This week's Winning Combination is berberis thunbergiii Pink Queen and spiraea Pink Ice with cool, variegated trachylospermum jasminoides. 09 March 2026
Edgworthia, a highly fragranced, early flowering shrub, really eye-catching in the winter border. Seen here en masse at Europlants UK Ltd 18 Feb 2026
Dainty but tough as old boots, Narcissus Tete a Tete in Penny & Paul's garden 17 Feb 2026
elegant Daphne in full fragrant flower at Stephens House 16 Feb 2026
Luzula sylvatica Solar Flair is the most accommodating grass. Simply pull off one of its offsets, shove it into dry shade and it thrives. 15 Feb 2026
Much maligned bergenia, aptly named Elephant's Ears, is great ground cover when little else is in flower. This large variety is in Ian & Michela's garden, but newer varieties have smaller, russet leaves. 14 Feb 2026
Hamamelis Ruby Glow is Ruth's garden. It's on fire! 13 Feb 2026
Val & Mark's sarcococca Winter Gem has vivid red stems and the fragrance is heavenly in the cool winter air. 12 Feb 2026
I just cant get enough hellebores this winter, fantastic year for them. This vivid pink at Penny and Paul's is a stunner. 11 Feb 2026
Dainty little anemone blanda, the first of many in Penny & Paul's garden 10 Feb 2026
I prefer the pretty pastels to the sunshine yellows of daffs. 09 Feb 2026
Bit of a Marmite plant, this! Photinia Pink Marble. I just love the bright new pink shoots. FIne in shade or sunshine. No fuss. 8 Feb 2026
First iris reticulata of the year, Katharine Hodgkin, making a valiant effort to open in this incessantly wet weather! 07 Feb 2026
Heucheras are indispensable at this time of year, their marbled foliage and dainty flowers brighten up the dullest corners. 06 Feb 2026
Coronilla glauca is a lax evergreen shrub with highly fragrance yellow flowers in late winter 05 Feb 2026
Ferns provide much needed greenery in containers in the dreariest month. Pteris umbrosa. 04 Feb 2026
What would we do without camellias at this time of year for a bit of bling? 3 Feb 2026
Crocus are appearing, self-sown, each year brings surprises. 02 Feb 2026
The first chionodoxa or Glory of The Snow. Sweet little bulb in icy shades of blue. Feb
Mahonia aquifolium or Oregon Grape. Bit of a thug, this one, but its winter flowers have a delicious fragrance 31 Jan 2026
Carex Everillo, absolute must for areas that don't get much attention. I have four out front in tubs, must be 10 years old, never water, look good throughout the year. 30 Jan 2026
Now, this is one shrub that I think is at o=its best in bud. Starbursts in the gloom! Sorbaria Sem loves dry shade but it does run. 29 Jan 2026
Lovely little Golden Blue viola is a firm favourite. 28 Jan 2026
At last some colour! Primulas for the auricular theatre. 27 Jan 2026
Chaenomeles or ornamental quince at Kenwood. Usually reds and pinks, don't often se a white one.26 Jan 2026
Snowdrops. At last. Long winter. 25 Jan 2025
Sarcococca, or Christmas Box, is an unassuming shrub for 10 months of the year, great for dry shade, but in January its insignificant flowers pump out the most delicious fragrance throughout the garden. 24 Jan 2026
A real winter beauty! Garrya eliptica James Roof or the silk tassel bush, in Pat's garden. 23 Jan 2026
shrubby veronica or Hebe by Helen's front door, to cheer us on during all this rain. 22 Jan 2026
Fragrant witch hazel or hamamelis at Penny and Paul's 21 Jan 2026
Primroses in Linda and Harry's woodland garden 20 Jan 2026
Winter aconites in our front garden. We are on the cusp of spring! 19 Jan 2026
Camelias at Kenwood. Think this one is alba simplex. 08 Jan 2026
Rhodo in bud at Kenwood 17 Jan 2026
The Flamingo willow or salix integra Hakuro Nishiki, usually sold as a standard for containers, sports lovely red stems in winter. But beware they don't stay small for long! 16 Jan 2026
Euphorbia characias Wulfenii, a beast of s thing! Exotic evergreen that looks good all yar round and is tough as old boots. 15 Jan 2026
Helleboreus Spring Promise Series at Penny & Paul's. 14 Jan 2026
The brightest vinca of them all! Vinca minor Illumination. I don't grow it for its flowers but to brighten up a dull corner. Break bits off, poke them into the soil and off it goes. 13 Jan 2026
Cornus alba sibirica makes a wonderful hedge when planted en masse, wish it was used more in municipal gardens.12 Jan 2026
Carex morrowii Goldband or Goldband Grass Sedge is brilliant all year round, whether in pots or edging borders. It takes any situation in its stride. 11 Jan 2026
Cyclamen Coum. Lovely leaves, pretty flowers when not much else is flowering. 10 Jan 2026
Cotoneaster cornubia, evergreen variety makes a great hedge and is heaving with berries. 09 Jan 2026
Elaeagnus × submacrophylla 'Limelight' great evergreen hedging shrub. Fragrant flowers if allowed to grow as a freeform shrub. 08 Jan 2026
Golden Bamboo or Phyllostachys aurea makes for marvellous screening but may need keeping in check, as it has a tendency to run. 7 Jan 2026
Griselinia littoralis is a sturdy evergreen shrub, in this case growing into the canopy of my ancient apple tree. 06 Jan 2026
Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica or the fern leaved clematis, is a scrambling, prolific, winter flowering climber
Viburnum Bodntense Dawn in bud. 04 Jan 2026
Can't believe I haven't put Erysimum Bowles Mauve on before. It flowers forever! Short lived evergreen perennial. Every garden should have one. 03 Jan 2026
Camellia, aptly named Yuletide, in Val & Mark's garden. 02 Jan 2026
Happy New Year! A single red rose, what better way to start 2026. 01 January 2026
