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Cheer up your garden this winter

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 10:28 AM

Does looking out the window leave you feeling glum? Add some colour to your flowerbeds, writes Caroline Howley.

If you want to brighten up your garden during the chilly weather, it is essential to use hardy winter bedding plants. Thomas Hoblyn, spokesperson for the Society of Garden Designers, recommends pansies. "They are just amazing plants," he says. "If your flowerbed is looking a bit dead at this time of year, you can plant them to give colour."

Pansies are a particularly popular choice for these seasons because they will flower all winter and add myriad bright colours to your garden. "They are a bit common, but the reason why they are common is because they are absolutely fantastic and are therefore very popular," says Hoblyn.

What's more, the pretty plants are versatile and will survive in either window boxes or borders. In order for pansies to keep "flowering their hearts out", Hoblyn adds that it is important to remember that the plant requires fertiliser.

Planting bulbs among your bedding plants will also produce beautiful results. Hoblyn advises starting off with snowdrops, as he has seen them flowering at Christmas time in the past (most bulbs will flower in the spring).

According to Hoblyn, Daphne and Witch Hazels are among the other shrubs you can use to great effect in winter. "Both flower and are very fragrant, so it is important to plant them near doors so you can smell them as you go in and out of the house," he says. While these plants are not particularly flashy, they do boast memorable scents.
 

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