Winter is a tricky time for gardening due to the inclement weather and the shortness of the days.  A log fire, a hot toddy and a seed catalogue can seem more appealing than cold wellies and frozen fingers.  But, there is another option.  The lack of appeal in our own gardens at this time of the year opens up an opportunity for us to venture out and seek inspiration from some of the wonderful public winter gardens that are open now. 

Exploring these havens of colour and scent can give us ideas for our own gardens and help us to plan for the year to come.  Here we will find proof that gardens can be just as exciting and floriferous as the most spectacular summer show, even in the winter months.  As many gardens close for the winter, not to re-open till Easter, it is a delight to be able to visit a great example of a winter garden at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire; a National Trust Property which is open all year round.  In the Winter Walk bold and effective plants are used for their coloured stems, bark, flowers, leaves and scents, to create pools of colour and waves of perfume during the cold weather.

The golden stems of pollarded Salix rise above the vibrant colours of the stooled cornus and bring a glowing warmth to a chilly winter’s day.  At ground level, amid the delicate fluttering skirts of the hellebores, the first green shoots of spring peek through, with the promise of the season to come. Thousands of snowdrops, hellebores, epimediums and bergenias cover the ground, and the beautiful barks of prunus and acers contrast with the dark soil and ground cover planting.  The air is filled with the delicious perfumes of mahonias and witch hazel and Daphnes.

Any cornus or salix within your own garden which provide stem structure and colourful winter branches will need to be reviewed ready for hard pruning, or cutting back to their woody bases during February or early March.  New stems begin to form in spring which will provide interest throughout the year and wands of colour in the winter.  If left unchecked they tend to grow tall and straggly and lose their compact shape completely.  A small amount of formative pruning at this end of the season will bring fantastic results next winter.

Among other shrubs that respond well to hard pruning in late winter are Cotinus, Catalpa and Buddleia.  Also, for Wisterias, encourage flower spurs to form along the stems by shortening all side shoots to about 2.5cm from the main stem, and tie in leading shoots to extend the spread and coverage of the plant.

A cold spell or fall or snow will finish off the remaining seed heads in our herbaceous borders and it is now that small birds are at their most vulnerable.  Blue Tits and Robins need to eat the equivalent of a quarter of their body weight in food just to survive.  If snow covers the ground just for a day or two they may not get access to the food they need and it becomes more important that we help by feeding them. 

If you feel inspired to visit a Winter Garden, the following are open all year:
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB:  a mix of landscaped lawns, formal gardens, and greenhouses. Kew functions as a botanical research centre and maintains the largest plant collection in the world. The gardens are open all year except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Nymans, Handcross, nr Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6EB: internationally known for its beauty, atmosphere and collection of rare and important plants.  Open 10 – 4 Weds – Sun.
Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, nr Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6TN:  300 acres of gardens including walled gardens, water gardens, a wetland conservation area, woodland, lakes and ponds.  Open all year except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.