Every gardener's ambition should be to introduce plants that provide something of interest in the garden every day of the year. If you have sufficient space, it is possible to have a plant flowering every day of the year, and although this might be desirable, flowers are not the only, nor even the main, attraction of many plants.
When climbers or wall shrubs are being sited it is important to remember that the plants will have a certain amount of forward spread, and if such a plant is in a narrow border next to a path, it can impede easy passage when the plant is fully developed. A Garrya elliptica, for example, can spread forward by as much as 2m (6ft) in as little as two or three years, and reducing such a plant by pruning will substantially (kininish its overall effect. Blending the shapes and sizes of all the plants in a garden is crucial to the overall design and the effect that can he achieved. However, planting architectural conifers so that they grow together should be avoided.
A bold carpet planting or a plant that tumbles down a bank or wall can be pretty whether in flower or not, and even the twining effect of a climbing plant like wisteria as it makes its way skywards to cover even greater areas can be spectacular. Winter flowers are always a delight, of course, but winter stems and the effect of winter sunlight can be as startling and attractive as any summer flowers. Management by pruning is required to produce the best stems, but it is worth the effort.
Evergreen foliage of all kinds has always been important because it brings solidity and structure. Dark green foliage helps to show off other, lighter types, and many flowering, plants can be seen to their best against a dark backdrop. In winter the stems of birch (Betula) stand out wonderfully against a background of (lark green conifers. Gold- or silver-variegated evergreen plants can add colour and interest in their own right throughout the year, but in winter they come into their own, catching whatever winter sunshine there is and providing interest in the form of colour, contrast and shape. Finally, the value of evergreen plants to wildlife, especially as safe roosting places and, later, nesting sites for birds should never be underestimated.
As spring unfolds in the garden, leaf shape and form begin to reveal themselves. Delicate new leaves open, bringing freshness and dainty shapes in such variety that it seem as if the patterns and colours are unlimited. These are followed by flowers, which never fail to amaze with their diversity of colours.
One solution to this problem is to intersperse slow-growing plants with quicker, maybe shorter-lived perennials, so that a long-term effect can be achieved without any gaps in the planting being apparent while the main plants
When climbers or wall shrubs are being sited it is important to remember that the plants will have a certain amount of forward spread, and if such a plant is in a narrow border next to a path, it can impede easy passage when the plant is fully developed. A Garrya elliptica, for example, can spread forward by as much as 2m (6ft) in as little as two or three years, and reducing such a plant by pruning will substantially (kininish its overall effect. Blending the shapes and sizes of all the plants in a garden is crucial to the overall design and the effect that can he achieved. However, planting architectural conifers so that they grow together should be avoided.
A bold carpet planting or a plant that tumbles down a bank or wall can be pretty whether in flower or not, and even the twining effect of a climbing plant like wisteria as it makes its way skywards to cover even greater areas can be spectacular. Winter flowers are always a delight, of course, but winter stems and the effect of winter sunlight can be as startling and attractive as any summer flowers. Management by pruning is required to produce the best stems, but it is worth the effort.
Evergreen foliage of all kinds has always been important because it brings solidity and structure. Dark green foliage helps to show off other, lighter types, and many flowering, plants can be seen to their best against a dark backdrop. In winter the stems of birch (Betula) stand out wonderfully against a background of (lark green conifers. Gold- or silver-variegated evergreen plants can add colour and interest in their own right throughout the year, but in winter they come into their own, catching whatever winter sunshine there is and providing interest in the form of colour, contrast and shape. Finally, the value of evergreen plants to wildlife, especially as safe roosting places and, later, nesting sites for birds should never be underestimated.
As spring unfolds in the garden, leaf shape and form begin to reveal themselves. Delicate new leaves open, bringing freshness and dainty shapes in such variety that it seem as if the patterns and colours are unlimited. These are followed by flowers, which never fail to amaze with their diversity of colours.
One solution to this problem is to intersperse slow-growing plants with quicker, maybe shorter-lived perennials, so that a long-term effect can be achieved without any gaps in the planting being apparent while the main plants
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