Winter Interest

Affectionately known as the Snowdrop Anemone, Anemone sylvestris is a charming perennial with satiny white flowers. Blooming in spring, the buds emerge on bent stems, dangling downwards like snowdrops. As the flowers start to open the stems straighten and the flowers face outwards to soak up the spring sunshine and attract pollinators to its scented flowers.

Amazon Mist is a graceful ornamental grass with arching silver white evergreen foliage, each ending with a slight curl. The flowing mounds of fine textured are lovely spilling over slopes and walls. It adds colour and texture to both summer and autumn displays.

Carex pendula is a woodland plant of considerable charm with long arching leaves and erect stems that bear long drooping green flowers. Suitable for full sun, in shade, wet or dry, it is a great plant for tough conditions, it will even tolerate heavy soil and permanently wet soil.

Carex Prairie Fire is an outstanding specimen plant. A very ornamental grass, in full sun the fine leaved foliage erupts into colour like burning embers. In late summer, panicles of rosy flowers appear just above the foliage. For glorious colour, plant in full sun to partial shade.

Actaea cordifolia comes into its own late in the season, when multiple stiff and stout stems emerge from the base of the plant. It displays impressive long racemes of chalky-white blooms that are composed of numerous, tiny individual star-like, fragrant flowers.

Actaea simplex is a spectacular plant. With long, fluffy spires in pale pinkish-white that seem to float in mid-air. Stunning when grown in groups, while single plants have good specimen value, they add architectural height and late summer bloom to the back of a shady border.

Actaea simplex 'Atropurpurea' is an exceptionally beautiful selection, valued for its large Astilbe-like leaves of purple black. Its dark hue makes a wonderful backdrop for colourful foliage and flowering shade plants. In late summer, long, fluffy spires in pale pinkish-white, rise above the dark foliage.

This unusual pink form of pampas grass with tall, pink-flushed, feathery plumes is a real show stopper. In midsummer spectacular plumes erupt above the foliage. The show continues into winter as the feathery plumes persist and the foliage turns golden brown when touched by frost.

Cortaderia selloana 'White Feather' - Pampas Grasses are the ultimate architectural plant, adding texture, autumn colour and winter shapes in the landscape. Relatively easy to grow, this plant flowers throughout late summer and autumn. It will provide colour and interest for many years.

What gardener with a heart and soul could resist the spring flowers of Corydalis, whose winged petals with upswept spurs suggest a flight of elfin butterflies. These woodland ephemerals are highly useful at the front of the border, with miniature bulbs such as crocus, muscari or scillas.

Cyclamen graecum are appreciated for their wonderful rosettes of superbly marbled leaves. The markings of which are infinitely variable and include some of the most striking patterns and vivid colour combinations. The flowers have a magenta blotch at the base and are veined in red.

Cyclamen persicum, often referred to as the Florist's Cyclamen are widely available at florists or stores throughout autumn and winter months. ‘Giant Flowered Mix’ has sweet scented flowers that are held upright above the foliage. Colours include light pink, deep pink, white and red.

Fullers Teasel a sub-species of the common teasel. The bristly flower heads were cultivated, matured and dried. Inserted into wooden frames, they were used to bulk up the pile on woolen cloth. The variant name 'fullonum' refers to the name of the trade of the 'fullers' to raise the nap on woolen cloth - to 'tease' it. Teasel is still used today by some who weave wool by hand.

The wildflower, Teasel can grow to six feet tall and is an architectural wonder when in full bloom. It is primarily a native of roadsides, rough pastures and rural fields. Perfect for attracting wildlife to your garden, especially bees and butterflies and is famously associated with small birds, especially goldfinches, who love to feed on the seed.