Winter Interest in the Garden - part 5 - Architectural Plants

30 comments

Yes, we’ve had snow, too – a bit unexpected in the coastal strip of Somerset.

This blog is to take your mind (and mine!) off the weather for a few minutes and to give you a look at some plants in my garden which add structure –
so called ‘Architectural plants’. They are often evergreen but not always, of course. Architectural plants with different shaped leaves grow at other times of the year, too, but aren’t in evidence at the moment.

The ones that are evergreen, though, give a structure or backbone to the garden in the winter months.

How about Fatsia japonica? Now that’s what I call an architectural plant!

In front of the Fatsia is a shrub which I love – it has been in for three years now, and it has grown quite slowly, but steadily. It is called ‘Drimys lanceolata’ and as you can see, it has red stems. It hasn’t flowered as yet, but I believe it will when it grows a bit more.

I have a monster of an architectural plant in my side raised border – it’s a Phormium cookianum and it’s about 8’ tall – its leaves are a lot longer, though! Sometimes I think it’ll have to go – but it does shield us both from the view of the farm field over the fence and the wind – and it is quite something! I don’t quite know how we’d get it out, either!

Next to the enormous Phormium is a Pampas grass – Cortaderia selloana. I leave the wonderful white plumes on it until the spring, then I dive in and cut them out – with difficulty, as the edges of the leaves are like razors. I also comb or pull out the dead leaves. To be honest, if it weren’t such an attractive plant, especially in the winter, I might think twice about it, as it is really quite high maintenance! But it soars up against the sky and there it shall stay.

There’s a contorted willow in the bed outside the Garden room. It suffered last year with too much rain – I was surprised, as I thought Salix species liked it wet! This shrub gets pruned quite hard to keep it to a reasonable size. I think that it is at its best in the winter, when all the twisted branches and twigs show themselves against the sky especially when there’s been a frost!

Some architectural plants I inherited – as I did the two Box balls (Buxus sempervirens) which I keep clipped and neat.

I have planted several more architectural plants recently, though. I fell for this Hedera erecta last year, and bought three of them! They grow upright, not too tall, and look great in the winter garden.

And this Euonymus japonicus is another attractive plant – I planted three in a group for more impact, and I’m glad I did. Its name is ‘Green Rocket’ – which suits it, I think.

When we came here, there was one bamboo – Phyllostachys aurea – which gives me a lot of pleasure as I can see it moving in the wind from my favourite chair. Two years ago, I decided that it needed company – so now there’s a black bamboo – Phyllostachys nigra – planted close to it. I am still waiting for the canes to turn to black: they are beginning to, but apparently it takes a while. I have been pulling off the lower growth to expose the beautiful canes on both bamboos. Yes, they do ‘walk’ – but luckily there’s plenty of space for the moment.

Growing in the same area as the two bamboos I have some Helleborus foetidus. This is such a useful plant for the winter months, it’s tall and the lime coloured flowers and bracts shine out in the borders. I have quite a number of these plants, in other beds as well, and they do seed themselves if I don’t chop off the seed pods in time – but I enjoy them in the winter, so I make sure that I leave a few to seed.

And last but not least are my two Astelias. I planted them last year and they are all wrapped up in fleece at the moment. They are not hardy enough to cope with those exceptionally low temperatures that we had in January. But I just love them – their colour intensifies in cold weather, so it’s lovely when I can release them from their overcoats and enjoy them! Their full name, in case you like them too, is Astelia nervosa ‘Westland’.

I could go on – but I think that is quite enough for one blog! I do hope it made you consider that some plants are well worth a place in your garden for winter shape – ‘Architectural’ plants to enjoy in the cold weather while we wait for spring.

3 Feb, 2009
9 likes

Comments

Steve

hi s/h , have to agree with you on this. got to have something to look at all year round, love the spooky willow............steve

3 Feb, 2009

Lincslass

Very enjoyable Spritz and pleased to recognize some that I have in my garden,your right about the Pampas I always leave mine alone until the birds have finished pulling it apart for nesting,then its long sleeves and very strong gloves also long handled rake.(I learnt the hard way.LOL.).It does look grand on a windy day tho.........

3 Feb, 2009

Andrewr

Another good blog spritz, showing how much interest there can be in a winter garden.
You will have to check your drimys carefully for flowers - they are very small. Here at our local Garden Club, we like to think we made this shrub popular. When we made a courtyard garden at Chelsea in 2001, we had this (from a member's garden). At the time, no-one seemd to be selling it but we had lots of questions as to what it was. Now it seems every other Garden Centre stocks it - coincidence do you think?

3 Feb, 2009

Bluespruce

Barbara - where's all the snow!

3 Feb, 2009

Ginellie

Lots of great pictures there Spritz. I'm glad you mentioned the Pampas because I was going to dig mine up (my neighbour gave it to me last year). The few plumes it had were strewn all over the garden by foxes I guess and it looked very unhappy. However, seeing yours I will give it another chance and chop it back in the Spring as you do.

3 Feb, 2009

Spritzhenry

Ah ha - Crafty move! I decided to take a few photos around the garden before Christmas and file them under 'winter interest' in my laptop. Then I split them into blog-sized categories! That's why I have been spacing them out... they are recent, but not taken today.

Take a look at my page and you will find Henry in the snow!

3 Feb, 2009

Bonkersbon

Lovely blog Spritz.We have a small variagated fatsia,taken from a small cutting about two years ago.It is surprisingly hardy,and the leaf variagations are amazing.Will post a pic soon...when this weather picks up a bit.

3 Feb, 2009

Spritzhenry

Thanks BB - Wow! a variegated Fatsia! Now I shall be trying to track one down...it just sounds lovely, and unusual too.

3 Feb, 2009

Blodyn

Thanks for taking my mind off the horrible snow Spritzhenry. I was surprised about the Salix too. I thought they liked dampness.

3 Feb, 2009

Dottydaisy2

Spritz another very interesting blog, I did not realize the astelia was tender, my silver one has gone very brown, it was in a pot buried but due to so much rain lifted it out and it is now looking extremely sad......only bought it late last summer!!

4 Feb, 2009

Gilli

Another great blog Spritz. I love Pampas grass. We had some when we lived in Vancouver and I did what you do with yours. Up here in Kamloops the grass pretty much dies right down to the ground over winter so its just a matter of trimming the dead leaves off. I don't have any right now but I have just planted some seeds for Pink Pampas grass. I hope they do well. They should be ready to go into the ground by the end of May.

4 Feb, 2009

Amy

We dont have a pampas in our own garden but there is one outside our gate at the side of the drive It is a home for hedgehogs I have seen them go in the base ..

I love the colour of the Drimys Lanceolata what kind of soil do you have Spritz ?

I have bought a couple of the Euonymus Japonicus ( Green Rocket ) since I saw it in one of your photos I will need to get some more , as you say they are better in groups of three .......

4 Feb, 2009

Grenville

A super Blog Spritz showing the lovely range and variety of the beautiful architectural plants in your garden.The Astelias look particularly exciting with the tinges of deep red on the spikey strap - like leaves.

I also like the sound of a variegated Fatsia. Don't think we could squeeze one in to our space as our Fatsia has now grown into a monster. I gave it a serious prune last year and in no time it sent out an enormous side shoot!

I'm scrolling through the photos on here, and enjoying them and a nice cup of coffee!

4 Feb, 2009

Spritzhenry

Thanks for the kind comments - I am sorry to hear about your Astelia, Dd. I was a bit annoyed at the GC recently, as they had them for sale, but no warning about needing protection in cold weather!

Amy, the soil is neutral. :-) It means that some plants which veer towards liking a bit of acidity or alkalinity will still do well. As you will probably have seen when I comment on Andrew's lovely plants, I get green with envy when I find that I can't grow them - he has acid soil!

4 Feb, 2009

Clarice

Great blog & photo's Barbara, really enjoyed it.

4 Feb, 2009

Dawnsaunt

Architectural plants are my favourite. Love flowering plants but my preference is towards leaves and shape. Proves I love them as I have most of what you have too, lovely photos by the way.

4 Feb, 2009

Spritzhenry

Thanks, Dawn - and Clarice!

4 Feb, 2009

Dawnsaunt

I've wanted a Fatsia for a while and got one last year, still quite small but when they get big they are so beautiful aren't they. Unlike you SpritzH I have to be careful because of frosts in my garden :-(

4 Feb, 2009

Spritzhenry

Not mild this year, Dawn! We've had bad frosts too. :-(

Yes, I really, really fancy a variegated Fatsia... There are several listed in Nurseries - I googled for it! The photos of them look wonderful.

4 Feb, 2009

Dawnsaunt

I dont suppose we'll know until the Spring what the damage is to the plants. Yes, the variegated Fatsia sounds lovely. Variegated plants are my favourites too - maybe you could do a variegated leaf blog! I would guess you have lots of them :-)

4 Feb, 2009

Spritzhenry

I did, Dawn - on January 6th. You must have missed it. It's still there, if you want to read it!

4 Feb, 2009

Gwendas

Hi Spritz
Another great blog - trouble is they just highlight to me how far I've got to go to achieve a balanced look in my garden! Definitely need to consider the structural side of things out there! Wish you lived round the corner!

5 Feb, 2009

Spritzhenry

The answer is - take it slowly, and look at your garden now to see if there's anywhere you could plant something (later) for next winter! Remember that I am lucky enough to have a mature garden!

5 Feb, 2009

Andrewr

And visit other gardens for ideas and inspiration. There are lots available in Cornwall, both large and small. Watch out for the Yellow Book (usually available around Easter) which lists lots of private, often smaller, gardens. And spritz is in it this year!

5 Feb, 2009

Dawnsaunt

Please can you give me the full title of the Yellow Book so I can look out for it. Thanks

12 Feb, 2009

Spritzhenry

Would you believe it's just called 'The Yellow Book 2009' - it has 'NGS' at the top, but not as part of the title. It has been published, I think it's available now.

13 Feb, 2009

Andrewr

All decent bookshops know it as 'The Yellow Book' - although I did find the one assistant in probably the whole of Berkshire one year who didn't! :-(

13 Feb, 2009