Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'
coral-bark maple
- Position: lightly, dappled shade
- Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained neutral to acid soil
- Rate of growth: slow-growing
- Flowering period: April to May
- Hardiness: fully hardy
This is one of the best Japanese maples, as it looks fabulous all year round. It has pale green, deeply cut leaves that turn soft shades of yellow in autumn, and it also looks gorgeous in winter, after all the leaves have fallen, when its new shoots glow coral-red in the winter sunlight. Try it next to a path, or in front of a window, where the autumn and winter colour can be fully appreciated, or as part of a winter border. It needs a shaded, sheltered spot, away from strong winds. - Garden care: Add a top-dressing of a multi-purpose fertiliser around the base of a newly planted tree in late spring and keep well watered. No routine pruning is required, just remove any dead, damaged or crossing branches in late autumn or winter when they are fully dormant.
Vinca minor 'Atropurpurea'
lesser periwinkle
Delicious dark damson-purple flowers
Polypodium vulgare
common polypody
Native evergreen fern. Very versatile!
Pyracantha Saphyr Rouge ('Cadrou') (PBR)
firethorn (syn. Saphyr Red)
Superb red berries
Pachysandra terminalis
Japanese spurge
Evergreen ground cover with white flowers. For sun or shade
Japanese
Make the most of over 3000 years of gardening tradition by creating an oriental-style garden. Originally designed as a place for intellectual contemplation and meditation, they are an ideal sanctuary from...
Read full articleWater garden
Who can resist the allure of water in the garden? The gentle gurgle of a running stream creates a sense of calm and tranquillity, while a simple pond makes a focal point with magnetic appeal. You can create lush...
Read full articleFebruary pruning of trees, shrubs and climbers
The garden is at its most dormant right now, so it’s a good time to catch up on any pruning missed or forgotten since the autumn. If the weather isn’t favourable, you can leave it for a week or two,...
Read full articleJapanese maples
Japanese maples make elegant focal points in a garden and seen in their full glory of autumn colour are absolutely breathtaking. They mix well with brilliant autumn berries, picking up reds and oranges all around the garden. Although many species...
Read full articleAutumn Colour
Perhaps it is because the colours of autumn are so variable in the Uk, that we value them all the more when they appear. As levels of sunlight fall in autumn and the days become shorter, photosynthesis is no longer...
Read full article
A winter warmer with pink-red shoots and branches, this chameleon of an acer has pink-green leaves in spring but they age to mustard yellow as they fall
Val Bourne - Garden Writer