Plants with colourful bark and stems, such as Cornus, come to the fore in winter when they brighten up borders with their vivid colours, made more intense by the cold.
Ilex x altaclerensis 'Lawsoniana' is an evergreen holly that provides wonderful structure and form in the garden in winter. This species has foliage with irregular splashes of gold and light green with darker green margins which are complemented by the rich red berries.
Cornus alba 'Sibirica' AGM is one of the best dogwoods for winter stem colour and to produce this it needs to be pruned hard in the spring - the new growth will turn shades of bright red the following winter. This Cornus looks particularly good grown amongst ornamental grasses and low growing plants such as Bergenia or Ophiopogon which add interest at the front of the border around the base of its stems.
Salix alba var. vitellina 'Britzensis' is a willow that produces brightly coloured stems in winter, which add fantastic structure and texture to the border. Willows should be cut hard back in the spring if they are being grown for their stem colour as it is the young stems that are intensively coloured. This variety produces vigorous stems of rich red, yellow and orange.
Jasminum nudiflorum or winter jasmine, is a deciduous shrub with arching, slender stems that can be grown as a low shrub or against a wall or fence, where it will need support as it is not self-clinging. It bears bright yellow flowers along the stems during winter and is a useful shrub as it tolerates a wide variety of tough conditions.