Looking good in January
Colourful bark and stems shine in the winter sunshine this month and many of the shrubs that flower at this time of year are scented, adding another dimension to a winter walk. Come on a frosty morning and enjoy the frosted foliage; the Winter Garden is looking its best now. Our sculpture trail continues to the end of February - see works of art throughout the garden, most of which are for sale.
This lovely Camellia x williamsii 'Saint Ewe' started flowering before Christmas but hopefully will continue well into January. The clear rose-pink petals surround bright yellow stamens which truly light up a shady corner. This plant loves our acidic, humus rich soil in the Stone Garden and the Winter Garden and we have planted it to provide winter interest among other, later flowering shrubs.
Cornus alba 'Sibirica' is one of the best Cornus cultivars for winter colour. Bright red stems shine in the low winter light and if there is a frost then the effect is magical. We have it planted in groups in the winter garden where it works well with the golden yellow winter shoots of Salix alba var. vitellina 'Britzensis' AGM and underplantings of snowdrops.
The winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis, is a little ray of sunshine that generally prefers soil that is more alkaline than ours at Rosemoor; however it has managed to colonise areas of the Winter Garden and Lady Anne’s arborertum. The bright yellow flowers nestle in a ruff of bright green leaves in damp, shady areas around deciduous trees. In the Winter Garden we have planted it with pale blue-pink Pulmonaria angustifolia 'Azurea' which will start to show before the yellow flowers fade completely.
Galanthus 'Atkinsii' AGM is such a useful winter bulb that we have planted it throughout the garden. It is especially striking in drifts beneath the red and yellow Cornus around the lake and in the Winter Garden. The narrow glaucous leaves are followed by slender elongated flowers which have a heart-shaped green mark at the tip of each inner petal.
Garrya elliptica 'James Roof' can easily be forgiven for its dark evergreen foliage when its long grey-green tassels appear in January. These are the male catkins and are produced through to early spring. At Rosemoor, we have it growing against the visitor centre wall in the car park where it is sheltered from cold wind; impressing our visitors with its unusual appearance.
Not long after the fall of the intensely yellow leaves in autumn, this large shrub produces its next spectacle; a profusion of fragrant, spidery, sulphur-yellow flowers borne on bare branches in mid and late winter. Another woodlander, Hamamelis japonica 'Sulphurea' thrives in the Winter Garden with other Hamamelis cultivars which are equally useful in a mixed shrub border.
Helleborus foetidus AGM has the common name ‘stinking hellebore’ because of its unpleasant smell when the foliage is crushed. Yet this British native is a garden worthy plant as shown by its AGM status. It does well in heavy soil in partial shade so we use it to fill in spaces throughout the garden to add winter interest in the border.
Prunus mume 'Omoi-no-mama' is covered in a froth of white bowl-shaped, semi-double, pink-flushed flowers on bare shoots in late winter and early spring. It is a beautiful small shrubby tree and forms a striking focal point in our Herb Garden at Rosemoor.
Rubus thibetanus, or the ghost bramble, is one of many plants at Rosemoor that exhibit interesting stems. The prickly stems are conspicuously white bloomed during the winter. It can be found in the shrub borders in the Winter Garden, the Spiral Garden and in the West Country Town Garden.
The bright pink buds that open into paler pink flowers on Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' are a welcome sight on a dreary January day, and the lovely fragrance is an added bonus. This upright, deciduous shrub is perfect for a woodland garden - plant it near a pathway where the fragrance can be best appreciated. At Rosemoor it is in the Cottage Garden, the Winter Garden, in the Stream Field Garden and the Lake area.