INDEX gardening Stars of the winter show
Having the right vision is one of the most important things about gardening, says Steve Edney as he wraps up warm and ventures forth…
he garden might seem as though it’s gone to sleep through the short and bitterly cold days of January. There are so many plants that respond to the shortening days and the cold weather and there are few better or more well known than the dogwood family (Cornus spp). This versatile family includes natives to the British Isles and there are not as many native trees and shrubs as you would think. Most are introductions by man - they are trees like (cornus controversa ‘variegata’), shrubs (cornus Alba), groundcover (cornus Canadensis) and a few woody based perennials. Many are grown for their showy fl owers (which are not fl owers at all but modifi ed leaves called bracts) some for their variegated leaves or for autumn colours. But the stems of these
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plants are the stars of the winter show for so many reasons, not least because they come in red but also yellow, orange, black, silvery-white or combinations of those colours. Cornus Alba ‘sibirica’ has almost unbelievable red stems in winter and although most cornus look interesting in winter without leaves, some like this one stand out above the rest for not being too fussy where it grows. It copes with shade and poor conditions as well as heavy soils. The books will tell you that it does best on rich neutral to acidic soil, but in our garden at
The Salutation they cope well with dry poor conditions that are alkaline in places. Having said this, our soil is deep so I would not recommend them on thin soil with underlying chalk and you can’t prune them as hard but otherwise they do admirably. Now, if you want the best
from the albas, cut them back annually to a desired height (you can even cut them to the fl oor) to encourage new growth which is the brightest red because, as the stems age, they lose the intensity of colour and that’s what you want from them. However,
Jobs this month
Start planning for the summer now by making a wish list of plants you want to grow from seed catalogues. I can’t think of anything better than being in
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front of an open fi re looking at pictures and salivating over all the new plants I would like to have and how I might use them together. It will help you remain
enthusiastic about your garden even if you’re not brave (or stupid) enough to be out there. Enjoy thinking more than doing your garden and
remember the best gardens are those whose owners love them. These gardens begin in the way you think about gardening – having the right vision.
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don’t do this until March. This species also has white fl owers in the summer, often followed by white berries hence the ‘Alba’ in the name meaning white, which it what gives it true year-round interest.
Visiting
The Secret Gardens at The Salutation, Knightrider St, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9EW are open to the public seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm. See www.
the-secretgardens.co.uk.
The INDEX magazine January 2012
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