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Season’s greetings gardeners! Christmas is almost upon us, but if you are looking to escape the festive spirit for a couple more days, now’s the perfect time to make those last minute changes to your garden.

December is the month of short days and cold nights. Slowly through the autumn the days have been getting shorter by roughly three minutes until the 22 December when the tide changes and the days begin to lengthen again. There are so many plants that respond to the shortening days and the cold weather and fewer are better or more well known than the dog wood family (Cornus spp). This versatile family includes natives to the British isles and there are not as many native trees and shrubs as you would think! Most are introductions by man; they are trees like (cornus controversa ‘variegata’), shrubs (cornus Alba), groundcover (cornus Canadensis) and a few woody based perennials. Many are grown for their showy flowers (not flowers at all but modified leaves called bracts) some for their variegated leaves or for autumn colours.

But the winter stems of these plants are the stars of the winter show for so many reasons, not least because they come in red but also yellow, orange, black, silvery/white or combinations of those colours.

Cornus Alba ‘sibirica’ has almost unbelievable red stems in winter and although most cornus’ look interesting in winter without leaves, some like this one stand out above the rest for not being too fussy where it grows. It copes with shade and poor conditions as well as heavy soils. The books will tell you it does best on rich neutral to acidic soil, but in our garden at The Salutation they cope well with dry poor conditions that are in places alkaline. Having said this, our soil is deep so I would not recommend them on thin soil with underlying chalk and you can’t prune them as hard but otherwise they do admirably. Now, if you want the best from the albas, cut them back annually to a desired height (you can even cut them to the floor) to encourage new growth which is the brightest red because as the stems age they lose the intensity of colour and that’s what you want from them. However, don’t do this till march. This species also has white flowers in the summer, often followed by white berries hence the ‘Alba’ in the name meaning white so have true year round interest.

Jobs this month

Start planning for the summer in your garden by making a wish list of plants you want to grow from seed catalogues. I can’t think of much better than being in front of an open fire looking and salivating over all the new plants I would like to have and how I might use them in combination together. It will help you remain enthusiastic about your garden even if you’re not brave (or stupid) enough to be out there.
Enjoy thinking more than doing your garden; remember the best gardens are the best gardens because their owners love them and that start in the way you think about gardening!