Looking Good in the Garden 23rd Jan

It’s mid winter here in the UK and this month I’m making the most of some lovely variegated foliage plants. Seasonal changes are some of the main factors I love about our garden but there are some plants here that don’t change much at all throughout the year. From spring to autumn most of these plants play a supporting role.  Usually the stars in the garden are pastel spring blossom and bulbs, bright summer blooms and mellow autumn leaves. It is easy to take foliage plants for granted… they are in the background most of the time really.

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Ginkgo biloba Looking Good

We have had the most unusual November week here in the UK. High temperatures ( up to 22C in mid Wales last Sunday ) and foggy mornings followed by sunny afternoons,  lots of warm rain through the night and very little wind. November around here in North West England is often very cold with gale force winds. People need to wear warm coats, scarves and daft hats with waterproof boots. This year the atmosphere is calm and the cold snap that usually arrives in October still hasn’t materialised. It’s cardigan weather.

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Foliage in the Foreground

Summer is almost over. There is just one week of summer left for the UK in 2015.
On 23rd September Autumn begins. Seasonal changes in day length and falling temperatures mean that already our flowers are beginning to bow out gracefully leaving attractive seed heads behind. Even though leaves are still green some of our trees are stunning with the low sunlight shining through leaves.

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