Using mostly evergreen, foliage plants is a bold choice in a garden. In this small London garden, garden designer Alasdair Cameron has ensured cohesion by using a limited palette of plants that are mostly evergreen. “In such a small space, I like to keep things simple, otherwise it gets too busy and makes the space look smaller,” says Alasdair. He has used a mainly green, white and pale-pink palette, with evergreen yew domes, tree ferns and ‘curtains’ of scented star jasmine and stauntonia for year-round interest. Although the planting spaces are relatively small, the effect is full and tranquil and, most importantly, the space works incredibly well.

Read more about evergreens

• Evergreen trees for gardens: the best to grow
• Evergreen shrubs for sun and shade
• Chelsea designer Kate Gould on how to create an evergreen garden
• A low maintenance, evergreen pot for winter

Best foliage plants

• Mind your own business (Soleirolia soleirolii) – spreading plant with tiny evergreen leaves. Can be used as ground cover, as an alternative to a lawn or in a living wall.
• Stauntonia hexaphylla – an evergreen climber with apple green leaves and small but deliciously scented flowers in early spring.
• Muehlenbeckia – a deciduous shrub with small dark green leaves. Grow as a climber or ground cover.
• Yew (Taxus baccata) – an excellent alternative to box, that can be clipped into balls and topiary.
• Hebe rakaiensis – a compact, rounded evergreen small shrub that is another great alternative to box.
• Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’ – attractive shrub with pale green leaves.
• Hart’s tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) – glossy, crinkled evergreen leaves.
• Shuttlecock fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) – large fern with stunning fronds that looks especially attractive as it unfurls
• Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) – evergreen climber with star-shaped, scented flowers.
• Prostrate rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Prostratus Group) – a prostrate form of rosemary, with blue flowers in early spring.
• Tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) – an eye catching trunk and fern-like foliage.

Here are five tips from Alasdair’s on using evergreen foliage plants in the garden.

Consider the different shades of green

Thinking of foliage plants as just ‘green’ belies the many different shades there are to play with. For example, mind-your-own-business (Soleirolia soleirolii) is a bright, almost electric green; Stauntonia hexaphylla, a favourite climber of mine, is an appley green, while Muehlenbeckia has a more brownish hue.

Consider foliage textures and proportions

When you’re using just one colour, foliage texture and proportion take on a far greater importance. I think spheres of Taxus baccata, Hebe rakaiensis and Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’ look great together – the leaf sizes are similar but they provide both different shades and textures.

Make sure you have some flowers in summer

Be sure to include ferns

Ferns are great plants for a green garden and for foliage – they have so many different textures and shapes – and they are especially good when they unfurl. I love the glossy, crinkled leaves of the hart’s tongue fern Asplenium scolopendrium and the shuttlecock clumps of the male fern Dryopteris filix-mas.

Think about vertical and horizontal surfaces

Think about the different planes in your garden and how to dress them. I use Trachelospermum jasminoides like a curtain of foliage, and I love the way prostrate rosemary sprawls across the tops of walls or planters. Steps can be softened by ribbons of Soleirolia soleirolii.

Here we’ve rounded up a selection of the best climbing plants, perfect for your garden. We’ve divided the list into climbers for walls, borders and vigorous examples.

Climbing plants, including favourites such as honeysuckle and jasmine, all share the successful strategy of relying on the support of other plants or objects to reach the sunlight. This obviates the need to invest much in producing supportive tissue, such as the wood in trees, and means climbing plants aren’t subject to the usual restraints on growth.

Here are the best climbing plants

How to choose a climbing plant

A climbing plant can be a wonderful addition to your garden planting, and there are plenty more out there to choose from than just the regular honeysuckle or clematis or passion flower. The way to choose your climbing plant depends a lot on the space you have and what you want your plant to be used for. Here are some tips on how to choose the best climbing plant:

• What do you want it to grow up? If you’re using your climbing plant as a screen, then you will want a vigorous climber that provides good, evergreen coverage, with hopefully flowering bonuses at some point too. If it’s something you’ll be looking out onto, make sure you pick a climber you love. They tend to dominate wherever they are.

• Do you have the right supports? A climber needs the right support, so make sure you invest in the correct plant support, or your wall, trellis or even tree is suitable for the particular climber.
• Do you have time to look after it? Lots of climbers are fussy and lots of climbers need work to prune it at the right point in the year. If you’re looking for something that you can chop once a year and then leave to do it’s own thing, consider a Clematis ‘francis rivis’ or Hedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’.

Luxuriant growth brings its own problems – vigour must be matched carefully to the appropriate space, and abundance restrained where necessary. If you need some climbing supports, we have rounded up our favourites,  and don’t miss our guide to pruning climbing plants like wisteria.

The best climbing plants for your garden in 2023

Climbing plants with flowers

Rhodochiton atrosanguineus

This ‘purple bell flower’ produces beautiful flowers along the length of its twining stems, and looks effective growing along horizontal twigs or branches. This climbing plant can be sown late April, or August and overwintered frost free. 2.5m AGM. RHS H2.

Jasminum nudiflorum

© Jason Ingram

This jasmine can be persuaded to adopt the semblance of a climber by training and cutting back immediately after flowering. If allowed some freedom, this winter jasmine will flower abundantly in winter and early spring. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b.

Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’

A climbing plant that’s Perennial in a Mediterranean climate, it can achieve sufficient bulk here to make its presence felt from a late April sowing, without causing too much of a nuisance. Will flower until frost cuts it down. 3m. AGM. RHS H1c.

Ipomoea lobata

An intriguing member of the bindweed family, with flowers that are simultaneously an intense orange and yellow in the early bud stage, maturing to cream. Sow Spanish flag in late April and plant after all danger of frost. 3m.

Bomarea multiflora

Twining herbaceous climber, a relative of Alstroemeria, that arises from a tuber. The trailing lily may come through the winter protected by a thick mulch. Something this gorgeous deserves some effort. 6m. AGM. USDA 10a-11.

Lonicera x tellmanniana

A climbing honeysuckle lacking scent, but abundant, vivid-orange flowers offer excitement enough. Tolerates shade and may be pruned by removing flowered growth annually. 4.7m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7b-10b. Don’t miss our plant profile for more honeysuckle suggestions.

Solanum laxum ‘Album’

A twining climber with abundant clusters of flowers that look fragile and fresh right up to the first frosts. Trim lateral branches to around 15cm in winter. On the tender side, so site carefully. 6m. AGM.

Evergreen climbing plants

Pileostegia viburnoides

Self-clinging, evergreen climbing plant thats shade tolerant with frothy white flowers in late summer. This climbing hydrangea has a slow rate of growth, but this makes it less work to restrain once established. 6m. USDA 8a-10b.

Climbing plants for shade

Clematis ‘Frances Rivis’

A good early flowering clematis with nodding flowers of great charm in spring. Works well in partial, deciduous shade as part of a woodland scheme. Prune lightly after flowering, if at all. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4b-9a.

Lapageria rosea

Achingly beautiful climber, but requires shade, shelter, good drainage (yet plentiful summer moisture), is slow to establish and an apparently ambrosial beacon for slugs. 7m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 9b-11.

Parthenocissus henryana

Native to China, this Virginia climbing plant has tastefully variegated leaves that turn vibrant shades of red in the autumn. It self-clings and will tolerate the shade of a north-facing wall. 4.7m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b.

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris

A climbing plant that’s deciduous, but in season it completely clothes its space with large, green leaves and white, lace-cap inflorescences. Another climbing hydrangea that will cover a shady wall fast. 12m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b.

Schizophragma integrifolium

• Buy now from Thompson & Morgan (£35.99)

Similar to Hydrangea anomala, although you will need more patience. This climbing hyrdrangea is distinguished  by the shape and size of the sterile florets that encircle the inflorescence. 6m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-10b.

Low maintenance climbing plants

Hedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’

Good for lighting up dark walls without any fuss. A vigorous, self-clinging, adaptable variegated ivy climbing plant, with smart, glossy leaves tinged with white. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-10b.

Ipomoea coccinea

Delicate in growth with striking scarlet flowers, this true annual is rarely seen and deserves to be grown more frequently. A climbing plant that’s straightforward from seed sown in late April and then planted out after all risk of frost is over. 6m.

Clematis ‘Prince Charles’

A prolific blue-flowered clematis, similar to Sissinghurst’s ‘Perle d’Azur’ but with slightly smaller flowers and improved resistance to powdery mildew. Cut back hard in spring and watch it go. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. Here’s our profile on clematis montana. 

Cobaea scandens

The most vigorous of all annual climbers, and perennial in a frost-free climate. In one year, from seed, the ‘cup and saucer vine’ can cover an astonishing area with bell-shaped flowers from late summer to first frosts. 1.8m. AGM. RHS H2, USDA 9a-10b.

Fragrant climbing plants

Trachelospermum jasminoides

The scent of ‘false jasmine’ is not that similar to true jasmine, but equally powerful. The star jasmine is quite hardy, although the similar Trachelospermum asiaticum is said to be hardier. A climbing plant that’s best on a sunny wall. 12m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 8a-11.

Rosa ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’

Vigorous rambling rose, with delicate flowers. Perfect for hoisting up a large tree. Will take time to establish itself, but once it does you will be rewarded with grace, scent and a profusion of flowers. 9m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b.

Fast growing climbing plants

Clematis ‘Alba Luxurians’

One of the most vigorous of the viticella cultivars. Cut back hard every spring, you’ll be amazed at the coverage you get over the course of one season. This climber flowers profusely July to September. 3.6m. USDA 3a-9b.

Read our expert guide to pruning clematis.

Rosa ‘Wedding Day’

The scrambling rose flowers have the agreeable quality of changing colour as they mature, from pale primrose to almost white. The different stages appear side by side in each many-headed inflorescence. 9m. USDA 7a-9b.

Clematis ‘Bill MacKenzie’

A tough, vigorous, climbing clematis, offering both striking flowers and seedheads over a long period. It’s tolerant of drought and extreme cold, but does best in full sun. 6m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5b-9b.

Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’

Honeysuckle, with vivid colouring and a long flowering season. A vigorous and at times untidy grower; it can be kept within bounds by carefully removing flowered shoots in winter. 6m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Rosa ‘Chevy Chase’

A climbing rose with a touch of opulence. The flowers are small double and crimson, with tightly clustered petals. Great in combination with the dark, glossy leaves of a mature holly, which makes a suitable host. 7m. USDA 5a-9b.

Rosa ‘The Garland’

Trained to cover an archway, this climbing rose has always been the most arresting sight in the garden where I’ve been working for the past four years. Now it’s happily rambling on to a neighbouring yew tree. 7m.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’

Often grown in spur-pruned tiers on a wall, although if you allow it the freedom to romp into trees, this climbing plant will seek out the sunshine to flower well, and assume something of its natural character. 12m. USDA 5a-10b.

Vitis coignetiae

A vine in the more precise sense of the word: a close relative of the grape. This climber is grown for its large leaves, which turn spectacular colours in autumn. A wonderful way to enliven evergreen trees. 12m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Clematis montana var. grandiflora

Well known for its extraordinary vigour, which makes it difficult to contain. This climbing plant’s stemmy growth can look rather untidy, especially in the winter. All will be forgiven when it flowers. 12m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 6a-9b.

Climbing plants are a great addition to any garden as they not only provide aesthetic appeal but also offer practical benefits such as shade and privacy. With a wide range of varieties to choose from, gardeners have the opportunity to experiment with different climbers to suit their taste and requirements. Whether you have a small balcony or a large garden, there is a climbing plant that can transform your outdoor space. By selecting the right type of climbing plant and providing the right conditions for it to grow, you can create a beautiful and functional garden that is a joy to be in. So why not take the leap and add a climbing plant to your garden today!

If you’re in need of climbing supports for your climbing plants, we have rounded up the best climbing supports for 2023. Or here’s our piece on how to make your own plant supports. 

Daphnes are flowering shrubs that are much loved for their pretty clusters of flowers, beautiful scent and attractive foliage.

Many daphnes flower in winter, when their strong scent and (usually) evergreen foliage are particularly welcome. Not all daphnes are winter flowering, however – some flower in spring and summer, too.

As daphnes rarely grow very large, they’re perfect shrubs for a small garden. They are woodland plants, so do best in dappled shade; if you can, plant them near a door, path or seating area where their scent can be appreciated. Daphnes can take a while to establish.

You may also like

• Expert’s choice: shrubs with colourful winter stems
• Plants for birds: trees and shrubs to feed birds
• Hebe: how to grow, when to prune and which to plant

Here’s more on evergreen shrubs

How to grow daphne

Where to plant daphne shrubs

Daphnes can prove difficult to grow in some situations. Although hardy, they dislike exposed sites and are happiest with shelter from cold, drying winds. They need enough direct light to flower well, but hate hot, sunny conditions. Most are happier on neutral to alkaline soils. Some experts recommend Daphne bholua for acid soils but in reality it seems to thrive on fertile soil over chalk. The ideal is a loam-rich soil with good drainage, but sufficient moisture.

Most daphnes resent being grown in containers; this is also an issue for nurseries when attempting to produce plants for sale. If attempting to grow in a pot, choose a loam-based compost and a large container with good drainage. However, the open ground is always preferable.

Daphnes resent being disturbed, so get the planting position right from the outset. Unlike other shrubs daphnes do not produce a dense, fibrous root system that holds together when they are lifted. Therefore, once out of the pot get them straight into the ground and then leave them alone.

When to plant daphne shrubs

The best time to plant a daphne is early spring, to give its roots plenty of time to establish during the growing season.

How to prune daphne shrubs 

Pruning a daphne is only necessary to control shape and size, or to remove dead or damaged wood. Prune cautiously, immediately after flowering, but only if absolutely necessary. Hard pruning of some, notably Daphne bholua, can result in the production of suckers.

How to propagate daphnes

Most daphnes are tricky to propagate, but semi-hardwood cuttings taken in summer have a chance of success. Rather surprisingly Daphne odora is relatively easy to root from cuttings. It is advisable to root a few as replacement plants regularly.

Daphnes are not long-lived shrubs and often decline in vigour after ten years or so in the garden. This is often because of a virus in the plant, which manifests itself by leaf loss and stunted growth. When this happens the infected plant should be taken out and replaced.

Where to buy daphne shrubs

See below for Andy McIndoe’s choice of daphne to grow and where to buy them.

The best winter-flowering daphne shrubs to grow

An evergreen daphne cultivar with leathery, mid-green leaves that is strong growing once established. Large clusters of mauve-pink flowers cover the shrub for weeks from midwinter into early spring. The plant’s fragrance is powerful, sweet and delicious, even on cold days. This daphne was raised at Hillier Nurseries by propagator Alan Postill and named for his wife. Height 1.8m. AGM.

Buy Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ from Thompson & Morgan

A rare, deciduous daphne with upright stems and small, narrow green leaves. The starry, highly fragrant flowers cluster on stems in winter before the leaves appear, and are often followed by yellowish berries. This daphne needs chalk soil to thrive. Height 90cm.

Buy Daphne mezereum f. alba from Kevock Garden

A surprisingly robust form of Daphne odora with green leaves, boldly edged with creamy gold. A showy foliage plant, it has the bonus of fragrant winter flowers. A better garden plant than previous cultivars with a similar variegation. Height 1m.

Buy Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’ from Thompson & Morgan

A semi-evergreen shrub with tan-coloured stems and pointed mid-green leaves. Clusters of fragrant, pale-pink flowers, which fade to white, appear from early winter. The original daphne variety was raised at RHS Garden Wisley from seed collected in Darjeeling. Height 1.8m.

Buy Daphne bholua ‘Darjeeling’ from Burncoose

This variety blooms from midwinter and is heavily fragrant; the rich purple-pink flower edges merge into white faces. A good evergreen daphne shrub to grow close to the house in a sheltered position. Height 1.8m.

Buy Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’ from Pan-Global Plants

An evergreen or semi-evergreen daphne. In midwinter, clusters of deep, purple-pink buds open to paler blooms, which then become darker with age. This daphne variety was selected at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s Wakehurst site from seed collected by Sir Peter Smithers in Nepal. Height 1.8m.

Buy Daphne bholua ‘Peter Smithers’ from Pan-Global Plants

Spring and summer flowering daphnes

A small, deciduous and rare daphne shrub which blooms from late spring well into summer and sometimes into autumn. The clusters of white daphne flowers are fragrant and often followed by yellow fruits. This daphne variety is best grown in dappled shade on moist, acid soil. Height 1.2m.

A small, spreading, evergreen shrub that is happiest under the light shade of trees and tolerant of heavy clay soils. Glossy green leaves show off the large clusters of fragrant, yellow-green flowers that are produced freely all over this daphne in late spring. Height 60cm.

Buy Daphne pontica from Ashwood Nurseries

A rounded, bushy daphne shrub with narrow, blue-green leaves that are finely edged with creamy yellow. Clusters of fragrant, pink flowers appear from late spring through to midsummer. A good shrub for foliage interest. 60cm.

Buy Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Astrid’ from Jacksons Nurseries

Buy Daphne cneorum from Gardening Express

A daphne variety that’s bushy and upright in habit with glossy, evergreen leaves. This small shrub has particularly showy clusters of highly fragrant, purple-pink daphne flowers in mid-spring. Grows on alkaline or acid soil. Height 45cm. AGM.

Buy Daphne x rollsdorfii ‘Wilhelm Schacht’from Ashwood Nurseries

Hellebores are indispensable in the garden – they look good for months on end, from midwinter to spring, with attractive, often evergreen foliage. Their flowers come in a range of colours, from pure white to pale lemon yellow and green, myriad shades of pink and even purple-black.

Hellebores look beautiful combined with other late winter and early spring plants, such as cyclamen, snowdrops, narcissi, witch hazel and daphnes. They are often still out when tulips begin to flower in April and May.

Hellebore flowers are also rich in nectar and pollen, at a time of year when these are often scarce, giving much needed sustenance to bees. The nodding flowers protect the pollen from rain, as well as the insect feeding on it.

Most hellebores used to be known as Helleborus orientalis, but so much breeding has taken place and the details of most hellebore’s parentage is so muddied, that they are now known as Helleborus x hybridus.

Here’s our advice on growing hellebores. We also include experts’ recommendations for the best hellebores to grow.

• Where to plant a hellebore
• How to plant a hellebore
• How to care for hellebore
• When to cut back hellebore
• Hellebore leaf spot
• Where to buy hellebores

How to grow hellebores

When to plant hellebores

Hellebores can be planted from autumn to spring. They are often bought in flower.

Where to plant a hellebore

In the wild, most hellebores grow under the canopy provided by deciduous trees and shrubs, and this is the idea place for them in the garden. Although they will tolerate sunny situations they grow best in places that are shaded from midday sun. Avoid deep shade, however, as this will inhibit the plants from flowering. Helleborus x hybridus are amenable plants that will grow both in light, sandy soils and in heavy clay soils, as long as the soil is rich in organic matter.

How to plant a hellebore

Hellebores are deep rooted so dig a hole about one-and-a-half times the height of a spade and incorporate plenty of humus in the form of well-rotted manure, leaf mould, mushroom compost or home-made compost.

Growing hellebores in pots

As they are deep rooted, hellebores do not grow well in pots. However it is fine to grow them in a pot for a season so that you can enjoy their blooms, then plant them out in the garden permanently afterwards.

How to care for a hellebore

During their first year after planting, keep your hellebore plants well-watered and mulch them with compost each autumn.

Hellebores produce masses of seedlings. Weed out any that seed themselves into the crown of the parent plant, otherwise they may smother it. You can leave others to grow on, or dig them up, grow them on in pots and plant back out in the garden when they have reached a decent size.

When to cut back hellebore

Helleborus x hybridus are evergreen but their leaves do die back and should be removed. Remove the previous season’s dying leaves in December, cutting back to the base of the stalk. This allows air and light into the centre of the plant and will encourage healthy flowers.

You can deadhead flowers once they have gone over.

Hellebore leaf spot

Black or dark-brown blotches occasionally appear on the leaves. This is a fungal infection, called hellebore leaf spot, that is encouraged by damp conditions. Remove the leaves as soon as you spot the problem and burn them ‒ don’t put them in the compost bin as this will spread the disease.

When to sow hellebore seeds

You can collect the seeds from ripe pods on your own hellebore plants, and sow outdoors in July and August outdoors. Germination can take several months, and up to a year. They are usually large enough to plant out in the garden around two years after sowing. Bought hellebore seeds can be tricky to germinate.

Dividing a hellebore

Dividing is the easiest way to propagate most types of hellebore. Divide after flowering in spring, or in autumn.

Where to buy hellebores

• Herfordshire Hellebores
  Green Lane Farm, Levens Green, Ware, Hertfordshire SG11 1HD
  Tel 01920 438458
• Ashwood Nurseries
  Ashwood Lower Lane, Ashwood, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 0AE
  Tel 01384 401996
• Twelve Nunns
  Mail order only. Suppliers of Harvington Hellebores
• Hazles Cross Farm Nursery
  Hollins Lane, Kingsley, Staffordshire ST10 2EP
  Tel 01538 752669 National Collection Holder, phone for plant availability.

Hellebores recommended by our experts

Helleborus x hybridus

Recommended by: John Hoyland, plantsman and former nursery owner

Hellebores are very fertile plants and they hybridise with ease, as the the crop of seedlings that appears around them testifies. Most of these will have muddy purple flowers, but just occasionally you find a gem of a plant. This was one such, growing among a group of double-flowered and anemone-centred hellebores. A more reliable way to get results like this is to hand-pollinate your plants and sow the hellebore seed yourself. That this one appeared, with its frilly edge petals and soft pink flowers, with no intervention from me, makes it a one-off delight that I cherish.

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Bob’s Best’

Recommended by: Derry Watkins of Special Plants Nursery

A cross between Helleborus argutifolius for its hardiness, Helleborus lividus for its leaves and Helleborus niger for its flowers. Unlike orientalis hybrids, this helleborus does not like rich woodland conditions. It revels in sun and drainage. It has fabulous outward-facing flowers held well above the leaves. They age from creamy white to pink to almost red; because each hellebore flower lasts so long all the colours may be visible at once. The evergreen leaves don’t need to be cut to the ground – just remove tatty ones.

Buy Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Bob’s Best’ from Cotswold Garden Flowers

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Yellow Lady’

© Jason Ingram

Recommended by: Chris Marchant at Orchard Dene Nurseries

There are so many beautiful hellebores that I can’t choose just one as a favourite, but this pale yellow hellebore deserves a mention. Usually unmarked, the flowers are occasionally speckled burgundy at the base of the nectaries. Upright stems hold the hellebore flowers proud of the foliage, giving a perfect opportunity to appreciate their long-lasting display. The colour is especially effective teamed with the purples and blues of a woodland border: I have clumps mixed with Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ and the glossy spring foliage of giant colchicums.

Buy Helleborus x hybridus ‘Yellow Lady’ from Bluebell Cottage Nursery

Helleborus niger Harvington hybrids

Recommended by: Mat Reese

This selection from Harvington Hellebores has bloomed before Christmas for the past few years and produces little vignettes of sumptuous, white flowers, each blossom centred with a cluster of golden stamens. Although these hellebores have a reputation for requiring a limy soil, mine have been thriving in stony, humus-rich, acidic soil for some years. These hellebores do take time to establish, resent disturbance, and hate sitting wet. They’re also gross feeders, meaning they are hungry plants and so need to be fed annually with compost.

Buy Helleborus niger Harvington hybrids from Twelve Nunns nursery

Helleborus atrorubens

Recommended by: Hans Kramer, owner of De Hessenhof

In Slovenia, where it grows in the wild, this hellebore – seldom seen in cultivation – starts flowering in April but in the mild, unstable winters of northwest Europe it usually starts to flower in February. With so many hybrids now flooding European nurseries, it is refreshing to see the subtle charm of the true species. This is the only species where the petals, which are in fact sepals, hold their colour long after pollination. What’s more, it’s deciduous so you don’t have to worry about cutting leaves in the winter.

Buy Helleborus atrorubens from Ashwood Nurseries

Helleborus x sternii ‘Silver Shadow’

Recommended by: Fleur van Zonneveld, of De Kleine Plantage

Among the slew of new hellebore hybrids and cultivars, all with fabulous colours, flower shapes and leaf structures, ‘Silver Shadow’ demands a special place. It has extraordinary flower – a mix of pink, green and apricot colours – that rise wonderfully against the silvery leaves with serrated edges. It is lower and more compact than many other hellebores and does very well in pots. Unlike most other hellebores, it likes a sunny, dry and alkaline soil.

Buy the similar Helleborus x sternii from Crocus

Helleborus x hybridus white-flowered

Recommended by: Mat Reese, head gardener at Malverleys

There are many hellebore hybrids to choose from – and I have quite a few of them in the woodland garden at Malverleys – but my default is the white-flowered form with a green eye. Unlike the darker forms, it shows up well, particularly in shady woodland conditions. It has vigour and, if kept isolated from other colours, will self-sow true from seed. In the winter when the ground is too hard or too wet to work, cut out the tatty old leaves and feed with leaf mould so the flowers are displayed at their best.

Helleborus x hybridus Harvington red

Recommended by: Polly Nicholson of Bayntun Flowers

Outward-facing, saucer-shaped, flowers in varying shades from deep pink to clear red with deeply cut foliage. This hellebore makes a good cut flower once the seedheads have formed, especially if the tips of stems are seared.

Buy Helleborus x hybridus Harvington red from Crocus

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Winter Sunshine’

Recommended by: John Hoyland, plantsman and former nursery owner

Helleborus x ericsmithii has distinguished origins. Firstly, botanist Frederick Stern crossed Helleborus lividus with Helleborus argutifolius to produce the robust and attractive Helleborus x sternii. Sixty years ago plantsman Eric Smith crossed this with the large, white flowers of Helleborus niger. The result was a jewel of a plant with lightly marbled foliage and pink-tinge, white flowers. Thanks to micro-propagation, attractive forms of this plants can be reproduced easily. This one is vigorous and has dark green leaves with a pewter sheen. The flowers are ivory-white, turning a deep pink as they age.

Buy Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Winter Sunshine’ from Garden Beauty

Helleborus foetidus

Recommended by: Hans Kramer, owner of De Hessenhof

Although this is the shortest living hellebore – it rarely lives longer than three to four years – I could not do without it. It is a good, all-round plant, starting with attractive, deeply divided leaves, which are a dark green. Some cultivars, such as ‘Sopron’, can have a silvery sheen to the lear, while Helleborus foetidus Wester Flisk Group has striking beetroot-coloured stems that contrast well with the pale-green flowers. These begin as rosettes, which tart to elongate as the weather gets cooler, then form light-green buds that gradually open over winter.

Buy Helleborus foetidus from Crocus

Hellebore breeding

The flowers of Helleborus orientalis used to be a dull pink but in the 1960s nurserywoman Helen Ballard extended the colour range to include dark pinks and white. During the 1970s and 1980s another formidable nurserywoman, Elizabeth Strangman, bred plants that had dark flowers or flowers that had dark-edged, petal-like sepals, which have become known as picotee (from the French picoter, to speckle or to mark with various colours). Strangman also collected seed from plants growing in the wild, and in Montenegro came across plants of Helleborus torquatus that had double flowers, which she introduced into her breeding programme.

Other plant enthusiasts continued to breed evermore beautiful hellebores. Robin White of Blackthorn Nursery focused both on double-flowered forms and on those with spotted sepals; at Ashwood Nurseries, John Massey and Kevin Belcher have produced an astonishing range of hellebores, in particular ones with strong colour on the reverse of the sepals. Hugh Nunn, who formerly ran Harvington Hellebores, has a breeding regime that produces seed strains consistent in their flower colour and vigour.

One of the latest links in this chain of hellebore breeders is Lorna Jones of Hertfordshire Hellebores. Her initial motivation was to provide great plants for her own garden, with an emphasis on tall, early flowering plants that were disease resistant. One of the most sought-after types of hellebore are the so-called anemone forms, plants where the nectaries are enlarged to form a ring of small tubes at its centre. Lorna has been able to produce anemone forms where these nectaries are the same colour as the sepals, others that have picotee sepals and, most dramatically, forms that have nectaries that contrast with the sepals.

Some of the Helleborus torquatus hybrids have double flowers and hark back to the first double that Elizabeth Strangman found growing in the wild. Their sepals tend to be narrow and twisted, so Lorna has christened them ‘spider’ hellebores.

New hellebore hybrids to look out for

Here are some of the beautiful hellebores bred by Lorna Jones at Hertfordshire Hellebores.

Anemone centre

The enlarged nectaries of Helleborus x hybridus Purple Speckle create a dark ruff at the middle of the flower, known as an anemone centre. The purple sepals are slightly pointed and are heavily mottled with dark purple.

Raspberry red

Lorna is still searching for the elusive true red, and is in the process of selecting plants that have a red sheen on the petals. This seedling has lavender-pink sepals, which are packed with a contrasting raspberry colour. In addition to its colouring, Lorna has selected this plant for the rounded, open shape of its flower. This is Helleborus x hybridus Red Apricot.

Spider hellebore

An unusual flower with several rows of narrow, same shaped flowers is one of the aims of twisting sepals to create what Lorna has dubbed ‘spider hellebores’. In this form the creamy-white sepals have a pale pink back. This is Helleborus torquatus hybrid Spider Double.

Double

A double-flowered form with pink sepals that are heavily speckled on the inside and have a dusky-pink back. The sepals are narrower than normal with slightly crimped edges that create a frilly flower. This is Helleborus x hybridus Pink Red Speckle Double.

Picotee

© Rachel Warne

A heavily spotted form that harks back to some of the earlier results of hellebore breeding. Unlike those, this plant has beautifully rounded, symmetrical sepals. This is Helleborus x hybridus Pink Spotted.

Additional photography by Jason Ingram, Maayke de Ridder and Sharon Pearson

Few perennials have such a distinctive and instantly recognisable form as ferns, despite their huge variation in appearance and size. The unique shape and texture of the fronds create striking focal points in the garden where they contrast well against other plants. The captivating unfurling croziers in spring develop into smart, elegant foliage that often remains interesting into the winter months.

These ancient plants also have their own language, with their leaves known as fronds and the leaflets as pinnae. Fern species are in the main instantly recognisable as a group, but somewhat harder to distinguish from one another.

Are ferns evergreen or deciduous?

Some ferns are evergreen and retain their green fronds all year round; others are deciduous, dying back in winter with new fronds unfurling in spring. Some ferns are semi evergreen, which means that they may shed their leaves for a time in winter if the weather is very cold.

Some ferns make excellent house plants. Read our guide to caring for the blue star fern and the asparagus fern.

How to grow ferns

Where to plant ferns

Ferns work well in many different parts of the garden but many do well in shade, so are often the perfect solution for a shady garden.

The conditions under which ferns will flourish is quite variable. Hart’s tongues or Asplenium scolopendrium, for example, often find their way from the flower border to gaps in walls and paving, and are tolerant of deep, dry shade, while the beautiful Osmunda regalis will thrive in wet conditions (even with its feet in water) and will make strong colonies of fronds more than 1.2m tall.

Many ferns also grow very well in containers.

How to look after ferns

Keep ferns well watered for at least a year after planting. After that, most will only need extra water during long dry spells. Find out how to water plants in hot weather.

Water at the base of the plant to avoid the crown rotting. Established plants in the ground do not need frequent watering and should get all they need from rainfall; do water, however in periods of drought.

Ferns in containers need to be watered regularly – do not allow the soil to dry out.

When to cut back ferns

In spring, snip off any dead or brown fronds. Cut them off at the base with secateurs. Take care not to damage the new fronds that will be appearing at the base of the plant.

How to propagate ferns

You can propagate ferns by several methods, including dividing plants in spring. You can also propagate them from spores.

Read our expert guide to propagating ferns.

The best ferns to grow in your garden

Asplenium trichomanes

The dainty maidenhair spleenwort is native to the UK but also has an unusually broad global distribution, encompassing much of Europe, Asia and the Americas. It is most at home on the north face of a stone wall.

20cm. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b. Evergreen

Blechnum penna-marina

Forms a low-growing mat that becomes variegated in spring as fresh fronds unfurl in rufous tones above the dark, season-old foliage. Great for colonising nooks and crannies such as broad paving joints.

20cm. RHS H4. Evergreen

Polypodium vulgare

The common polypody is unusual among ferns for its tolerance for high light levels. Where plenty of moisture is available, it may grow epiphytically on trees or logs, but is equally at home on land. It colonises by gently spreading rhizomes.

Height 30cm. RHS H7. Evergreen

Athyrium filix-femina ‘Frizelliae’

© Jason Ingram

Arching fronds and very reduced pinnae (individual leaflets). Needs careful positioning to be noticed, but it’s a fern that is worth the effort.

40cm. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. Deciduous

Arachniodes simplicior

An unusual-looking fern due to its spidery growth and variegation – pale-yellow blotches at the base of each leaflet create the impression of zingy stripes. An established colony is quite a sight.

70cm. RHS H3, USDA 6a-9b. Evergreen

Adiantum venustum

Delicate divided and sub-divided fronds hold unusually scallop-shaped pinnae in a gracefully cascading mound. The wiry, black stems contrast agreeably with the acidic green of the leaf tissue.

40cm. AGM. RHS H7. Evergreen

Blechnum spicant

The so-called hard fern can look sombre at times, with its dark, leathery, sterile fronds carpeting the ground. But the emergence of upright, fertile fronds in spring provides spectacular relief.

50cm. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b. Evergreen

Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’

The striking, bronze foliage of the copper shield fern is particularly marked in this cultivar. After a strong early flush, fresh fronds unfurl at a gentler pace through the growing season.

1m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b. Evergreen

Cyrtomium fortunei

Holly ferns are evocative of an imagined Jurassic Age. C. fortunei is less glossy-leaved but hardier than the otherwise similar species C. falcatum. Great for creating a tropical effect at ground level.

1m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 6a-9b. Evergreen

Woodwardia fimbriata

Native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California. In warm, wet conditions its fronds are capable of growing more than 2m in length, but this is unlikely to be quite matched in the UK.

1.5m. AGM. RHS H3. Evergreen

Blechnum cordatum

Creeping, rhizomatous fern with upright fronds, competitive enough to make an exclusive stand of hard-looking foliage. Once happily established, the fronds may grow to a remarkable height of up to 1.5m.

1.5m AGM. RHS H4. Evergreen

Polystichum setiferum ‘Smith’s Cruciate’

© Jason Ingram

Another narrow-fronded fern mutation but much more substantial and robust than the Athyrium. It can take sunshine with enough moisture but is best grown in shade on humus-rich soils.

40cm. RHS H7. Evergreen

Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Revolvens’

© Jason Ingram

A substantial fern with matt, softly textured and slightly limp, mid-green pinnae held on arching fronds. Will tolerate some dryness once established. Best in dappled shade.

1m. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b. Semi evergreen

Cyrtomium falcatum ‘Rochfordianum’

This fern with arching sprays of glossy foliage, is best grown in moist, rich soil but has done well in drier sites.

50cm. RHS H3, USDA 6a-10b. Semi evergreen

Buy Cyrtomium Falcatum ‘Rochfordianum’ from Coolings

Athyrium niponicum var. pictum

A fern that has unusual metallic grey-purple pinnae on small triangular fronds. Can be tricky and needs moist, free-draining soils.

30cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 3a- 8b. Deciduous

Adiantum pedatum

This dainty maidenhair fern casts airy fronds of delicate pinnae on thin black stems. Very beautiful and good for front of a border.

45cm. AGM. RHS H6. Deciduous

Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Crispa Cristata’

© Jason Ingram

A cristate (crested) form of the native male fern. Looks good in May when the croziers are unfurling and into winter.

70cm. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b. Semi evergreen

Dryopteris sieboldii

© Jason Ingram

When grown well this fern’s foliage has large, green, palmate fronds peppered in striking sori (spore capsules). Needs moist, rich soil and part shade.

30cm. AGM. RHS H6. Evergreen

Dicksonia antarctica

A fern that has huge presence in a garden with large arching fronds that form a radial core atop a chocolate-coloured fibrous trunk.

4m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 9a-10b. Semi evergreen

Pyrrosia sp.

An evergreen fern collected in northeast Himalaya. Initially thought to be tender, it has now survived three winters in the stumpery. Long ascending fronds are lustrous on the upper surface and glaucous underneath.

50cm. RHS H7. Evergreen

Asplenium scolopendrium Cristatum Group

Cristate form of hart’s tongue fern with delightfully unruly foliage that catches the light on shiny, crumpled fronds. Once established will tolerate some drought.

30cm. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b. Evergreen

Dryopteris wallichiana

In spring, this deciduous fern unfurls to produce fronds with striking, dark rachises (main stalks) and shimmering green pinnae.

1m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b. Semi evergreen

Polystichum polyblepharum

A clump-forming fern with lovely, soft, broad fronds, the new croziers are particularly hairy, and the overall effect is a flatter congregation of fronds than most other ferns.

40cm. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 5a-8b. Evergreen

Asplenium scolopendrium Ramomarginatum Group

An extraordinary fern with wonderful branched foliage. Grow in a sheltered site on good soil.

30cm. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. Evergreen

Phlebodium aureum ‘Blue Star’

Normally used as a houseplant, the Phlebodium aureum ‘Blue star’ fern will persist in a sheltered site outdoors with handsome, blue-green fronds.

50cm. RHS H7. Evergreen 

Cornus is a genus for all seasons. Those grown for their leaves are some of the most beautiful foliage shrubs. Dogwoods grown for the colour of their stems light up the winter garden. Flowering dogwoods wisely hold back their floriferous performance until early summer, after any possible
competition from our more familiar flowering trees.

When it comes to summer flowering trees and large shrubs there is nothing to touch flowering dogwoods. There are few more breathtaking sights than a flowering dogwood in full bloom. I first fell in love with Cornus ‘Porlock’ in the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire. The way the blooms cascaded down the branches, the poise of the flowers, the way they fluttered in the breeze, how they gazed upwards, avoiding the eye, but teasing and tantalising. Its beauty was best admired by grasping a branch and holding it down to admire those creamy bracts, four of them arranged as a flattened star around each dark bobble of tiny flowers. In autumn, strawberry-like fruits weighed down the branches; hardly delicious but edible and very tempting.

The cultivars of C. kousa are often collectively referred to as Chinese dogwoods, although many originate from Japan and Korea. C. kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ is deservedly popular and has the advantage of large flower heads produced on young plants; some cultivars take a few years to bloom with any enthusiasm. C. kousa ‘Teutonia’ is another large, flowering form with immaculate flower heads of rich cream. I have shown this in recent years at
RHS Chelsea Flower Show and it has always proved to be a star of the show.

The North American dogwoods, cultivars of C. florida and C. nuttallii, are less popular because of their susceptibility to the fungal disease cornus anthracnose. A pity, as most mature to form wonderful, pagoda-like small trees with elegant branches and upturned twigs. In winter, flowerbuds are enclosed by the immature bracts on the bare branches, appearing like tiny finials at the end of every twig. As the blooms develop the bracts remain joined at the tips before they pop open.

The hybridisation of flowering dogwoods has led to the development of some spectacular flowering shrubs. C. Venus, bred in the USA, has caused a stir with its massive creamy-white flower heads, which are produced freely, even on young plants. The Stellar series of hybrid flowering dogwoods, exhibit similar flower quality and disease resistance, and will hopefully encourage more to plant these wonderful shrubs and trees.

You may also like

• Simple to grow Hydrangeas
• The best yellow magnolias for gardens of all sizes
• Expert tips for designing a meadow

How to grow cornus

Flowering dogwoods favour neutral to acid, reasonably moist, but well-drained fertile soil, with plenty of organic matter. However, they are more tolerant than generally thought and often succeed in alkaline conditions if mulched well with organic compost. I have grown dogwood successfully on poor sandy soil and in containers using loam-based growing media.

Cornus are at their best with some light shade and shelter from deciduous trees; they thrive in open woodland settings. Many, such as Cornus ‘Porlock’ and Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’, make splendid flowering trees for small gardens. Flowering dogwoods are best planted as young, container-grown plants from October to March.

Young plants are not particularly attractive, giving little idea of the glorious subjects they will become; which puts many off planting them.

The best flowering dogwoods

A wonderful display of blooms in late spring and rich autumn tints make this a fine specimen dogwood tree for a small garden. Prefers deep, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida f. rubra from Crocus

Buy Cornus florida f. rubra from Garden Plants

A vigorous new dogwood cultivar, bred for disease resistance. Domed, greenish-white bracts in early summer and good autumn leaf colour. Upright and narrow in habit on moist, well-drained, acid soil.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

This dogwood has large, rounded, creamy-white blooms appear in early spring, and are spectacular after a good summer the previous year. Crimson-pink autumn colour. Upright and narrow in habit.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ from Suttons

Buy Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ from Ornamental Trees

A robust, upright, hybrid dogwood with dark-green foliage and long-lasting autumn colour. Wonderful display of white bracts in an open, sunny position; no fruit. A good small, specimen tree.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus aurora ‘Rutban’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

A recent introduction with exceptionally large, creamy-white bracts. Dark-green foliage and vibrant autumn colour. This dogwood is best in a sheltered situation to avoid damage to flowers.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus ‘Venus’ from Thompson & Morgan

Flowering from an early age, this large, spreading cultivar produces abundant creamy bracts that colour pink as they age, and are followed by luxuriant strawberry-like fruits in autumn. Easy to grow, this dogwood is tolerant of most soils, apart from shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus ‘Porlock’ from Gardeners Dream

Pretty, variegated dogwood shrub with pointed, grey-green leaves margined with white; starry, white blooms in early summer. Best grown in semi-shade on moist, well-drained, acid soil.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ from Larch Cottage Nurseries

A popular and easy to grow dogwood. Thrives on most soils, including heavy clay. Robust and free flowering with the bonus of good autumn colour and crimson fruits that follow creamy flowers.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis from Crocus

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis from Ornamental Trees

A bushy dogwood plant; upright, then spreading in character. The creamy-white bracts become blotched with pink as they age and are followed by deep-pink fruits. Outstanding.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘John Slocock’ from Larch Cottage Nurseries

Abundant, creamy-white bracts that do not blush pink as they fade. The bracts start small, star-like and green, and stand on short stalks along the branches. This dogwood is upright in habit.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ from Ornamental Trees

Elegant dogwood plant with a broad, spreading habit. Large, pink bracts, poised along branches in early summer, become more intense in colour as they age. Orange-red autumn foliage.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’ from J. Parker’s

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’ from Crocus

Elegantly pointed bracts curve inwards at first as the blooms sit butterfly-like along the branches; they blush pink as they age. Rich autumn tints and lychee-like fruits appear on this dogwood in autumn.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Madame Butterfly’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

An improved form of flowering dogwood with abundant blooms on wonderfully sculptural branches in late spring. Lovely autumn foliage. Prefers rich, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’ from Burncoose Nurseries

Rich, gold-margined leaves turn purple-red edged with scarlet in autumn. Large, white blooms resemble wontons as they open at the tips of the shoots. A compact and upright dogwood.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’ from Ornamental Trees

Buy Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’ from eBay

The tiny, creeping dogwood forms mats of short, upright stems and dark-green leaves studded with small, white starry blooms. Clusters of red berries follow in autumn.
Height 10cm. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 2a-7b.

Buy Cornus canadensis from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus canadensis from Crocus

Mature dogwood leaves are mostly gold, splashed green in the centres, turning red, purple and pink in autumn. Large, deep-pink flowers in late spring are striking against the leaves.
Height 3m. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Sunset’ from Ornamental Trees

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Sunset’ from Pippin Trees

The variegated dogwood is one of the finest foliage shrubs with floating horizontal branches and delicate green and white leaves. Lacy, white flowers in early summer.
Height 3m. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Primrose

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Gardening Express

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Paramount Plants & Gardens

Dark-red stems in winter remain decorative after the ochre and green leaves have fallen. This dogwood thrives on any soil; excellent in wet conditions. Cut back hard to 20cm every two years.
Height 1.8m. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Buy Cornus alba ‘Gouchaltii’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus alba ‘Gouchaltii’ from Van Meuwen

Much less vigorous than other red-barked dogwoods; ideal for smaller gardens. Attractive foliage with the bonus of dark red winter stems. Grows on any soil in sun or shade.
Height 2m. Hardiness rating RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Gardening Express

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Crocus

Tiny, golden flowers on bare stems in late winter before the white and green leaves unfurl. Scarlet fruits in autumn. This dogwood is growing and upright in habit when young.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus mas ‘Variegata’ from the RHS

Buy Cornus mas ‘Variegata’ from Burncoose Nurseries

An excellent form of the variegated wedding cake dogwood tree with grey-green leaves with narrow white margins. More vigorous than Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ and better in more challenging growing conditions.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Where to see flowering cornus

• The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire (Cornus national collection holder)
• Newby Hall, North Yorkshire (Cornus national collection holder)
• The Savill Garden, Berkshire (Many fine, mature dogwood specimens)

The oft-repeated mantra ‘right plant, right place’ applies as much to bulbs in pots as to those in a garden. Many plants thrive in pots and bulb planting in pots allows for a much more flexible display, a moveable feast for the eyes, that you can adjust and update throughout the year. In autumn, gardeners are thinking about planting spring bulbs, and it’s worth taking the time to consider planting combinations, where you want the display to sit, plus the size and style of your pot.

Below you’ll find the do’s and don’ts of container gardening and inspiring ideas for using bulbs in pots. Don’t miss our guide on when to plant bulbs.

How to plant bulbs in pots

Follow these ten top tips to ensure you get the best from your bulb pots

DO fill the bottom few inches of the planter with crocs – broken terracotta pots work well – to help with drainage and reduce the amount of compost you need.

DO use a good compost. Loam-based composts, mixed with grit or crushed bark, formulated for container growing, are far better than multi-purpose composts. Read our detailed guide to the best composts.

DO feed your plants regularly during the summer months. Flowering plants should be fed once a week with a liquid fertiliser during their flowering period.

DON’T forget that plants in pots and containers need a considerable amount more watering than those in the garden. During really hot days water at least once a day.

DO add water-retaining crystals to the compost. Containers will dry out much more quickly than borders and the crystals will help store water. Using a mulch will also help retain moisture.

DO buy the best terracotta pots and containers you can afford. Cheap terracotta pots with flack or crack during hard frosts.

DON’T forget pests and diseases. Plants grown in containers are under more stress than those in the garden so are more susceptible to pests. Treat regularly for aphids, slugs and mildew.

DON’T skimp on the size of the pot or container. Most plants look much better in big groups in large pots.

DON’T forget that your pots and containers will be heavy, so plant them where you want them to end up or alternatively use specially-designed pot rollers or a trolley.

DON’T overdo the number of plants you use. Although when you first plant up a container it may look skimpy the plants will soon grow and spread to fill out your pot.

Inspiration for planting bulbs in pots

Here are three container displays that celebrate the beauty of bulbs. Some have been planted en masse to stunning effect, or grouped together to give a strong sense of the arrival of spring.

A bowl of Fritillaria

This display uses Fritillaria melegaris bulbs, delicate snake’s head fritillaries. By planting them in a bowl, they can be elevated to a prominent position and their stunning checkered bell-shaped blooms can be fully appreciated.

Fritillaria bulbs are very fragile and can often dry out in storage. To give your display every chance of success, soak them in lukewarm water for a few hours before planting. You can also buy them ‘in the green’ in spring. If you’re planting bulbs in autumn, plant them as soon as possible in early autumn in moist, humus-rich, loam-based compost at four times their own depth, ensuring that the pots have holes for drainage. Protect with plastic netting or chicken wire.

Using small pots helps to prevent disturbing their roots when eventually planting out and if grouped together on a window ledge or table in decorative containers they will still create the meadow look.

Use 30-50 bulbs. The display will be in flower from March until May.

Here’s everything you need to know about growing fritillaria

Grouped grape hyacinths and scillas

The arrival of spring is always a time for gardeners to celebrate, but we can often overlook some of the smaller flowering bulbs, such as the lovely, classic grape hyacinths.

This display combines Muscari aucheri ‘White Magic’, a very fragrant white cultivar, and Muscari armeniacum, which produces fragrant blue flowers from April to May and is followed by decorative seedheads.

Also seen is Scilla siberica (squill). Planting muscari in pots to bring indoors not only allows us to appreciate their beauty in greater detail, but it is also a great way to experiment with new bulbs in small numbers. The copper pots add a stylish edge to the display.

Read our advice on growing scilla.

Pot the bulbs up in autumn, using a loam-based compost with extra sand for drainage and leaf mould for the squills as they appreciate humus-rich soil. Leave outside in a sheltered spot and bring into a polytunnel in January to encourage early flowering. You can transfer the plants into their final containers as they come into flower. Top dress them with garden gravel for a finished look.

Grape hyacinths require plenty of light but not direct sunlight and will benefit from a liquid seaweed feed after the display has finished. Leave the foliage to die down before planting out in lawns or borders.

Daffodils en masse

Using pots offers you the great convenience of setting down a haze of colour just when you need it. But when you’re using narcissi you can easily end up with an arrangement that has an unnatural look or one that is too yellow biased. Narcissi (daffodils) work best if you plant separate pots of just a few carefully selected kinds or, if the pot is impressive enough, one single star variety.

This display uses Narcissus ‘Elka’. It’s a delicate daffodil with ivory-white petals and a pale-yellow trumpet that fades to china white. It also has a scent that is light and sweet.

Narcissi bulbs need to be in the ground by September and if grown in pots need plenty of grit, roughly one part grit to three parts John Innes No 1. A pot 80cm in diameter can take up to 75 bulbs of mid-sized narcissus. With troughs, ensure the drainage hole is kept open by using crocks over it.

The best shade loving plants for the garden including picks from Chris Moss’ garden design in rural West Sussex

A shady spot in the garden is an opportunity to create something special, a tranquil retreat to retire to on hot, summer days.

Plants typically suited to shade will often be early to flower, but will continue the season with foliage that has a lush appearance. Chris’ designs mix ferns with ornamental grasses and classic woodland perennials, with the aim of creating a shady tapestry of contrasting texture, shape and form. He prefers to be generous with his quantities of shady plants, creating rivers of single species that flow into one another.

“I like to layer the planting to create a shade understorey. This helps to cover the soil, offering protection, while adding interest.” By way of example, he indicates a Vinca minor that gently scrambles among some shade-loving hellebores, a less vigorous species than Vinca major and better behaved in a shady, woodland setting. Plant selection is key to success  with shade in the garden and ongoing pruning of the canopy above and around the site is essential.

As the planting matures, canopies will require lifting and thinning (usually best completed in winter) to prevent light levels from becoming too low. In dry but shady areas, the use of organic mulch will help, although additional irrigation may be required during any prolonged hot weather.

Best plants for shade

Shade loving plants chosen by Chris Moss

 Dryopteris affinis

Dryopteris affinis, also known as a golden male fern is a perennial garden fern with dramatic foliage. These ferns prefer a moist, shady site, making them one of the best plants for shaded areas in the garden. It is a robust plant that forms rosettes of fine arching fronds in shuttlecock-like clusters. The fronds are bright green when they appear in spring which contrasts well with the brown midribs. The colour matures to a rich green later in the season and can sometimes last through winter. Dryopteris affinis has an RHS Award of Garden Merit and grows to approximately 1.2 metres.

Astrantia major ‘Alba’

Astrantias are some of the best flowering plants for shade. They are herbaceous perennials and tolerate a wide range of soils and have nectar and pollen rich flowers that attract a range of pollinators including bees, butterflies and moths from May to September. The branching stems bare a profusion of delicate pincushion flowers that are pale greenish white in colour and palmately divided leaves in a medium-dark green. Although they can be grown in full sun, Astrantias dislike drying out and are perfectly suited to a shady spot in the garden. Astrantia major ‘Alba’ grows to approximately 70cm.

Persicaria alpina

• Buy now from Burncoose Nurseries (£11.50).

Persicaria alpina is one of the best plants for shade. It is a deciduous perennial plant of great stature and endurance. It has large, oval leaves arch from central stems and tiny, soft-white flowers that turn rich pink as summer progresses. They like heavy, rich soil in sun or part shade and prefer to be kept moist. They have an RHS Award of Garden Merit can grow to up to 2.5 metres.

Rodgersia ‘Herkules’

• Buy now from Macplants (£9.50).

Rodgersia ‘Herkules’ is a strong-growing, rhizomatous perennial with large, attractive palmate leaves tinted copper when young. The plant has panicles of tiny, pink, star-shaped flowers in summer emerging from dark pink buds. These plants prefer moist soil in part shade to full sun and grow to approximately 1 metre.

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (= ‘Gerwat’)

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial with violet-blue flowers from late spring to autumn among soft, palmate leaves. It prefers a rich, free-draining soil in full sun to part shade. ‘Rozanne’ has an RHS Award of Garden Merit and grows to approximately 60cm.

Gillenia trifoliata

Gillenia trfoliata is a demure, rhizomatous perennial plant with delicate, three-lobed leaves on thin, reddish stems. Sprays of white, star-shaped flowers, with contrasting reddish calyces, appear from late spring to summer. This plant likes rich, free-draining soil in part shade to light sun. It has an RHS Award of Garden Merit and grows to approximately 80cm.

Geranium phaeum ‘Album’

• Buy now from Claire Austin Hardy Plants (£5.40)

Geranium phaeum ‘Album’ is a clump-forming, upright woodland plant. It has mid-green, palmate leaves from spring to autumn, with small, white flowers on thin stems. They will grow in any reasonable soil with some organic matter, in sun and shade and can grow to approximately 1.2 metes.

Hakonechloa macra

Hakonechloa macra or Japanese forest grass is a deciduous, perennial grass with emerald-green leaves and fine flower panicles from late summer, followed by golden hues in autumn. It will grow in any soil but the driest, in light shade to full sun. It has an RHS Award of Garden Merit and grows to approximately 40 centimetres.

Discover more about Chris Moss’ garden design here.

Best shrubs for shade

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Early Pink’

Hydrangeas are one of the best shrubs for shade. This variety has deep pink flowers that will bloom from early summer, much sooner than many other varieties. On acidic soils these blooms will become more mauve. The fresh green foliage will provide some nice autumn colours. Hydrangea macrophylla prefer a moist soil and are happy in a sunny or semi-shaded spot. They are fully hardy and will grow up to 1.2 metres.

Pieris japonica ‘Mountain Fire’

Pieris make a great choice of shrub for light shade. Pieris japonica ‘Mountain Fire’ is evergreen and hardy. The young leaves emerge red and turn coppery-green then dark green as they mature. They also have small, bell shaped white flowers in mid spring. Pieris like a moist soil and are happy in full sun to partial shade. ‘Mountain Fire’ is a medium-sized shrub that can grow up to 4 metres over many years.

Sarcococca confusa

As well as providing winter interest, Sarcococca confusa, or sweet box, is one of the best plants for shade. This bushy evergreen shrub has glossy deep green leaves and in winter, vanilla-scented white flowers followed by black berries. Sweet box works well in a shady border or a woodland garden and grows to approximately 1.5 metres.

Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’

Skimmias are a great choice of shrub for shade. ‘Rubella’ is a small and bushy evergreen shrub with dark green leaves. Red buds give these plants winter interest, which then open up to reveal white flowers with a nice fragrance in early spring. Skimmias like a moist and well-drained soil in partial shade and can grow to approximately 1.5 metres.

Best climbers for shade

Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’

Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ is a vigorous climber that will easily scramble over walls and fences. It has large, dark green leaves that are evergreen, making it perfect for screening and year-round interest. Although they like a position in full sun, they can tolerate partial shade as they like to be sheltered and have their roots in a more shaded position. The deep pink buds open up into creamy white flowers tinged with pink in early to mid-spring. They can grow up to 8 metres.

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris

This hydrangea is the best flowering shrub for shade as it can tolerate full shade. As it is self-clinging, it is perfect for climbing up north-facing walls and for adding interest to areas of the garden where you might be struggling to find things that thrive. The fresh green oval leaves turn yellow in autumn before falling and in summer there are displays of showy white flowers. These shrubs can grow up to 12 metres.

Hedera helix

Hedera helix or English ivy is a great shade loving climber. Tolerant of a range of conditions and really hardy, they’re a very low-maintenance choice for a shaded spot in the garden. There are a range of varieties of ivy with differing leaf shapes and colours, so they can really add interest to the garden too. They can grow up to 12 metres.

Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’

Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’ is a vigorous form of honeysuckle that is happy in full sun to partial shade. The flowers are a deep red on the outside and yellow within and are highly fragrant. These plants can grow from 4-8 metres.

The best perennials for shade

Hosta ‘Minuteman’

Hostas are always a popular choice for a shaded spot in the garden. Chosen for their striking foliage, they add interest to damp corners. ‘Minuteman’ is a large, clump-forming hosta that has heart-shaped dark green leaves with irregular creamy-white margins. from early to mid-summer it has spikes of small lavender flowers. They can grow to 1 metre.

Tricyrtis formosana ‘Purple Beauty’

Tricyrtis, also know as toad lilies, are one of the best shade loving perennial plants. Happy in full shade, they also flower in early autumn, helping to add a longer season of interest to a shade garden. ‘Purple Beauty’ has ovate, dark green leaves and the star-shaped flowers are white and heavily speckled with purple. They can grow to approximately 50 centimetres.

Epimedium × warleyense

• Buy now from Crocus (£9.99)

Epimediums make a great addition to any shade garden. Epimedium x warleyense enjoys a spot in partial shade with moist, well-drained soil. Each stem can produce up to 30 orange and yellow flowers in spring. They are semi-evergreen and are particularly useful as ground-cover plants.

Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’

Pulmonaria are early-flowering perennials that often have decorative speckled leaves and are one of the best plants for shade. ‘Blue Ensign’ has plain leaves and bares clusters of rich violet-blue flowers in spring. It has an RHS Award of Garden Merit and grows to approximately 30 centimetres.

For more recommendations on plants for dry shade, you can read our piece about a private garden in Oxford.

There are certain things – ouzo and retsina are two good examples – that should never be taken out of their home country. This is true for Japanese gardens. Make one outside of Japan and it is often little more than a Disneyfied pastiche. The reasons are simple: Japanese gardens are a complex art form based on deep meanings and symbolism and are closely bound to that country’s spiritual culture and environment.

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Yet if you can distil the essence of what they are, there are so many aesthetic principles to be learned and that can be applied to the design of Western gardens. Fundamentally, Japanese gardens are a convergence of architecture, gardens and environment. And that link to the environment, both physically and metaphorically, seems particularly poignant at this moment in time. Japanese gardens have also always been considered to have the power to promote a healthy, spiritual life, something we’ve only recently grasped in the West.

Stone gardens are perhaps the most famed style. This is a representational world full of symbolism where rocks and seas of gravel may replicate an actual landscape or something as intangible as longevity. Trees and waterfalls are considered to emit a spiritual aura and were once deified; an entire thought process that is quite alien to us. There are lessons here. A single, immovable rock brings a stillness and therefore tranquillity. There may be a few well-placed objects surrounded by lots of space in a perfect balance of mass and void and there is always a comfortable flow connecting those empty spaces. Manipulation of perspective creates the illusion of a larger plot. Large rocks in the foreground lead to much smaller ones behind and vertical accents, such as trees, enforce the effect.

Japanese gardens are often referred to as sanctuaries and this is in part a reflection of the importance of enclosure, which is usually the starting point as a space is framed with buildings and fences. The threshold is important too so that the visitor can experience a ‘purifying sensation’ as they step from one contrasting environment into another. We can achieve this transition with a gate or even by squeezing between two hedges. But the garden inside must then be peaceful, balanced, unhurried and harmonious.

Significantly Japanese gardens are timeless, thanks to the use of natural materials and plants, and because even contemporary designs are so heavily inspired by ancient landscapes and nature itself. There is always a dialogue between the existing site and the new garden and this may come from respecting the existing topography or by echoing materials already present. There is always a beauty in the materials themselves.

Our own gardening culture has been about borrowing from nature, then controlling it and turning it into something else. Japanese gardens are simply a reimagining of nature itself. So while European gardens may be formal, symmetrical and sometimes static, Japanese gardens favour asymmetry as this imbalance brings an energy and dynamism to the garden. Low-level topiary in organic forms is used rather than grand individual statements, totems and rectangles, and these rounded, clipped shapes are often flowing, creating movement and relating to each other. Although they may be obviously clipped and contrived, they make a profound link with the natural scenery beyond. Borrowed views, known in Japanese as shakkei, are often used.

The blurring of inside and out is old hat to the Japanese. Their buildings with sliding shoji doors and paper panels were invented to blend architecture and nature. But where we in the West go wrong is that we consider these sorts of devices as a way to get to the outside dining table or lounge seat more easily when instead we should think of this as a way to bring nature and landscape right up to the house to rub against our souls.

Often the Japanese compose a view like a stage set or painting to be experienced from a fixed vantage point. In a courtyard garden, or naka-niwa, the small size puts an incredible emphasis on the placement of objects within which could be carefully chosen rocks and moss and perhaps a slender tree that encourages you to look up to the sky and appreciate the sense of openness, which can be vital in a tiny space.

Stroll gardens are different. These are larger gardens and are never seen in their entirety from any single point. Boundaries are hidden and they unfold themselves as winding paths and stepping stones that force visitors to focus on specific vistas. Concealed surprises are at first revealed and then withdrawn as the paths lead on. Walking in the shadows beneath overhanging trees might lead to a bright, sunlit clearing. A narrow threshold unexpectedly delivers you to a wide-open space. These contrasting events are all designed to enrich the journey and bring the garden to life.

Andy Sturgeon is an internationally renowned landscape and garden designer. He is the winner of eight Gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, including Best in Show in 2019. andysturgeon.com

Trilliums can have an expensive price tag and be tricky to cultivate, which often puts gardeners off growing them, but with a little perseverance, Val Bourne says that these shade-loving plants are worth the extra effort and expense.

Here we’ve listed some of Val’s favourite varieties to tempt you into growing trilliums in your own garden.

The best trilliums to grow

Trillium kurabayashii

A showy species with sultry red-to-purple bracts and sepals above strongly marked foliage. This particular form was sourced from Harvington Clone A, a seed-raised trillium, which means that variations can and do occur as is generally true for many seed-raised trilliums.
50cm 

Trillium erectum

This dainty trillium flowers early, and loves acid soil. Its petals (normally wine-red) and green sepals, are held on a stalk above bright foliage. Can suffer frost damage.
60cm. AGM*. RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b.

Trillium sulcatum

Broad-petalled, wine-red flowers, with quilled, dark and narrow sepals behind, are held on stalks above large, rounded leaves. The flowers, which curtsey slightly, smell musty and attract flies.
45cm. USDA 3a-9b 

Trillium flexipes ‘Harvington Dusky Pink’

A strong hybrid of Trillium flexipes and Trillium sulcatum that took Hugh Nunn ten years to select and raise. Its dusky pink flowers are framed by narrow, red-edged sepals, and the strong stems also have a pink-flush.
38cm 

Trillium vaseyi

A sweetly fragrant, maroon-red trillium that carries its flowers under the foliage on an almost horizontal stalk making the flower look as though it’s nodding. Hides its flowers perhaps a little too well.
60cm. USDA 5a-8b

Trillium flexipes a Harvington selection

A good selection from Trillium flexipes with rounded green foliage topped with cream-white flowers and a pale pink ovary (rather than the usual creamy-white one). This strong-growing trillium is tolerant of lime, being found naturally on wooded limestone slopes.
50cm

Trillium simile

Each of its creamy-white flowers has an attractive dark eye in shades of purple and midnight-blue, resembling a miniature clematis flower. It clumps up well in humus-rich, damp soil.
45cm. USDA 3a-9b.

Trillium grandiflorum

Possibly the best-loved trillium, with full-petalled, large, white flowers that can vary in size and are held on stems above dark-green foliage. Flowers later than many in May and June.
45cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 3a-9b.

Trillium ‘Harvington Star’

An elegant, creamy-white hybrid of Trillium simile and Trillium flexipes ‘Harvington Selection’. Narrow petals, separated by slender green bracts, form starry flowers with a dark red ovary at the centre.
40cm

Trillium albidum

A showy, early flowerer with freesia-scented, pale flowers and lily-green bracts set above green-veined, slightly ruffled foliage that can be splashed in shades of grey-brown and creosote.
50cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 3a-9b

Trillium luteum

As its name, yellow wood trillium, suggests, this showy trillium needs shady conditions. Stays in flower for weeks so very garden worthy and colour develops as flowers mature.
30cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b.

Trillium ludovicianum

Known as the Louisiana trillium, this has strongly marked leaves and erect flowers, which can vary from green through to purple. The wavy-edged petals are set around upright, wide stamens.
30cm. USDA 7a-8b

Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum

Cool-pink flowers, rather like most montana clematis in colour, held above all-green foliage, which has a red picotee edge due to presence of anthocyanin. Pink forms are locally frequent in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Kentucky, although Hugh Nunn’s pink forms originated in Virginia.
45cm. RHS H5.

Trillium rivale

This small trillium with red-speckled white flowers loves stream edges, but will need drainage and moisture to do well. Less hardy than some, it’s often grown in an alpine situation.
15cm. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 5a-9b

Trillium rugelii

Broad, green foliage and a curving stalk that tucks the flower under the foliage typify this robust species. Its distinctive flowers have strongly recurved petals that turn back on themselves.
45cm. USDA 3a-9b

Trillium grandiflorum f. polymerum ‘Flore Pleno’

The most desirable trillium of all for most gardeners, with double white flowers set above all-green foliage. It’s later than the single form and doesn’t set seed because most forms are sterile. Propagation demands division and this makes it expensive, but the fully petalled flowers last much longer than the single forms.
45cm. RHS H5, USDA 3a-9b.