|
 |
Decor Gardenworld |
The last couple of weeks have been less than ideal for doing anything
outside!!! However, now is a really good time to give your garden and outdoor
living areas the critical eye.
If
you are looking out to a garden that is completely bare of colour, then perhaps
you need to brighten it up? There are plenty of gorgeous plants that can used
to do this from colourful flowering annuals like Polyanthus, Primulas, Pansies
and the likes right through to flowering deciduous and evergreen trees.
In
addition to flowers, Foliage colour is just as, if not more effective in
providing good colour. It is important to look at, and plan your garden so it
has interest year round. So, get out there and analyse what looks good and what
doesn’t, then come up with a plan of attack.
One
of the things that I find most helpful is if, when you are driving around you
take note of what is showing either good colour or flower. There are always
certain trees that stand out. Take, for instance the Beautiful big flowering
tree opposite the QE2 Centre near Memorial Park. This is in full flower now and
is incredibly fragrant. If you have a big garden this would certainly add to
its atmosphere. (By the way the tree is called Michealia doltsopa ‘Silver
Cloud’) If your garden is small then you could use plants from the same
family that grow to a smaller size.
If
you want some stunning flowering trees then now is the time to plant the
wonderful flowering Magnolias. They flower when the branches are bare and show
out beautifully against the winter sky. Some of the flowers can be as large as
diner plates such as those on Magnolia Felix. For more intense colour go for
Magnolia Vulcan or Black Tulip.
Winter
is wonderful really, with the arrival of the fabulous fragrant daphnes (both
white and pink), new season fruit trees like apples, pears. apricots, peaches
plums, nectarines and cherries. Plant these now so they are ready to grow in
the spring, and before you know it you will be picking your own flavoursome
fruit. Other plants that can be used at this time of the year to give your
garden some life include Camellias. Many of these flower for months and those
with the smaller blooms withstand the wind and rain of the winter very well. In
addition they create a great backbone to the garden, so you can’t go wrong.
You
will see the first of the flowering cherries out now too. This is one called Prunus
campanulata “Felix Jury”, or the Tui tree. Yes the Tui’s absolutely love
them, so if you want the birds in your place then plant a Tui tree now.
Well
those are just a few of the ideas that we have for brightening up your winter
garden in the plant department.
Enjoy
and get growing.
Ginny
Clark,
Décor Gardenworld – Moffat
Road, Bethlehem. |
