How to create winter colour in the garden?

Creating winter colour in the garden is always a challenge. Complete reliance on plants to flower in the colder months is impossible. There are a few varieties that will flower, but it is difficult to expect them to provide the mainstay of seasonal colour. Here we give you six top tips to have guaranteed pops of excitement whatever the weather.

Colourful pots

There is a huge range of pots and planters available on the market. Rather than selecting a standard terracotta or metal pot, which will often add little visual excitement to a space, opt instead for a coloured fibreglass planter. They come in myriad styles and colours, often at surprisingly affordable prices. Use in groups or lines of threes for a simple, high impact colour injection.

Hard landscaping

Rendered raised beds are a popular feature in modern gardens. If you have one, consider painting it a zingy lime or paint box of shades to cheer the garden up in the colder months. The great advantage of painting garden features is that the colour can be changed as often as you like at very little cost. Plus, the colour possibilities are endless.

Screens

When renovating a garden, I often suggest a feature panel of some sort. This could be timber or weathered steel, both of which will add drama and elegance to a garden. However for real ‘wow’ factor I recommend Perspex screens to add a weatherproof, fade-free block of colour whatever the season. HardiePanel is also a great weatherproof material to provide a colour backdrop or feature screen that will stand out and provide the brightest of colours on the greyest of days.

Tiling

A panel of decorative tiles is a great solution for winter colour in the garden. It really ups the ante. The vast array of tiles available means that you can have pretty much any combination you like to add a depth of colour to any scheme. Make sure you select frost proof tiles so they stay looking good for years to come.

Outdoor canvas

Fairly cheap to buy, child’s play to install, and with almost infinite colour and image possibilities, an outdoor canvas is the simplest way to brighten up your garden. Hang behind a dining area, or place at the focal point when viewed from the house for added impact. Guaranteed to give your garden a year-round lift.

Planting

Despite what I wrote at the beginning of this post, there are certain plants which will provide you year round colour. Think about bark and berries as well as foliage and flowers. A bank of dogwood, for example, looks stunning. Some great plants for picking up the borders include:

• Cornus
• Lonicera pupuseii
• Phormiums
• Heucheras
• Mahonia

And of course, don’t forget grass. Whilst it might not be the most exciting part of your garden, it does provide a swath of green all year round.

Katrina Kieffer-Wells is our Senior garden Designer at Earth Designs. If you would like to some design advice please get in touch.