The starkness of our winter yards brings home the importance of every feature earning its living - be it an evergreen shrub, a bird feeder or even furniture.
These simple benches from www.ingarden.co.uk are beautifully designed using natural materials.
Their shape would delight the eye throughout the year and in better weather be the perfect place to ponder the credit crisis.
http://www.ingarden.co.uk/ingarden/2595/default/d/natural+stone+benches/mt/c/rid/279309
There are many ways around to provide fresh herbs in the kitchen over winter but I think this is one of the most stylish.
The Herb Garden by Royal VKB comes complete with herb scissors to snip bits off as required. At only £27.53 from www.madeindesign.co.uk it is must for any yardners kitchen.
http://www.madeindesign.co.uk/prod-Herb-garden-Royal-VKB-refvt830-dgw.html
Remember the balmy days of summer, sipping Pimms and downing lashing of strawberries and cream. But did those supermarket strawberries taste as good as they looked?
Why not grow your own. They are easy to grow in containers and are specially suited to growing in window boxes. In the past the varieties available had been bred to grow in fields producing big bushy plants and lots of runners - the new plants grown on the end of a long lateral stem.
Today though there are varieties such as Strawberry F1 Berries Galore that has been bred especially for growing in containers and window boxes. These are compact plants that do not produce runners but are still very productive. They are available now as baby plants in garden centres ready to grow on in pots on a windowsill and then plant out in your windowbox in spring.
Haven't worked out a home recipe for Pimms though!
The harsh weather of the last few days has shown the benefit of not only having evergreen plants in the yard to give shape and structure but also how interesting stems can be once bare of foliage.
Deciduous climbers planted against boundary walls and fences create interesting abstract patterns with their bare stems. The dull winter lights cast almost no shadow so the outlines of the stems are stark against brickwork.
The photo shows a 'Russian Vine', the dreaded 'mile a minute' climber that has arrow shaped green leaves in the growing season and then is covered with creamy white flowers from mid summer. The best though I now find to be the shapes and patterns that it draws in the winter with its mahogany coloured stems.
My yard in the winter snow showing the benefit of growing evergreens that give shape and shadow to the winter garden. The round shape of clipped box contrast with the spiky sword shaped leaves of phormium and cordyline.
Snowdrops living up to their name in the garden centre in rare snow in Devon today.
Snowdrops are really worth planting especially under shrubs where they can be seen nestling in the snow. Always buy snowdrops growing in pots or as dug up plants 'in the green' as the dried bulbs you buy in packets in the autumn never grow as well. There are a wide range of varieties including double flowered snowdrops.
emsa part of the Addis Housewares group produce this amazing window box system under the myBOX brand. They consist of an outer container available in a choice of colours, a removable planting insert, and an integrated irrigation system.
'From trendy pink and green to sophisticated anthracite or brown, through to classic white – myBox has many faces: the contemporary-style window-boxes and planters are available in a choice of five colours and two sizes respectively. Mix 'n match frames, likewise in five contrasting shades, make the myBox system complete and allow up to 25 different combinations. So there is guaranteed to be something to suit every taste – from students to doctors or solicitors, up to and including design enthusiasts and devoted housewives. Having opted for the basic colour for the window-box or planter, customers can ring the changes by switching frames depending on their mood or the season, to give the balcony, kitchen or waiting room a fresh, new look whenever it takes their fancy. With so much individuality and flexibility to choose from, who can resist joining in.'
There are a wide range of outdoor solar lights on the market, most though are cheap and cheerful with little style and are not very efficient. The Sky lighting system takes outdoor lighting to a new height. It is not cheap though but wow what style!
''Sky'' is the new outdoor lighting system designed by Alfredo Häberli. It represents the final piece of Luceplan's research on energy saving. This lamp with IP65 protection is for outdoor use. ''Sky'' is available in two versions : with fluorescent source or with LED and photovoltaic cells. The model using solar energy get a rechargeable batterie and is wire-free. Exists in two heights : H 28 cm or H 70 cm and in 3 colours (white, alu, chestnut).
The solar version with photovoltaic cells allows capturing the maximum quantity of sun light during the day and releasing an intense and prolonged lighting from the first hours of dusk. At zero consumption, it does not use electric cables and avoids expensive cable embedding into the ground. Its lighting can be compared to the traditional light sources in terms of intensity and shades of colour.'
www.madeindesign.co.uk £470.33
http://www.madeindesign.co.uk/prod-Sky-Solar-Lamp-H-28-cm-Luceplan-ref1d630t1ls002.html#
Planting trees in small spaces frightens people.Will it grow too large and block out the light? Will it's roots undermine my house foundations? etc., etc..
My choice for a small tree with wow factor is Crataegus Paul's Scarlet. This is a decorative hawthorn with mid green leaves and double dark pink flowers in late spring. It's as 'tough as old boots' and stand up to city pollution. Can grow up to 8m tall but with regular pruning you can keep it to the size you want.
www.crocus.com £34.25 10ltr Pot
Started sowing your veg seeds yet? Not keen on the standard plastic propagator?
Then why not splash out £9.78 on the Ikea Fro Mini Greenhouse. Made of solid pine with a metal base and glass glazing. At 50 x 24 x 25cm it is the perfect size to fit on any windowsill. Not available on line so its a trip to the store.
