Joe has a shopping-list of suggestions for your winter garden (Image: Getty Images)
The dreary days of February might be a challenge for British gardeners, but Gardeners’ World expert Joe Swift has some top tips to keep your spirits up during the drizzly weather. He suggests that there’s plenty to do indoors, like sowing seeds for tomatoes and chilli peppers in preparation for spring.
Moreover, he points out that certain flowers can add a pop of colour to your view from the kitchen window. Joe has curated a list of vibrant blooms that promise to inject some cheer into the gloomy February and early March landscape.
“Some, such as winter-flowering viburnums, daphnes and sarcococca, have fabulous fragrance,” he shares with the Daily Mail, “and others, such as hellebores and snowdrops, are worth getting down on your hands and knees to admire the intricacies of each flower.”
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Snowdrops are a winter classic (Image: Getty Images)
Among his recommended winter classics are snowdrops, which he assures will brighten your day. He also advises ordering and planting them ‘in the green’ at this time.
For those who adore snowdrops, known technically as galanthophiles, Joe offers a clever trick: attach a small mirror to the end of a stick to admire these delicate blooms without the discomfort of kneeling on the damp soil.
Joe suggests that White forsythia could be another excellent choice. Its delicate light pink star-shaped flowers have a delightful scent and are “ideal for cutting a few stems for a scented arrangement indoors,” he says.
Hellebores are a great option for this time of year – but be mindful of where they’re planted (Image: Getty Images)
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A little more hard work, but worth every moment is the Paper Bush (Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Grandiflora’).
You may need to pack a little fleece around the plant for frost protection, but, Joe adds: “The rewards of seeing one in full flower, however, with large clusters of clove-scented yellow flowers, makes the preparation and care well worth the effort.”
Other good options for winter garden colour include winter-flowering viburnums, daphnes and sarcococca, which will all also bring a welcome scent to your garden, and as well as hellebores, which are classic plants for a little winter interest, coming in shades of green, white, pink or ruby.
The Paper Bush may require a little TLC, but its flowers will repay your effort (Image: Getty Images)
Hellebores will do best in fertile, evenly moist soil, although they should be fine in most soil types. Plan ahead when it comes to placement, though.
Full sun can scorch Hellebore’s leaves in summer. Placement is always important with winter-flowering plants, Joe stresses: “Make sure they’re somewhere you will fully appreciate them, such as by the back door, or as part of a composition when viewed through a window, or perhaps in a front garden where they will be seen, appreciated and even sniffed daily by passers-by.”