Winter Interest

I have:-

Winter honeysuckle (lonicera fragrantissima), Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), hellebores, and a couple of different types of winter flowering clematis (there are varying levels of hardiness though).

Another aspect to consider is planting late flowering plants like iceplant and Michaelmas daisy, these give colour and attraction to wildlife well into late autumn/early winter.

Leaving summer flowering plants to dieback naturally in the border over winter is a simple way of helping wildlife as birds may eat the seeds as well as the invertebrates that hide amongst the dying back foliage.

Thanks for the ideas! Believe me, I'm not one to tidy up unnecesarily. I will definitely seek out a hellebore for the border we're planning- hoping to have nectar rich plants available Jan-first frost there. I may well look into the clematis and honeysuckle too, as we need more climbers.

Our front garden already has iceplant and chrysanthemums, which have kept the bees busy through autumn.

Hi All,

I have to confess that my borders are designed mainly for Spring/Summer/Autumn pollinators and during the Winter months I simply leave all the seed heads on and wait for the Goldfinches to find them! This recent cold snap proved the start of my 'Goldfinch' season here and is a joy to watch!

Sorry not very constructive for your 'winter border' but I have to say, tons of winter interest for me!! :-)

Apologies this is a poor picture through the double glazing and heavily cropped but it shows what I mean...

If you have perennial borders with Rudbeckias, Heleniums & Verbenas etc your local finches will thank you for it if you let them go to seed! I have added tall grasses through my borders and their winter seed heads look fantastic covered in frost and adds tons of winter interest also! 

Just an idea?....

You can see what I'm planning to sow for next year in my latest blog entry on the link below....

Best

Higgy

Nice to  hear from you again Higgy - sorry that you've been suffering!  Thanks for link to your blog, it will be particularly helpful to me as I'm planning an overhaul of my small gardens in the Spring.  I have taken your previous advice and not cut back dead plants this winter although I've not yet got much in the way of 'finch' plants!  My best winter flowers have been late roses & lots of hips 'cos I didn't prune and my climbing Fuschia is still flowering really well & a new one this year is a golden globe Buddleia which only lost its blooms in the first frost.  I am planning as many berry plants as I can manage for next year - even if I have to grow some of them in large pots (ericaceous lovers - as I live in a chalk quarry!)

Hi Wendy,

Great to hear what you've been up to and your lovely range of plants! I don't know why but I have found Rudbeckia Goldstrum extremely attractive to Goldfinches at this time of year!? Also Verbena Bonariensis seems to be a hit when it's frosty!

I will try and write another blog entry this week as I was fortunate enough to be able to tag an order onto a friends large order for native trees! I have purchased some for my garden and some to go in the hedgerow which my neighbours seem intent on destroying! This year one side cut out a complete crop of Cotoneaster berries, which I was gutted about, so I'm growing my own native hedge now!

Your Chalk soil is great as there are lots of plants that you can grow for wildlife. Tons of wild flowers including a good range of Orchids! Then you have perennials like Achillea, Astrantia, Verbena Bonariensis, Verbascum, Aquiliegia to name a few! Shrubs and trees that might work in your hedging could include Ceonothus, Daphne, Euonymus and of course Hawthorn! Flowering Cherries will grow on Chalk and offer lots of potential! How exciting a new garden overhaul will be! And very different to my low lying wetland garden!

It would be great to see your plans for your garden overhaul and the 'project' as it develops? Maybe you could do a running link on here as I'm sure it would be extremely interesting to many on here?

If I can help at all with anything drop me a line either on here or via my blog?...

Best

Higgy

Thank you Higgy for the continued info - will keep in touch.