foliage can be covered at the top with spikes of bright yellow flowers, which can last from December through to February.
Popular varieties to look out for are Mahonia ‘Charity’ or ‘Winter Sun’. Another additional bonus is a slight fragrance and the blue-black berries that follow the flowering.
In general Mahonias are very hardy, any reasonable garden soil will be OK and they will thrive in a shady aspect in the garden. It is also possible to grow them in a container however use a reasonably large container, as they are capable of getting 5-6ft tall. Pruning is not necessary however it is possible to keep the plant to the size you require by cutting back in April.
Another shrub that is worthy of a mention is Viburnum
x bodnantense. The Viburnum family consists of many varieties all of which have different qualities however bodnantense will provide clusters of pale pink flowers, which are richly fragrant. The flowers are extremely frost resistant and are capable of adding that magical touch of spring-like blossom to a winter garden. An excellent variety to consider planting is ‘Dawn’; it has superseded some of the older varieties.
Ideal conditions for the Viburnum are, rich soil in sun or light shade. Pruning is not necessary however any damaged or unwanted branches can be removed after flowering.
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