Well I knew I had spoken too soon. What fantastic frosts and a really, really cold spell has crept up on us. The difference it is making is not only to the gardens we look after, but to ourselves. It is a joy to wake up with sun and blue sky as opposed to grey skies and pouring rain. You don't need to suffer from SAD to feel depressed and blue when there is unremitting grey rain.
And it is with this colder weather and the leaves off the trees that some of our winter plants come into their own. One of my favourites is Cornus Midwinter Fire. The fantastic orangey red colour of the twigs stand out like neon lights without the covering of their leaves. It looks awful when you first plant it. The leaves look yellowy and can be prone to frosting. Leave the plant unpruned for two years to let it get establihsed and then prune back hard every late spring. The result wil be these gloriously stunning coloured stems. The Lonicera is an unsightly, spreading-itself-everywhere, type of plant. However the small honeysuckle flowers scent up the cold winter air with a lovely lemony fragrance. Plant it at the back of a border or in a shrubbery that you walk past. Sarcococca is more of a jasmine-scented plant that can be overpowering if too many are planted together. But in a small group it has a wonderful fragrance that lasts as it ages.
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