Winter flowers and winter colour

Viburnum farreri 'Candidissimum'

Mahinia x media 'Charity'

Mahonia japonica

Ilex aquifolium 'Gold King'

Fatsia japonica

Iris unguicularis 'Walter Butt'

Daphne laureola ssp. phillippii

Viburnum grandiflorum

Abelia x grandiflora

Gaultheria semi-infera

25 Plants List

Quercus ilex

Dimensions: Up to 27m high, round headed

Growing conditions: Well drained soil. Does well in exposed conditions, especially coastal

Hort Use: Good windbreak. Specimen tree.

Taxus baccata

Dimensions: up to 15m but very spreading.

Growing conditions: Frost hardy. Tolerates heavy shade and chalky soil. Does not like warm winters or hot summers

Hort Use: Specimen plant. Hedges.

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'

Dimensions: 25cm high, 30cm wide

Growing conditions: Frost hardy. Tolerates sun or part shade. Well drained soil.

Hort use: Front of beds. Container plant.

Laurus nobilis

Dimensions: up to 12m high, 9m wide. Pyrimidal in habit.

Growing conditions: Sun or Part shade. Has Greedy roots so plant away from less vigorous plants.

Hort Use: Hedging. Specimen/topiary

Galanthus nivalis

Dimensions: 15cm

Growing conditions:Best in cold climates, very frost hardy. Part shade, or full sun in coldest climates. Rich moist well drained soil.

Hort Use: In woodland planting, rockeries or cut flowers.

Ilex aquifolium

Dimensions: up to 15m high

Growing conditions: Very hardy, tolerant of industrial pollution and sea exposure

Hort use: Barrier hedge, Specimen plant.

Cotoneaster horizontalis

Dimensions: 3m x 1m Spreading/ matt forming

Growing conditions: Full sun for best berries, or semi shade. Any soil but not waterlogged.

Hort Use: Good ground or wall cover

Buxus sempervirens

Dimensions: Up to 9m high, but commonly 1-1.8m in gardens

Growing Conditions: Well drained fertile soil. Sun or semi shade.

Hort Use: Hedge or Topiary.

Araucaria araucana

Dimensions: 24m high. Trunk diameter: 1.2m

Growing conditions: Hardy. Likes cool misty summers.

Hort Use: Architectural contrast, open site.

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Garnet'

Dimensions: 2m high x 3m spread.

Growing conditions: Requires some shelter from north and east. Moisture retentive soil.

Hort Use: Good for containers and bonsai-ing

Acer griseum

Dimensions: 9m x 9m

Growing conditions: Moist well drained soil. Sun or partial shade.

Hort Use: Specimen tree

Ulex europaeus

Dimensions: Broadly spreading shrub reaching 1.8m in height

Growing conditions: Full Sun, frost hardy. Tolerant of salty winds and sandy soils

Hort Use: Hedgrow or mixed shrub border. Attractive to bees

Sarcococca confusa

Dimensions: Up to 1.8m high, 1m wide

Growing conditions: Needs protection from wind. Moist well drained soil, can tolerate dry places. Deep or semi shade.

Hort use: Good as a low hedge near a door or entrance - scented.

Lonicera standishii

Dimensions: Up to 1.8m high

Growing conditions: Easily grow in sun or light shade. Not fussy about soil.

Hort Use: Winter flowering/interest. mixed border.

Helleborus argutifolia

Dimensions: Clump forming, 60cm high, 60-90cm wide

Growing conditions: This var. is fairly sun and drought tolerant. Usually Hellebores like moist, well drained soil and part shade.

Hort Use: Winter/Spring flowering. Herbaceous border.

Garrya elliptica

Dimensions: 2.5-8m High, and wide.

Growing conditions: Tolerates porr or dry soil. Full sun or partial shade

Hort Use: North facing wall.

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae

Dimensions: up to 90cm upright. Spread 30cm.

Growing conditions: Hardy in all but coldest regions. Tolerates poor dry soils, Full sun/partial shade.

Hort Use: Shady areas. Spring flowers in Herbaceous border.

Corylus avellana 'Contorta'

Dimensions:Up to 3m high and wide.

Growing conditions: Any well drained fertile soil. Sun or semi shade.

Hort use: Twisted stems and yellow catkins add winter interest to mixed border. Or specimen tree in small garden.

Cornus mas

Dimensions: 5m high and spread

Growing conditions: Rich fertile well drained soil. Full sun or part shade.

Hort use: Good specimen tree in woodland garden. Winter colour.

Cedrus deodora

Dimensions: 30m high and wide (up to 60m in wild)

Growing conditions: Full sun. Well drained soil. Moderately acid alkaline only

Hort use: Long term Parkland or Arboretum plant

Cedrus atlantica

Dimensions: Broadly flat topped tree up to 30m+

Growing conditions: un, Well drained soil. Moderately cool climate

Hort Use: Long term planting in Parklands (huge)

Berberis darwinii

Dimensions: 3m x 3m

Growing conditions: Any soil but not waterlogged. Full sun.

Hort use: Vandall resistant/ barrier hedge

Aucuba japonica 'Crotonifolia'

Dimensions: 3m x 3m

Growing conditions: Full sun (for best foliage markings), or shade. Well drained soil

Hort use: Informal hedge

Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'

Dimensions: Dense thicket of slender stems (when coppiced) 2m high x 4m wide.

Growing conditions: Ideal for moist or wet conditions. Full sun.

Hort use: Good next to pond, or in bog garden. Winter interest.

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Barmstedt Gold'

Dimensions: 4m x 4m

Growing conditions: Full sun or partial shade. Moist but well drained soil. Tolerates humus rich soils over chalk.

Hort use: Winter colour and scent.

Autumn Colour and Fruit

Sorbus "Joseph Rock"

• Butter yellow berries
• Small pinnate leaves that turn peachy to deep red
• Named after Joseph Rock, 20th century plant collector

Fothergila major

• Possible Extra
• Very similar to Parrotia persica but can be told apart by flowers that have white stamens instead of red anthers and the leaves are slightly shorter than Parrotia persica.
• Mid rib on leaves is slightly to one side (on both plants)

Viburnum betulifolium

• Deciduous shrub
• Translucent bright red berries look like red currants (not eaten by the birds)
• Flowers in May

Acer palmatum

• Palmate leaves turn cherry red in Autumn, petioles same colour

Dipteronia sinensis

• Pinnate leaves, long softly serrate leaflets
• Leaves look like Neem but thinner and lighter green
• Fruits like round helicopters, flat and appear in clusters

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

• Birds feet claw like buds
• Little green mini bean pods bits form in clusters out of nodes
• Rounded leaves hang down and turn pale yellow and pink to red.

Parrotia persica

• Leaves turn yellow and red on same leaves
• Off centre mid-rib like Fothergila major
• Flowers have clusters of red anthers
• Buds are dark brown, suede texture, roundish.

Mespilus germanica

• "Medler"
• Friuts can be eaten if left to blet/rot or if cooked
• Long downy leaves
• Noticeable difference between old wood and new wood, new wood is covered in downy hairs
• Yellow foliage in Autumn

Photinia davidiana

• Leaves are long, waxy and arch along mid rib. The margin is slightly undulate
• Petiole join sheaths are dark crimson
• Berries are completely matt, salmony red.

Fascicularia bicolor

• One of the only hardy plants in the Bromeliaceae family (Bilburgia is another one)
• Red centre foliage gets brighter in Autumn
• Likes good drainage and shelter
• Evergreen

Malus yunnanensis

• Russet coloured fruits, larger than berries.
• Larger matt leaves, serrate.

Skimmia japonica

• Best in shade, if grown in sun goes yellow
• Smooth dark green leaves, entire margins, grow in whorls
• Flowers white/pink

Sorbus alnifolia

• Leaves like an "Alder", papery and shallowly double serrate
• Veins parallel diagonal from mid rib
• Brown pointy buds, not as long as fagus
• small red fruits, not spherical, slightly oval

Sorbus aff. vilmorinii

• Smaller pinnate leaves, many leaflets that turn dark rusty burgundy in Autumn
• Creamy white fruits in clusters

Sorbus hupehensis

• Leaves have bigger leaflets than vilmorinii
• Serrate at tip half, dark bluey green, soft paler underside
• Creamy white berries on pinky stems

Cotoneaster horizontalis

• Bright scarlett berries
• Deciduous but keeps leaves till later in season
• Horizontal growth
• Tiny rigid dark green leaves with pointed tips