This time last year we had an early winter - this year is the opposite! We have had a very mild November which means that late-flowering plants such as grasses have not yet caught the frost. However, most of the leaves have fallen, so we are left with the evergreen plants to provide interest and structure in the garden. The third winter sculpture trail has been put in place, giving visitors the chance to see how art in the garden adds to the winter scene.
Acer capillipes is the aptly-named snake bark maple, the bark being streaked green and white. Now that the leaves have fallen, bark and stems have become more obvious and these are now one of the most attractive features of the garden. This is a small deciduous tree and the dark green leaves turn a vivid red in autumn. At Rosemoor we have it in the Rock Gully where it is happily established in a sheltered position.
Acer griseum, the paper-bark maple, is another tree with wonderfully characteristic bark. As its name suggests, this maple has peeling orange-brown, paper-like bark which peels back revealing a shiny, smooth and irresistibly tactile surface beneath. This tree also has good orange/red autumn colour. We have it dotted around the garden including the Winter Garden, the drive beds in Lady Anne’s Garden and in the Woodland Walk.
Fatsia japonica AGM is a wonderful plant to give an exotic look to a border and given a sheltered spot, it will survive the winter perfectly happily. The leaves might become damaged in hard frosts but will recover provided the roots are protected. It is the large glossy leaves that give it the exotic look with the added bonus that the plant is shade tolerant. At this time of year it flowers, producing creamy white pompoms on the end of long stalks. We grow it in the shelter of the retaining wall beds below the Visitors’ Centre and in the West Country Town Garden where it provides interest during the winter months.
Camellia 'Cornish Snow' always succeeds in gladdening the heart with its pure white blooms at a time of year when everything else seems to be turning brown. This evergreen shrub provides structure in the border during the rest of the year and the shiny dark green leaves catch the winter sun. We have planted it where it can be protected from the early morning sun that will damage the blooms - in the Winter Garden, Rock Gully and Upper Woodland Walk.
Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' is grown for its autumn colour and, at this time of year, the shiny red winter stems. Plant in full sun to get the best winter colour but otherwise it tolerates a wide range of conditions. To get the plant to produce numerous fresh shots, cut back the stems to within three buds of the base in early spring. At Rosemoor it grows in open sites in the Lake area and in the Shubbery.
Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens' is always one of our best hollies, and can be relied upon to produce abundant fruit, but this year it has surpassed itself. It makes a fine specimen plant in the Lower Shrubbery along with both deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees including other hollies in the National Collection held at Rosemoor. It can also be found in the Rock Gully and the Woodland Walk. The smooth scarlet berries (which will soon be devoured by birds) contrast with the shiny, dark green leaves.
The berries of Skimmia japonica 'Bowles's Dwarf Female' seem to be among the last to be devoured by the birds. We have it tucked away in a shady spot in the Winter Garden next to the path. This is a small evergreen plant perfect for a shady border or a woodland garden, performing best in shade and humus-rich, moist soil. When the frost does come, each leaf will be picked out in white and the berries will look as though they have been dusted with icing sugar.