IN THE GARDEN
A striking evergreen with early-flowering small, single red flowers and golden-yellow stamens that often blooms around December. Reaching up to 4m (13’1”) tall, it thrives in sheltered, partially shaded locations with acidic, well-draining soil.
Though hardy, it benefits from protection in exposed or colder gardens. Its festive blooms and attractive foliage provide seasonal interest, but care should be taken to avoid frost exposure during severe cold spells which will damage flowering buds.
This low maintenance shrub is a compact, bushy evergreen with dark green leaves and clusters of red flower buds that appear in winter, opening into fragrant white flowers in spring. It grows to about 90-120cm (2’11”-3’11”) tall and wide, favouring partial shade and moist, well-drained, acidic to neutral soil.
'Rubella' is hardy and performs well in Scottish winters, adding seasonal colour with its red buds. Perfect for containers or borders, to bring cheer to the winter garden.
Sarcococca is a fantastic winter-blooming shrub, often called sweet box or Christmas box. Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna 'Purple Stem' is a compact, shade-loving evergreen with glossy green leaves and the most gorgeous purple-flushed stems which complement the vanilla-scented white flowers in late winter. It grows up to 1m (3’3”) tall and wide and thrives in well-draining, slightly acidic to neutral soil.
Its hardy nature makes it well-suited to Scotland’s climate, even in colder regions, where its fragrant blooms bring subtle winter interest to shaded garden areas - you can even cut a few stems to bring indoors in a vase to scent your home.
Euonymus japonicus is a versatile, hardy evergreen shrub that provides reliable structure in the winter garden. Varieties such as ‘Ovatus Aureus’ and other variegated types add visual interest with their green, and creamy or yellow tinged foliage.
This shrub is tough, tolerating a range of conditions from full sun to partial shade and most soil types, though it prefers well-draining soil. Reaching around 1-2m (3’3”-6’6”) in height and spread, Euonymus japonicus is well-suited to Scottish gardens, withstanding frosty conditions, winter winds, and even salt-laden air.
This low-growing ground cover plant, offers bright green foliage with creamy, white-edged leaves. It thrives in shade and requires moist, humus-rich soil, making it perfect for underplanting in sheltered areas.
Reaching up to 50cm (1’8”) in height and slowly spreading, it provides excellent ground cover and interest in winter. It is reliably hardy across Scotland and ideal for adding low-maintenance greenery to shaded borders or beneath taller shrubs during the colder months.
