Annie Godfrey, 19 November 2024
We had a good number of members and visitors for this really excellent and comprehensive talk by Annie Godfrey who is the owner of Daisy Roots, a garden centre in Hertford. Winter is her second favourite season, after Autumn. She made the initial comment that it is good to get outside in the Winter to look at things in your garden which is very true.
Her first slide was of a plant pot containing shrubs and evergreens which look good all the year round.
The following are the plants and shrubs which she recommends for colour in the garden in the winter months:
Hellebore, Ivy and Skimmia: all these have colours which shine in Winter
Euphorbia amygdaloides has a spiral arrangement of leaves which are lime green. A note of caution: the sap from this plant can burn the skin and is very painful to the eye.
Euphorbia silver swan has beautiful variegated green leaves
Hardy cyclamen: hederifolium which has Ivy shaped leaves and likes dry shady spots (Anglesey Abbey has a good display of these)
Arum Italicum which produces flowers as its leaves die down and then berries
Fatsia Japonica – flowers for Christmas- produces clusters of black berries and is generally a pretty tough plant
Ivy, Hedera colchica
Ophiopogon nigrescens Black Beard is fantastic with cyclamen coming up through it
Acer davidii Viper (snake bark maple tree) with ornamental bark
Rubus cockburnianus “Goldenvale” – the stems should be taken down to the ground in early spring.
Cornus sanguinea midwinter fire (dogwood), lovely fire like colours
Cornus Alba Sibirica, bright red stems, should be cut down in the spring to encourage growth.
Cornus stolonifera
Salix Alba Britzensis has orange stems
Salix gracilistyla mount aso has pink catkins in late winter and early spring. Should be pruned very early in the spring.
Viburnum opulus has lots of red berries
Viburnum davidii produces deep blue berries if pollinated
Cotoneaster Cornubia is smothered in red berries
Cotoneaster Rothschildianus has yellow berries
Winter bulbs in pots: there are seasonal pot displays at John Massey’s Ashwood Nurseries Kingswinford West Midlands
Crocus tommasinianus flowers in early February
Eranthus hyemalis (Winter aconite), lovely yellow flowers if you can persuade it to grow
Ranunculus ficaria “Brazen Hussy” lesser celandine – has variegated leaves
Iris reticulata – lovely blue flowers, but not suitable for clay soil
Iris unguicularis – a very tough plant
Hellebore orientalis hybrids, hellebore lividus (from the Mediterranean)
Hellebore Anna’s red
Hellebore argutifolius – tall stem with clusters of flowers on the top
Sarcocca hookeriana – large bushy shrubs which should be kept out of the sun, flower in the winter and have good scent
Chimonanthus praecox (wintersweet)
Chaenomeles – Japanese flowering quince
Ribes laurifolium the laurel leaved currant
Edgeworthia grandifloria – yellow flower
Viburnum bodnantense Charles Lamont pinkish white flower
Daphne bholua “Jacqueline postill” – ever green – strong scent – from Nepal, an expensive plant and does not like to be moved
Mahonia “Winter Sun” a good winter shrub with bright yellow flowers
Hamamelis Mollis or Witchhazel
Some gardens to visit in the winter months : Cambridge botanic gardens, Benington lordship, Anglesey Abbey, further afield Hyde Hall near Chelmsford and Hillier arboretum in Hampshire.
It was very helpful that on all the slides the names of the plants were displayed so that this report can be accurate (the spelling has been checked on the internet)
On Tuesday 17th December at 7.30 p.m. we have our Christmas party which will have (with good food and drink) a demonstration of making flower arrangements for the Christmas table. This meeting is open to all members and visitors and everyone will be made welcome.
New members and visitors are always welcome: for £5 per meeting you will get a choice of delicious cake and tea or coffee, an informative talk and the opportunity to question an expert in her or his field. The annual fee for the year 2025 will be £40
Charles Duchenne
