We are now firmly into winter, although some of the temperatures suggest otherwise we have had some cold weather but rain seems the order of most days. However grey skies and damp weather need not mean a dull garden. Winter gardens can be very spectacular, using the structure provided by evergreen plants such as yew hedges as a backdrop the coloured stems of Cornus (dogwoods) ,Salix (willows) or Rubus (bramble – such as the white stemmed Rubus cockburnianus) provide spectacular winter colour and interest. Combined with winter flowering species of Viburnum (such as Viburnum x bodnantense) or the berries of Callicarpa bodinieri (Beauty Berry) much needed colour can be introduced into the garden to great effect as the flowers or berries are displayed on bare stems. There is a subtlety and delicacy about these winter displays that is sometimes not present in the more luscious and vibrant times of the year. Another remarkable property of winter flowering species is the fragrance which is especially strong to attract the much rarer insect pollinators that are around in the colder months, try Sarcocca confusa or Lonicera fragrantissima (winter flowering honeysuckle).

The bark of trees is also more visible and stunning at this time of year trees such as Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple), Betula pendula (Silver Birch) and Prunus serulla (Tibetan Cherry Tree) provide even more interest.

To display winter plants to their best I would recommend a good dark compost mulch to provide contrast.

The unpredictable weather continues with warm wet weather interspersed with clear bright days, December traditionally marks the beginning of winter, but the weather is as yet undecided.

On the subject of autumn what remarkable colours were on display this year, this was due to the wet summer which meant that there were still lots of leaves left without much loss to summer drought. This combined with the autumn weather of cool nights and clear sunny days provided perfect conditions for this years depth of colour. The green of leaves is caused by chlorophyll, when photosynthesis stops in autumn this decline in the leaf and the proportion of the other chemicals (cyanins for red, carotene for yellow) in the leaves increases, photosynthesis stops when the transportation of fluids around the tree stops triggered by temperature and day length. The proportion of the colourful chemicals is strengthened by sunlight as the chlorophyll breaks down more quickly under these conditions. Why trees display such colours is still a subject of debate, fruits are colourful to attract vectors of distribution (birds, animals, insects) whereas flowers are colourful to attract vectors of pollination, but colourful leaves do not have such an obvious purpose. Latterly the thinking was the leaves were to attract vectors to fruits, but more recently it is thought that the colours serve to deter autumn pests especially aphids, thus some more susceptible trees have brighter colours. Oaks and beeches have higher proportion of tannins so their autumn leaf colour is brown (tea stained!).

On the work front we have repaired and renewed some fencing in Highgate and also undertaken some decking work. Our working days have been somewhat curtailed by the recent rain and the short days.

On the maintenance side we have been busy with the obvious leaf clearing duties as well as trying to lick gardens into shape in preparation for winter. Final mowings have been undertaken, some on more than one occasion due to the warm weather! I am not sure that there may not be a further round in December. We also have had some exciting developments on the maintenance side and further details will be in the next entry.

Meanwhile enjoy the holiday season, lets hope the gifts of garden books inspire you and remember it is a great time to plan when you literally can see the wood of the trees. Remember we are just a phone call away if you require help or inspiration.