Green Fingers: Enjoy the moment
Plants, which might have looked insignificant before but now are coming into their own, include the lovely Skimmia, pictured here.
The week will speed by as usual, without any major activity in the garden. Most of the country will have begun to slowly rise after the long shutdown as we in Orchardstown have done but we do head out during the day whenever conditions are reasonable and just enjoy walking in the woods or along the seashore.
The combination of short days and dull conditions means that we will spend more time indoors and that is fine but we find that ‘cabin fever’ sets in if we cannot get outside for some fresh air now and then. It does not have to be long to satisfy the need and even 10 minutes in the open air will perk you up and give you enough energy for the long evening ahead.
It appears that our lives are becoming increasingly faster and I am not sure it is a good thing but we all know how important it is to stop and take stock of our lives now and then so during periods of the long evenings, including holidays, it is a golden opportunity to slow down and just spend time with those close to you.
While we are generally too busy during the year to take enough time out with friends and family, you might be pleasantly surprised at the result of spending quality time with those you interact with regularly but never get the chance to have a meaningful chat with.
There are plants in the garden which might have looked insignificant before but now are coming into their own with coloured berries, stems or flowers. The coloured berries are mostly red but pink, yellow or white are available in many types of plants, such as Sorbus, Skimmia, Pyracantha, Ilex, Cotoneaster, Malus and Pernettya.
The coloured branches of the dogwood family are very attractive and could be cut for indoor decorations. The best varieties are Cornus ‘Ivory Halo’ - bright red stems all year with silver variegated leaves during the summer, Cornus ‘White Gold’ - yellow stems all year and silver variegated leaves in summer. The native hazel has an abundance of twigs with pretty catkins on now and the variety ‘Contorta’ has attractive twisted stems in addition. Both are great for picking now and using indoors, maybe mixed with the coloured stems and berries mentioned above.
You might assume there are very few outdoor plants flowering at this time of year but there are more than you might think, and it is a case of searching them out and perhaps have some in your garden to admire during the winter months.
There is only one small tree that flowers and that is the ‘Autumn Flowering Cherry’, which has pale pink flowers from October and on and off until April, which makes it a valuable plant in the garden. Some of the reliable garden shrubs that flower during the winter months include Viburnum x bodnatense ‘Dawn’, Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ winter heathers, such as Erica ‘Myretoun Ruby’, ‘Kramer’s Red’ and ‘Isabell’, Sarcococca confusa, Skimmia ‘Kew Green’, Hamamelis ‘Diane’, ‘Pallida’, Mahonia ‘Charity’, Daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’ and Hellebores ‘Ashwood Garden Hybrids’.
There are two types of plants for inside the house, which is the short-lived flowering pot plant and the other is the mainly foliage house plant. The pot plant, such as the poinsettia and chrysanthemum, will need watering regularly as they dry out fast in the heated house, whereas the house plant will not need much during the winter months. If in doubt give a small amount of water now and then but a spray of water with a mister over the foliage will keep them in good health.
If you have any queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051 384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include it in a future article.
