A garden in winter (From York Press)

A garden in winter

12:34pm Saturday 9th January 2010 in

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THE New Year has brought snow and ice for many of us, and it has been difficult or uninviting to go out into the garden other than to have a quick glance. Within minutes hands are painfully cold and it is no fun at all.

Despite the cold, there is still pleasure to be had from the garden and signs of life are apparent beneath frosted soil and stem.

That hardy shrub Buddleja davidii had its autumn trim in November and squats against the wind, its shortened branches sheltered by the wall it grows by.

The light-brown branches are covered in clusters of tiny grey leaves that hardly seem to have been touched by the low temperatures they have had to tolerate over the past month.

In March, it will be cut back more but for now the shrub needs to be left to survive the rest of the winter unmolested by secateur.

The bed in which the buddleja grows has been covered in snow for much of the past month and the usual signs of winter progression are hidden from view. Snowdrops are often pushing pointed leaves through the earth here at the beginning of January, hints of green dotted about the soil. In sheltered places, the first of the Wanda primulas can sometimes be seen, especially after a mild December.

These small, dark-leafed plants have rich coloured blooms in shades of yellow, red and pink which appear sporadically throughout the year after the main spring flush. At the moment they look a little sad, the leaves dropping around a central cluster of spent flower husks.

Evergreen euphorbias also look dejected, but this is how they protect themselves from the cold.

Humpty Dumpty, a variety which has successfully made itself at home in our garden, has darkened with the chill. The small leaves that cover the stems hang down towards the ground, giving the whole plant an air of weariness as it supports it topping of frosted snow.

The foliage is crisp if touched and will easily break and looks as if it will never recover its former vigour. When the weather warms up, as it will do in time, the leaves will gradually lighten and plump up, and before we know it the outrageous lime green flowers will have appeared and spring will be here.

It is at this time of year I am thankful not to be a tidy gardener. A few things were cut back in autumn, but many stems, dead flowers and seed heads were left unchecked to keep the place looking interesting as well as to provide food and shelter for birds and insects.

Zebra grass, Miscanthus ‘Zebrinus’ is such a specimen, with long thin leaves that arch over at the ends and stiff stems rising from the middle of the clump covered at this time year with the remains of empty seed heads.

In the summer, the green leaves are striped with lateral bands of gold and, although reputed to flower poorly in the north, a sunny sheltered spot will usually be warm enough to encourage the production of a few flowering stems on a mature plant.

As the year progresses, the leaves on this grass fade to a blonde winter clump that shows up well against dark earth or light snow. The plant is very weather-proof, staying neat and unbroken for months, often right up until spring when it can be cut down to make way for new growth that begins to appear around the feet of the dried stems.

Weekend catch-up

IT IS so difficult to get out into the garden at the moment, although should we be granted a dry crispy winter’s day, it is worth effort of donning layers even for just half an hour.

Most jobs have to be left when the weather is so cold, but evergreens will appreciate having the snow gently shaken from their branches. Snow is surprisingly heavy and can bend and even break laden stems, so it is a good idea to keep an eye on firs and hollies and relieve them of their load every now and again.

Gardening TV and Radio

Tomorrow.

8am, BBC Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther with Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC Radio 4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Matthew Biggs, Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and chairman Eric Robson are in Merseyside where they help gardeners from Wallasey with their horticultural problems. Matthew looks at the life of plant loving cotton merchant Arthur Bulley and Bunny Guinness has a lesson on willow weaving. The gardening weather forecast is at 2.40pm.

Friday.

3pm, BBC Radio 4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Gardeners from Cuffley in Hertfordshire put their horticultural queries to Chris Beardshaw, John Cushnie, Anne Swithinbank and chairman Peter Gibbs. Plus in the first of a new series on The Gardeners’ Gardener, Matthew Wilson profiles the work of Christine Walkden. The gardening weather forecast is at 3.40pm. (Repeated on Sunday).

Saturday January 16.

7am, BBC Radio York, Julia Booth. Presenter Julia and horticultural expert Nigel Harrison hold their weekly plant surgery.