I’m sure that many Gardeners are sitting back, pining for Spring to hurry up and arrive, but there’s no reason not to enjoy your garden, at least as a view from the window now in the winter time.

Did you plan your garden properly so that you would have something to look out on from your warm home through the long cold months of winter? Perhaps some nicely shaped evergreen bushes? Cedar, pine, perhaps a boxwood or two? Or maybe you have some trees or plants that produce lovely berries in the late fall that carry through to winter? Perhaps a Holly Bush? Even plants and trees with brightly coloured branches and stems can brighten up the winter garden. The branches of my Rugosa rose bushes usually turn a lovely redish shade when the season turns cool.

If you look out your window and find that you don’t have much too look at now that winter has arrived perhaps you should spend some time this winter planning for the next winter?

As I already mentioned above – nicely shaped bushes such as boxwood, cedar and pine give the garden something with colour to look at when everything outside is white – and they also add structure, or bones to a garden.

Plants from the Cornus family – Dogwood – have bright red or yellow stems. Then there are the Prunus Autumnalis which has flowers through the winter when grown in the correct climate. Speaking of climate- some of you may be able to grow winter blooming Heather, or Viburnum “Bodmantense”.

Take some time this winter to think about how you can improve on your gardens look for next winter.