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Seed-Heads and Grasses in Winter

January 4, 2021 By Jill Anderson 4 Comments

Gardeners seem to fall into two camps, tidy and neat or relaxed and nauturalistic. My aim is to convert everyone to the latter camp, and there are good reasons why.

Many tall, winter plants look amazing

Cutting back grasses and tall perennials in winter robs us of their full potential. Left to their own devices, soft feathery grasses look wonderful, swaying gently in the breeze. The colours, generally soft and muted, tone beautifully with steely winter weather. Basically your garden looks better with a silhouette of tall seed-heads and textural grasses.Tall silhouette of seed-heads in front, copper coloured beech hedge behind.-Seed-Heads and Grasses in Winter

seedheads of Veronicastrum flowers in front, pale grasses behind

Veronucastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’

Slim, elegant Veronicastrum flowers are a soft lilac blue, in summer, but it’s the shapes that look great in winter. 

tall flowering grasses at front, lake and trees behind

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Ferne Osten’

Less Work:

Less to do in the garden in the cold months of winter. It’s nice to be out in the garden all year round, but leaving plants standing until spring, gives time to concentrate on the more important jobs.

Food and shelter for wildlife

As well as their wonderful structure, those beautiful seed-heads provide a feast for birds, whilst strong stems make a home for hibernating beetles and solitary bees.

Phlomis anatolica ‘Lloyds Variety’

Phlomis has the advantage of standing up well to all kinds of winter weather. The seeds are perfect for small birds, like Sisken and Goldfinches.

Ferula communis

Ferula communis, a  statuesque plant, growing up to 3m tall and 1 m wide. The shock of vibrant leaves at the base of the plant is a promise of things to come.


Seed-Heads and Grasses in Winter - seedheads of Achillea plants in winter

Flat Achillea seed-heads, beautiful en masse, are full of tiny seeds for winter birds.

In short, I go for shapes rather than colour in winter. What do you think, & what are your favourite winter plants?

All these photos were taken at R.H.S. Wisley Garden. It’s fairly close to where I live and has become a kind of sanctuary during these difficult times. It’s also a brilliant place to see what fully grown plants look like, and has a massive range of all types of plants when you want ideas.

More about Wisley Garden here

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has a list of plants with good winter seed-heads here

Wishing you a safe, healthy, happy new year.

Jill

all photos: Jill Anderson

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Gardening, Plants Tagged With: plants for the winter garden, ssed-heads and grasses in winter, winter seed-heads for birds

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Comments

  1. Libby says

    January 6, 2021 at 2:49 pm

    Oh Jill I’m trying I’m trying…..very hard for me to leave plants going all winter! I just want to tidy up!! Thanks for the nudge…..

    Reply
    • Jill Anderson says

      January 6, 2021 at 3:15 pm

      I know! We all like a sense of order, maybe just leaving a small area over winter will help you get used to the idea!

      Reply
  2. julie says

    January 6, 2021 at 4:24 pm

    I so agree with you and have left everything in the garden as it is. I probably won’t start to cut back until late February, depending on when we get a nice blue sky sunny day. My pride and joy are my many pots of hakenochloa grasses, all golden bronze and swaying in the breeze. So lovely before I have to cut them back in a few weeks’ time.

    Reply
    • Jill Anderson says

      January 11, 2021 at 9:53 am

      Hi Julie, it’s so different to how we used to garden isnt it, when tidying and clearing was what winter gardening was all about!
      You’re Hakonechloe grasses must be a lovely sight. Take care.

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Jill Anderson.
This is where you’ll find good, solid information about gardening, growing fruit & vegetables and how to keep it all looking good.
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The healing, calming power of nature in one photo. The healing, calming power of nature in one photo.
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Have a great Sunday.
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Have a nice evening.
Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Vis Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Visiting to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures, which are amazing, but unprepared for the beauty of the grounds & garden. 
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Hope you’re keeping well, & managing to smile some of the time. x
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Spinach, courgettes & garlic in shot here. 
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday x
Hope is a decision I’ve thought long & hard abou Hope is a decision
I’ve thought long & hard about how to view the tumult in the world we’re living in now. 
The only thing that works for me, is to choose hope.

It’s a tall order, but avoiding mainstream news & speculation helps avoid the anxiety, that’s often waiting in the wings.

One day soon there’ll be grandchildren clambering over this again.
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