Modern Gardens - Issue 81 - December 2022

100sE W
MODERN GARDENS DECEMBER 2022
£4.25 December 2022 Issue No.81

FREE!
OF N AS
PLANT-NOW
PRIMULAS
worth
£24.98!* IDE
*GB ONLY, JUST PAY POSTAGE, SEE P110

MAKE IT
Snow Let your celebrations spill outdoors!

much
fun…
Step-by-step
to your very
own wreath PLUS!
On-trend
petite pines
you’ll adore all year DECEMBER ISSUE NOV 23 - DEC 20
p.18
Ooh!
Expert tricks
to decorate
with natural
treasures
Throw a party around the firepit p.92

MAKE IT MAGICAL
How to plant
Plant a pretty accent of winter reds p.57
a hellebore Garden decs to make this weekend p.28
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VALUE
Simp
pleasu le
in Dece res
g
iv e
in
r l at
oo br mber
Faffing a
bout mak
ing festiv
td le
Sipping a e decs
hot drink
ou Ce
on a cold on the pa
crisp mo tio
Seeing yo rning
ur garden
sparkle
Merry Christmas! Forgive me if I sound a little too merry but I’m feeling rather intoxicated by
all the festive smells filling my home. Determined not to let the cost-of-living crisis dampen
the celebrations, I’ve rather overdone it on the thrifty decorating front. I was perhaps a tad too
enthusiastic in my gathering of garden-grown foliage and foraging of twiggy treasures in my local
Woodland Trust wood (find your nearest, and the Trust’s foraging guidelines, at woodlandtrust.
org.uk) and at a local fir-tree farm (“Help yourself,” I was joyfully told). So there isn’t a staircase
spindle, shelf or windowsill that’s not heaving with heavenly greenery. My should’ve-been-
pruned-last-summer bay tree yielded plenty of long bendy stems, which I’ve plaited into little
wreaths, and the glossy leaves are incredibly fragrant now they’re basking in the central
heating. The sweet scent of all the pine sprigs I’ve wired into long garlands pairs well
with the sharp tang of the eucalyptus stems standing in old bottles here, there
and everywhere. But I honestly think I might keel over once the basket of
paperwhite daffs I planted last month comes into flower too. Best then, I
regularly escape to the garden for some fresh air and my new favourite patio
tipple. If you haven’t discovered it yet, do treat yourself to a bottle of The
Gourmet Mulling Syrup (£7.99, lakeland.co.uk) – warm a mug of apple
juice in the microwave, pour in a slug of syrup, drop in a slice of lime,
COV ER PHOTOS: DOBBIES.COM, G ETTY IMAG ES, FLORA PRESS, SH UTTERSTOCK, GAP PH OTOS
and you have the perfect made-in-a-moment festive drink to enjoy

in the garden. The only problem is that it smells pretty nice too!
Do share some pics of your festive decs, the
THIS PAG E: FLORA PRESS, SHUTTERSTOCK, GAP PHOTOS, LIGHTS4FUN.CO.UK
details of how to get in touch are just below.
Editor Emma Kendell

Share your naturally fabulous decs!
You can email us at
moderngardens@bauermedia.co.uk
and find us on
Facebook Modern Gardens Magazine
Instagram @ModernGardens Discover the besthet festive lights
moderngardensmagazine.co.uk to snap up in sa les, p33
Step-by-step to these easy-make
garden stars, p16
Inside this
MONTH... Feast your eyes on this fabulous
24 DIY-designed outside space.
Garden makeovers 60 Fancy forest frame

24 “It’s the perfect venue for Bring woodland charm to Christmas dinner
festive fun” with this theatrical but thrifty display.
Chic Scandi styling and stress-free plants 74 Winter feeder Christmas
have transformed a bare newbuild.
38 “It’s such an easy garden
Use Christmas-tree offcuts to make a
weatherproof cover for your bird feeder. SPECIAL
to look after” 83 Pinch your pegs
Mini hedges and handsome evergreens Make fun festive upcycles with wooden
have turned this plot from bare to bold. pegs stolen from your washing line!
50 “We can eat outside all 100 Make your own wreath
year round” Follow these 10 easy steps to create a
This swish outdoor space has room to ravishing ring of natural beauty. ON THE COVER Enjoy a boozy
entertain in all weathers. Irish hot choc. 46
90 I’m in the garden Outdoor living
Take a peek at this creative plot. 37 Fiona’s patch
Share the joy of making seasonal treats
114 Our garden crush and gifts for plant-loving friends.
It’s where we’d like to be this month!
46 Irish hot chocolate
Simple projects Relax with this boozy pleasure potion.
16 Mossy star 48 Selina’s garden style
* T& C S A P P LY – J U S T PAY P OS TAGE
Adorn your winter garden with a plump Embrace the ruby reds trend with these
cushion of glorious greenery. styling ideas and buys.
28 Naturally Nordic ON THE COVER 92 Throw a festive firepit party
Fill your garden with seasonal goodwill Gather friends and family for an oh-so-
and on-trend Scandi style. cosy celebration to remember. ON THE COVER
FREE!
PLANT-NOW
PRIMULAS
worth Tempting
£24.98!
p110
* 6 stuff to make,
buy and do.
Easy evergreens that will

transform your winter garden. 42
Easy ideas
6 Earthy pleasures
What to buy, make and do this month.
12 Alpine design
Nail this trend in your outside space.
18 Petite pines ON THE COVER
Over to you...
Not just for Christmas, an on-trend dwarf
86 Q&A
conifer looks fab year-round. Got a question about your garden?
We’ve got the answer.
42 Elegant evergreens
Steal designer tricks to keep your garden
88 Ask the designer
looking lush all year round. Your problem garden solved.
54 Stay warm 97 We love outdoor living
Whether you’re gardening or relaxing You share your garden highlights.
outdoors, here’s how to ward off chills.
98 Love your hippeastrums
57 Simply red ON THE COVER
Take a closer look at this joyous bloom.
Plant a scarlet accent in your garden and
make frosty mornings even more amazing. 99 Paws & whiskers
Enjoying your garden with your pets.
70 Do these quick jobs to get your 62 Law of nature ON THE COVER
garden looking good in December. Decorate your home with natural treasures. 112 Seasonal scents
Save on get-the-party-started blooms.
70 What to do in your garden
Follow 10 simple steps to Keep your plot looking good this month.
create your very own wreath. 100
106 Curious quinces 68 BECOME A MEMBER!
Grow your own fragrant fruit with our
simple step-by-step advice.
Best buys
14 Blooming lovely ON THE COVER
Beautiful plants ready to buy now.

33 See the light
Snap up the best festive lights in the sales
with this expert before-you-buy advice.
47 Slimline garden armchairs
We Sleek seats to squeeze into your plot.
LOVE 77 Treat your garden to... ✽ Life’s better in the garden with a Modern
this! The best plants to buy now with cut-out Gardens membership – save up to 41%.
care guides to keep them alive!
EARTHY
DREAM PLANT G ROW PICK MAKE BUY

EASY IDEAS
MAKE
LIFE
LOVELY
Begone, bleak
midwinter!
Crank up the decadence dial and adorn
your garden this Christmastime with an
abundance of lights. Fairylights are a
HO HO given but teaming them with illuminated
lanterns, wreaths and candles will add
HYACINTHS
Bought a blooming hyacinth? Since the bulb
extra enchantment. Invest in non-festive
designs and you can keep the welcoming
sparkle year-round. Outdoor Lighting
contains all the nutrients it requires, you can
Bundle, £270 lights4fun.co.uk
forgo soil to create a white bright display.
Rinse off any soil then place the bulb in the
centre of a glass vase and tuck a few
handfuls of fake snow around it. Pulled wads
of cotton wool, white baubles or pearly
pebbles with a string of microlights threaded
through them will look just as swoony.
LUXE TOUCH
’Tis the season for indulgence so swap out
cotton cushions for plush velvet ones.
Mistletoe Emerald Velvet Embroidered
Christmas Cushion, £33 juliancharles.co.uk
FEATU RE: FIONA GALLEY. P HOTOS: GETTY IMAGES, THEJOYOFPLANTS.CO.UK
MORE
MISTLETOE
Hang chandeliers
of mistletoe
(£30/medium,
SPICE IT UP
mistletoebypost.
Infuse warm wine with this
com) in your
just-right blend of spices for
porch for extra
a very merry aperitif. Mulled
Christmas love.
Wine Spices, £4 vam.ac.uk
LUCKY STRIKE GO GREEN

The longer the match, Holly green is such We
the safer the strike a stylish shade for LOVE
(and these ones aren’t garden furniture and
too shabby to look at SCENTSATIONAL! this Garden Armchair this!
either!). Fern Bottle This smells as Christmassy (£180, sazy.com) is
Matches, £16.95 as it looks! William Morris the perfect prezzie for
grahamandgreen.co.uk Candle, £19.99 dobbies.com your plot. ➣
DECEMBER 2022 MODERN GARDENS 7
WHAT
TO PLANT
NOW!
PHOTO : @ GA R D E NMUS E UM
INSTAGRAM
INSPIRATION
This month we’ve been inspired by the account
of Britain’s only museum dedicated to gardens
@gardenmuseum. It’s a veritable curation of pics
and info that champions the history, design and
art of gardens, so you’ll learn a whole spectrum
of interesting garden-related facts as well as find
eclectic works of art and beautiful old photos to
ponder over. If you find yourself drawn in (and
you will!) then you can visit the actual museum
in central London.
Blackcurrants
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
Now is the perfect time to plant juicy blackcurrants, divine in jams and crumbles,
with an affordable bareroot shrub such as Blackcurrant ‘Big Ben’ (£10.99,
thompson-morgan.com). The plants can tolerate some shade so don’t fret if there’s
no room on the sunny side of your garden but do give them lots of space in your
garden or a large container, as once established, they are enthusiastic growers.
PINKY & PERKY

Cherry blossom is famed for
flowering continuously from
now until March, creating a
spirit-soaring sight against
the pallor of a winter garden.
Wintering Flowering Cherry
Tree, Pink, £72.50/10L pot
treesdirect.co.uk
NEAT & TIDY

A tree mat will keep GO GONKERS!
the soil weed-free. Did you ever see such a stylish bunch
Outdoor Tree Mat, of gnomes? Traditional attire of bright
£6.49 haxnicks.com red and green has been eschewed for a
chicer Scandi-style palette of blush-pink,
ACE OF SPADES natural taupe and soft grey, in textures
MAGIC BEANS A strong pointed spade of plush fur, crochet and cable knit. And
Give new additions to your makes digging planting with prices starting from £5, you’d be a
garden a head start with After holes much easier. Scrooge not to snap them up! Christmas
Plant Tree & Shrub Feed, Groundbreaker Spade, Gnomes, matalan.co.uk
£9.95 pomonafruits.co.uk £53 davidaustinroses.co.uk
8 MODERN GARDENS DECEMBER 2022

EASY IDEAS
Gingerbread MAKE IT!
espresso martini
A syrupy shot adds bells and baubles to an
espresso martini. Makes 1 A LITTLE
OF WHAT
YOU WILL NEED YOU FANCY
✽ 15ml gingerbread syrup (try Monin
Gingerbread Syrup, £15.99, stormbrew.co.uk)
✽ 1tbsp caster sugar mixed with 1/2tsp
ground ginger
✽ Ice cubes
✽ 50ml vodka
✽ 25ml coffee liqueur
✽ 1 shot (25ml) espresso or super-strong
coffee, chilled
WHAT TO DO
1 Rub a small amount of the gingerbread syrup
around the rim of the cocktail glass, then roll the
outer edge of the glass in the sugar and ground
ginger mixture and set aside.
2 Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add the
rest of the ingredients and shake until a frost
forms on the outside of the shaker.
3 Strain into a martini glass and bid your fellow
drinkers a Merry Christmas!
MIDAS TOUCH
We think these dinky
pots would look stunning
PHOTO: STOCKFOOD
with succulents. Set of 6
a tw is t b y s w a p ping the
TIP Add
Brass Pots, small (6cm)
£15.99, large (8cm)
£24.99 crocus.co.uk
u n d g in ge r fo r c innamon
gro
3 FESTIVE FUNNIES
It’s not just Christmas trees that need decorating; give
your houseplants a celebratory boost too!
TAKES THE BISCUIT

Gingerbread Man Pot Buddy,
£11.99 etsy.com
REINDEER CHEER
Reindeer Plant Pot Hanger,
£11.99 jardinopia.com
LET’S GO OUTSIDE
Want to free up your oven on Christmas day
and cook your turkey in the garden?
The trick is to stuff butter
under the skin, pop the bird
on a base of root veggies in a
robust roasting tin and roast BOUGH BAUBLES
with the barbecue lid closed. Festive Plant Baubles, £6.99
Best excuse ever to invest in a notonthehighstreet.com
kamado grill-style barbie? We
think so! Grillo Gusto Charcoal
BBQ, £1,750 grilloliving.com ➣
DECEMBER 2022 MODERN GARDENS 9
EASY IDEAS
Festive floral pots
TIP Mist your
display Up the ante with a floral display that smells as
festive as it looks. Makes 1
ke
with water to ma YOU WILL NEED
it last longer ✽ Terracotta pot & 2 freezer bags

✽ Floral foam: £1.50 hobbycraft.co.uk,
pre-soaked in water, or chicken wire piece
✽ Secateurs, festive greenery such as
mistletoe, fir & holly, & supermarket roses
Quick ✽ Fine craft wire: Oasis Silver Hobby Wire,
£1 hobbycraft.co.uk
make! ✽ Cinnamon sticks, £7.95/25 bakerross.co.uk
WHAT TO DO
1 Line the pot with freezer bags, one inside the
other, as terracotta isn’t waterproof. Slice the
floral foam to size or scrunch up the chicken
wire into a ball and place inside.
2 Using the secateurs to snip them to size, slot
in the greenery then add the roses.
3 Snip a piece of wire to 3-4 times the length of
a cinnamon stick. Thread the wire through the
stick length, twist the ends together underneath
and push the
remaining length
into the display.
LEAF AN
IMPRESSION
These snowy-
white Ceramic
PHOTOS: FLORA PRESS
Leaves (£15/6,
thewhitecompany.
com) are as charming
as napkin ties as
they are as branch
adornments.
DELICATE DEC
3 BIJOU YULETIDE GREENS Let the intricate detail of this
Trust us, you need a mini-me Christmas tree in your life! shine by hanging it against
a window. Rust Birds on a
PINING FOR Branch, £3 shop.national
CHRISTMAS trust.org.uk
Indoor Araucaria
In Basket, £29.99 SEASONS
dobbies.com TWEETINGS
Bring garden style to your
indoor tree. Robin Sitting
on a Plant Pot, £4.50
daisypark.co.uk
WHEELY FESTIVE
Novel but oh-so-nice!
AL FRESCO BOUGHS Wheelbarrow, £10
Outdoor Nordic Wonder Potted dobbies.com
Trees, from £54.99 dobbies.com
ALL SPRUCED UP
Indoor then plant outdoors Scandi CUTE AS A BUTTON
Spruce Christmas Tree Pre-Lit, Clip these cute glass mushrooms
£89.94 cielshopinteriors.com anywhere that needs a little
festive charm. Vinterfint
Decoration, £9/3 ikea.com
10 M O D E R N G A R D E N S D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2
HEAVENLY
INCREDIBLE VALUE
JUST THEN
5
GET A rare | unusual | exciting
HELLEBORUS £
FURTHER
6 FOR
JUST £2
PER POT FOR 3 EACH
FILL DIFFICULT
SHADY AREAS
OF YOUR WINTER
GARDEN WITH
SPARKLING HUES
Inject your garden with

a touch of magic this
winter with this cold
weather staple.
While most other plants
slumber, watch as your
Helleborus blooms peek out
through soft Christmas snow.
Once known for its supposed
medicinal qualities, this
fully hardy perennial is now
praised for its tolerance of
drought and neglect.
Deer and rabbit resistant
these winter beauties thrive in
moist but well-drained soil in
part shade. H&S: 35cm.
Your order is covered by
our No Quibble Guarantee
˔˗˜˕˘˖
Ѓ˥ˠ˘˗
together with a copy of
our latest catalogue.
Your 9cm pots will be
delivered within 7 days.
SPECIAL GIFT worth £18 when OUR GIFT TO YOU

Perfumed paperwhites
and a stylish planter
you purchase any 2 products

from our Christmas range
Available now on hayloft.co.uk
PLEASE SEND ITEM CODE PRICE QTY TOTAL
PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK CAPITALS
ORDER ONLINE 3 POTS (MIXED COLOURS) PTHEL03-MG1322 £15
Name 9 POTS (MIXED COLOURS) PTHEL09-MG1322 £27

hayloft.co.uk/MGHY P&P (UK only) £6.95
Address
Total
PHONE Please debit my Visa/Mastercard

Card no
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from
Expiry CV2
Email I enclose cheque/PO for ____________ made payable to Hayloft Plants Ltd
QUOTE MGHY
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Send to: Hayloft Plants THANK YOU, WE WILL CONFIRM YOUR ORDER
MGHY
FREEPOST RTGR-JAGJ-JETG, WR10 3HB Your details are kept securely and not shared with third parties. You will receive a catalogue, welcome email
and special offers, if you prefer not to receive them please call 01386 562999. For T&Cs – see hayloft.co.uk
EASY IDEAS FEET UP!
Team chairs with
ALPINE
footstools for
supreme apres-ski
comfort. Réphir
Acacia Garden
Footstool, £110
laredoute.co.uk
Trend
alert! As the skiing season REST UP
kicks off, it’s the chalet Plump for armchairs
interiors that tantalise in tactile materials that SOFTLY, SOFTLY
us, as much as the slopes! look simple but chic, Be generous with blankets and throws
This alpine design features all the essentials like this acacia wood, but steer clear of embellishments such
of slatted wood and low-to-the ground rope and linen beauty. as tassels to keep the look uncluttered.
loungers, lights and tables, but has swapped Kettler Cora Rope Deyongs Snuggle Touch Bannockbane
out the classic fur soft furnishings for simple Lounge ArmChairs, Blanket, Merlot, £25 ocado.com
but standout tartan in deep red and navy blue, £800/2 midlands-
achieving a cosy but contemporary switch up. cane-furniture.co.uk LAID BACK
Reclaim your sunlounger from the
SHAPELY SILHOUETTES shed or treat yourself to a new
Position handled lighting on the floor as well Scandi-style recliner.
as on coffee tables for a laid-back Porthmore Lounger,
feel. Extreme Lounging B Bulb, £600 garden
£49.99 mazeliving.co.uk and trading.co.uk
Glass Dome Lantern, £19.50
marksandspencer.com
THE SIMPLE THINGS
A crackling fire is a must-have
but keep it low to the ground and
slimline for a contemporary look.
Cast Iron Low Garden Fire Bowl, TRAY DISPLAY
£79.99 homescapesonline.com GOING SOLO A lipped tray of large candles on the
FEATU RE: FIONA GALLEY
You don’t need oodles of floor enhances the chilled-out vibe.

CHECK MATES lush greenery here, just Water Hyacinth Tray, £12 dunelm.com
Scatter chairs, sofas and loungers a large lone and unfussy
with cushions in statement tartan. Jotom Plaids potted tree or plant. Fejka
Cushion Covers, £11.99/2 amazon.co.uk and Fusion Artificial Potted Plant,
Balmoral Check Filled Cushion, £8 very.co.uk £60 ikea.com
ASHWOOD
NURSERIES
x
x
x
-RKQ·V *DUGHQ &KDULW\ 2SHQ 'D\V
ASHWOODNURSERIES.COM
Versatile Palisades
For the next HN
PL A ST
IC
HA
» Borders, edging & retaining walls

» Tough, strong & weatherproof
YE
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» Low maintenance
» Easy to use
beyond... Rot-free Sleepers

» Unaffected by mud or wet soil
» Eco-friendly
LOW MAINTENANCE » Attractive wood-like appearance

» Cut, drilled & sawn like wood
GARDEN SOLUTIONS
THAT WILL NEVER ROT.
2000+
RECYCLED
PLASTIC
PRODUCTS
hahnplastics.com
info@hahnplastics.com | +44 (0)161 850 1965
Try our pick of the most beautiful plants you can buy now
JAPANESE HOLLY £5.99/1L pot
Closely resembling box but without the problems
of box blight or box moth, Ilex crenata is tough and
versatile and looks fab as a small hedge, border
edge or snipped into topiary shapes. Height 3m
Spread 2m. hedgesdirect.co.uk
3
HANDSOME
hollies
HOLLY ‘GOLDEN KING’
£11.99/1.5-2L pot
High-gloss deep green leaves HOLLY ‘LITTLE RASCAL’
are highlighted by a £12.99/2L pot
bright golden edge. A fab compact variety with
Despite the name, this bright green glossy leaves
Ilex altaclerensis is female that turn deep purple in winter.
so will be festooned in deep This Ilex meserveae is a male
red berries (males don’t produce variety so the dainty white flowers
them). Height & Spread 4m. won’t produce berries. Height 60cm
jacksonsnurseries.co.uk Spread 90cm. cowellsgc.co.uk
LIVING AIR FRESHENER

PAPER-WHITE DAFFODIL
Three plants for stunning silver leaves
£8.99/10 bulbs
Add a The snowy-white flowers of
Narcissus papyraceus will
touch of add unrivalled freshness and
FEATU RE: CLARE WALKER. PH OTOS: SH UTTERSTOCK, ALAMY,
loveliness fragrance to your home. For

a simple striking display, put
a handful of pebbles in a
tall glass vase, sit the bulbs
GAP PHOTOS/LEE AV ISON/VISIONS PREMIU M
on top, cover with

/ / 5/
pebbles leaving
the tips exposed
£2.9p5ot £2c.m80pot £12po.9t
and add water
7cm 10 3L
up to the base of CURRY PLANT SAGE ‘NAZARETH’ SENECIO
the bulbs. You’ll With an intense curry-like Brighten up a sunny herb Pop large-leaved Senecio
have blooms scent, Helichrysum italicum garden with this striking Salvia candidans ‘Angel Wings’
in four to six needs a sunny spot where it officinalis, which is more in a pot where you can
weeks. Height will shine in the winter sun. perfumed than trad culinary enjoy its velvety texture.
35cm Spread Height 60cm Spread 90cm. sage. Height 30cm Spread Height & Spread 50cm.
10cm. jparkers.co.uk victoriananursery.co.uk 60cm. norfolkherbs.co.uk norfolkqualityplants.co.uk
BEST BUYS
CHRISTMAS
ROSE
‘WINTERGOLD’
£12.99/10.5cm pot
The striking upward-
facing flowers boast
golden centres above
lustrous green foliage.
Height & Spread
30cm. cowellsgc.co.uk
GIVE IT A TRY
THE ANTIDOTE TO
FESTIVE STRESS!
Does it feel like an age since you dusted off your baubles and untangled the
fairylights already? Then you need a little pot of Helleborus niger ‘Wintergold’
blooms in your life. Pop the perfect ice-white blooms on your patio table
and, whenever you escape outside for a quiet moment in your garden, they’ll
bring some much-needed serenity.
How to keep Christmas roses alive Fill your pot with John Innes No.2 compost
and add some extra grit for better drainage. Position in a sheltered spot that
gets as much sun as possible during the winter and spring months but move into
the shade when the weather gets warmer. In late spring when the blooms fade,
remove old flower stems and damaged or dead leaves to encourage new growth
at the base. Water and feed regularly in summer with a high potash fertiliser such
as Chempak Formula 4, £5.79/800g, suttons.co.uk.
DECEMBER 2022 M O D E R N G A R D E N S 15
Make
it this
weekend!
Mossy
Adorn your winter garden with a plump
cushion of GLORIOUS GREENERY 1
On a flat surface, lay the stems in the
shape of a star. Make sure the ends
overlap at the star points.
Where the stems cross, wrap wire Pile the moss on top of the frame and Arrange pinecone twigs, conifer sprigs
2 around tightly and twist to secure to
make a frame.
3 arrange it so it roughly fits into the
frame – there’s no need to be neat!
4 and berried stems on top of the moss,
staying within the frame.
FEATURE: EMMA KENDELL, GEOFF HODGE. PHOTOS: GAP PHOTOS, SHUTTERSTOCK
Bind all over with the wire, criss-crossing Once it feels robust, continue to bind Once all the greenery feels like it’s
5 and going over and under the star, to 6 tightly, paying particular attention to
the points of the star.
7 flattened and meshed together, twist
attach everything to the frame. the wire to secure, and hang on a nail.
SIMPLE PROJECT
YOU WILL NEED
✽ 5 foraged woody stems, try £14.4
dogwood, willow, birch or hazel
✽ Florist wire: £5.50 sarahraven.com
9
✽ Wire cutters
✽ Sphagnum moss: £8.99 crocus.co.uk,
or raked from your lawn
✽ Sprays of evergreen foliage & small
stems, including those with berries
GOOD IDEA!
Make a second
smaller star
to match
Christmas
SPECIAL
TIP If it doesn’t
rain
your star to keep , mist
it green
PETITE
Not just for Christmas, an ON-TREND DWARF

CONIFER will make your garden look fab year-round
FEATURE: CLA RE WA LKER. PH OTOS: E MMA KENDELL, FLORA PRESS, SHUTTE RSTOCK,
VISIONS, GAP PHOTOS/ FRIEDRICH STRAUSS/PERNILLA H ED, GE TTY IMAGES
Pinus mugo
mughus
Trending
now
Planting stress-free and
super-stylish mini pine
trees in patio pots
and borders.
EASY IDEAS
C
an we divert your attention away
from that big fir tree in your
living room for just a moment,
and focus it on something just as
gorgeous but altogether smaller? Because
there’s a huge trend for pint-sized pine
trees and we couldn’t love it any more!
We’re seeing more and more garden
designers incorporating easy-grow dwarf
conifers in their designs, and plenty of this
year’s show gardens were awash with these
beautifully bijou bristles. A huge hit in the
1970s, garden pines fell out of favour but
they’re back and better than ever, with
many more dwarf varieties now available.
A perfect match to contemporary
planting schemes and providing winter
structure and unique textures for near-zero
effort, there’s a perfect pine (or two) for
every garden. And, just as long as the soil
isn’t waterlogged or frozen, they can be
planted any time between autumn and
spring. So you can plant one now in time
for Christmas, adorn it with fairylights to
add some festive glam to your garden, then
look forward to year-round style.
PUNCTUATE GARDEN BORDERS

Using plants as full stops in your garden adds a real sense of style. Here
Pinus mugo defines the border corners in The SunsLifestyle Outdoor
Living Garden designed by Samuel Moore (consiliumhortus.co.uk) at
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022.
TRANSFORM A GRAVEL DESERT

Got an expanse of boring gravel?
Punctuate it with Pinus mugo and
colourful drought-tolerant blooms.
It’s easy to create planting holes: just
scrape the gravel aside, cut an ‘x’ in the
membrane, dig a hole and add compost,
and plant your pine. Or try this idea
to turn an existing border into a low-
maintenance drought-resistant breeze SHOW OFF BLOOMS WITH A GREEN BACKDROP
– just lay weedproof membrane over the Green no matter the season, a Pinus mugo will quietly provide a fab foil for
soil, do the above, then add gravel. This bright summer flowers in your borders, then come winter its architectural
garden was designed by Matthew Childs good looks will stop the space from looking bare. This glorious garden was
(matthewchildsdesign.co.uk). designed by Matt Keighley. ➣
Which one ✽ Dwarf mountain pine ‘Humpy’
Marvellous mound
is right for Tantalising texture

This Pinus mugo is a serious rival
to traditional topiary plants with
your garden? its short dark green needles and

dense rounded shape. Height
50cm Spread 1m. £22.99/3L pot
There are so many little lovelies that ashwoodnurseries.com
have such amazing shape, texture
and colour, they don’t need all the ✽ Alberta spruce ‘Conica’
Christmas paraphernalia to make Classy conical Vibrant variety
them shine! Before you start This dwarf Picea glauca albertina is naturally
looking at particular conical and very slow growing making it a
varieties, have a think perfect topiary plant. Height 1.5m Spread
about what qualities you 1m. £6.99/1L pot cowellsgc.co.uk
want from your mini tree.
✽ Alberta
MARVELLOUS MOUNDS spruce ‘Lilliput’
Neat dome shapes provide Marvellous mound
year-round architectural Super small
interest that effortlessly fit Vibrant variety
into a contemporary garden. A super-cute Picea
They are equally at ease amid glauca albertina with
the clean lines of a minimalist lovely cream spring
garden as they are within a tapestry growth, it’s so small you
of grasses and airy perennials. simply have no excuse
for not finding a way to
CLASSY CONICALS squeeze it into your garden!
Conical shapes are a great way to give your Height & Spread 30cm. £6.99/1L
garden structural shape. A pair either side pot cowellsgc.co.uk
of your front door is always a winning
formula but you could also plant them in ✽ Caucasian fir
a uniform row, in planters on a patio or ‘Golden Spreader’
scattered in a mixed border. Glorious groundcover
Vibrant variety
SUPER SMALL A sun-loving ground
Cute, oh so cute! These impactful little hugger, this Abies
fellows are fab, especially as they tend to nordmanniana is a
keep themselves tidy, making them beautiful bright
perfect for gardeners with less time on golden-yellow in winter.
their hands. Height 60cm Spread
1.2m. £22.99/3L pot
TANTALISING TEXTURE ashwoodnurseries.com
A garden rich in texture is an
interesting one. And it can be ✽ White fir ‘Archer’s Dwarf’
hard not to veer from the Classy conical Vibrant variety
garden path just to stroke Tantalising texture
a lovely textured plant! A lovely conical Abies concolor,
this variety makes a wonderful
GLORIOUS focal point with its branches
GROUNDCOVER clothed in cool powder-blue
Ground-spreading needles. Height 1m Spread
pines are the perfect 75cm. £29.99/2L pot
solution for tricky spots jacksonsnurseries.co.uk
where not a lot else
wants to grow. They’ll ✽ Dwarf mountain pine
happily creep down ‘Winter Gold’
banks and walls or cover Marvellous mound
unsightly areas. Tantalising texture
Vibrant variety
VIBRANT VARIETIES This golden variety of
Evergreens are often mound-forming Pinus mugo
overlooked when it adds structure and a bright
comes to adding colour splash of gold to a border. Its
to a garden but there are fresh spring growth is a lush
lots of dwarf pines with buttery yellow. Height 1m
dazzlingly green needles. Spread 50cm. £29.99/4L pot
jacksonsnurseries.co.uk
EASY IDEAS
GOOD IDEA!
Make a low-maintenance
modern border with
pint-sized pines surrounded
by chunky cobbles
Our
picks for TRY THIS!
a modern Plant a stroke-me texture pot
garden of Pinus mugo near a
comfy chair
✽ Korean fir
‘Kohout’s Icebreaker’
Super small Tantalising texture
Vibrant variety
A new variety of Abies koreana that’s
all about the texture. With curled needles
revealing a brilliant white reverse, it looks fab
planted in gravel. Height 30cm Spread 45cm.
£24.99/1.5L pot ashwoodnurseries.com
✽ Alberta spruce
‘J.W. Daisy’s White’
Classy conical
Tantalising texture
Vibrant variety
A recently introduced variety
of Picea glauca albertina, this
cutie has a naturally conical
shape and fabulous daisy-white
young spring growth that’ll brighten
up your garden. Height 90cm Spread
45cm. £12.99/3L pot jacksonsnurseries.co.uk
✽ Weymouth pine ‘Blue Shag’

Marvellous mound
Tantalising texture
Vibrant variety
A handsome Pinus strobus
that grows into a densely
branched rounded shape. Its
soft and slender blue-green
needles make it a tactile treat.
Height & Spread 1.2m.
£32.99/3L pot thompson-morgan.com
✽ Norway spruce ‘Little Gem’ ✽ Noble fir ‘Glauca Prostrata’

Super small Tantalising texture Marvellous mound
Small but striking, this diminutive Glorious groundcover
Picea abies slowly grows into a Vibrant variety
compact globe of green needles Growing into a low mound with
and it’s happy in a pot or a border. stunning silvery-blue needles that
Height 50cm Spread 70cm. are soft to the touch, this Abies
£29.99/2L pot rhsplants.co.uk procera has the added bonus of
brightly coloured young cones.
Height 50cm Spread 1.5m.
£22.99/3L pot ashwoodnurseries.com ➣
HOW TO CARE FOR A BIJOU TREE
Pinus trees are super-easy to look after, but FILL A ZERO-HASSLE
don’t like pure chalk soils. Picea and abies prefer PATIO POT
neutral/acidic soil, but will grow in a clay soil that Pretty Pinus mugo makes for
is alkaline. They won’t do well in chalky/alkaline a seriously low-maintenance
soils that contain lime. If you don’t know your planter. Well-drained but moist
soil acidity, you can buy a testing kit to find out John Innes No.3 compost and
(Bosmere Soil pH Testing Kit, £12, marshalls a sunny spot will see your pine
garden.com). If your soil is very alkaline, it’s best thrive so all you need to do is
to put the picea and abies in pots of acidic sit down, relax and enjoy it!
compost such as Verve Ericaceous Peat Free
Compost (£8/50L, diy.com).
Most pines prefer a sunny spot – check the
label or online description to be sure. They all
adore cool moist soil so in autumn add a layer of
mulch such as decorative bark around the base.
Water well in the first year as your mini tree
sinks its roots down into the ground, but then it’ll
only need watering in the driest weather. You
will need to visit pines in planters with your
watering can regularly though. Many dwarf
pines only grow a few centimetres a year so
they don’t need much, if any, pruning – just use
secateurs to snip off any dead or damaged
branches whenever you spot them.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR TREE PETITE

All these pines grow slowly and their eventual
size is pretty diminutive, but if you want to keep
your tree really small or in a tidy dense shape,
pruning is easy. Wait until the candles have
stopped growing in summer then use sharp
secateurs to make downward-angled cuts to
remove half the height of each candle. This will
promote new buds and bushy growth.
What are candles?

Super-soft new growth on your tree first
forms a candelabra shape, called candles.
They’ll grow needles once the candles have
almost reached their full length.
Pinus mugo
mughus
EASY IDEAS
Picea glauca
albertiana
‘Conica’
TRY THIS!
Make a striking statement by
sticking to just one variety in
a large container
MAKE A FABULOUS
3
WINTER DISPLAY helpful buys
A collection of evergreens for pine
with different textures in parents
harmonised pots make the
sweetest of winter displays.
Dwarf Picea glauca is the Way more
perfect little pine for the job. beautiful than
your average
gardening gloves,
these save your
fingers from the
pricklier pine needles.
Leaf Poppy Gloves,
£15.99
sowclever.co.uk
Keep your
pine in tip-top
shape with
these colourful
secateurs. The
gorgeous floral
holster will save those maddening moments of
not knowing where you put them down! Snip
and Holster Set, £16 shop.rhs.org.uk
UNDERPLANT A SEASONAL
STATEMENT CONTAINER
‘Varella’ is a super-tactile and relatively new
variety of Pinus mugo, and it retains its formal
shape as it grows. By snipping off the lower
branches with secateurs each spring, you’ll
create plenty of room to underplant with
For closer, more precise cutting, a pair of
bedding plants such as pansies, heathers and
trimming shears will quickly get your topiary
dwarf chrysanths, for an ever-changing display.
pines in shape. Soft Squeeze Trimming
Shears, £18 thompson-morgan.com
“It’s the perfect venue
for festive fun”
Karen Perrin has filled her bare newbuild plot in
greater Manchester with stress-free plants
and chic SCANDI STYLING
GARDEN
makeover
Chusan
palm
SMART IDEAS
FEATURE: RACHE L TOA L. PH OTOS: KAREN PERRIN
TO STEAL
ADD A WALL HANGING
to your pergola or summerhouse.
PAINT YOUR DECKING BEFORE
a pale neutral tone.
ADD A GRAVEL
BORDER around a paved area. The bare
wasn’t being bousneeds to
were there, but it
its full potential
GARDEN MAKEOVER
L
ast year, Karen Perrin and her family Karen finally finding herself with time on her
started a fresh Christmas tradition in their hands. A visual thinker, her digital design skills
newly built pergola. Hunkering down on
the outdoor sofa with blankets and
came in handy when plotting out the layout on
paper, then screen. “It came fairly easily to me,”
How we did it...
mulled wine to warm them in the crisp winter air, she admits. “I’ve always known I wanted raised
a potted tree twinkling with fairylights alongside, white planters, different zones broken up by a
the family enjoyed a projector screen showing path, and lush greenery. And that Scandinavian
of The Grinch. “It was magical!” Karen smiles. look I love with Danish prints, natural materials
“We went all-out with decorations and made and lots of character without fussiness.”
everything cosy with sheepskins and candles.”
WORKING-FROM-GARDEN
SWEDISH DESIGN IDEALS A solution to enable home working dictated
An IT worker from Wigan, Karen has long been where to start the plot transformation, as Karen’s
a fan of snug style. Her childhood was filled with husband Len needed home-office space. ➣
trips to hygge capital Stockholm, visiting her The blank-canvas garden office is built
late father who worked there for much of the ready for Karen’s Scandi handiwork.
year. Drawn to the city’s understated comfort,
clean lines and natural textures, she vowed to
one day create her own Scandi-style garden.
But it took several decades before her dream
could become reality. “We moved to our
newbuild house way back in 1998,” says Karen.
“For years I was so tied up with being a mum,
travelling with work and doing up the house,
that we didn’t get to grips with the garden. Until
recently, it was nothing but a sloping lawn – a
boring but practical family space.”
Lockdown brought the opportunity to give Decking in place, the frame for the
that nondescript plot the Scandi treatment, with star-of-the-show pergola comes to life.
The path from vision to rea

Treat your
plot to some
began with a sim ple pencil sklity
etch
new festive
lighting, Abstract Wall Chart,
see p33 £57.99, trouva.com
Work begins on transforming the
existing retaining garden wall...
... into new higher, all singing, all dancing

raised beds, ready to be rendered.
Owatrol Decking Paint Opaque

Wood Finish in Stone, £57.07/1 L , WITH APRES-SKI CHALET
vibes aplenty, the pergola has us
owatroldirect.co.uk piste-ready – now pass the rakai!
Flooring finessed, and painting of beds
and fences perfected, it’s time for plants.
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 M O D E R N G A R D E N S 25
The couple’s friend, a local joiner, agreed to would protect us from the elements. We looked
build a bespoke insulated outdoor room in the at all kinds of amazing photos on Pinterest then
back corner of the plot. Not content with chatted to our joiner friend about how to mix
bog-standard design, Karen put her Scandi spin and match the best bits of our favourites.”
on the construction. A pentagon-shaped The result is a show-stopping garden
structure, black spray-painted finish and centrepiece that incorporates sleek Scandi
contrasting natural wood roof elevated the look design with stylish home comforts, as well as
from functional to stylish. It set the tone for the practical insulation so that the space can be
rest of the garden. enjoyed whatever the season. Budget-friendly
A patio in that back area was next to be cedar-effect roof batons were weatherproofed
added and, craving a contrast to the office’s inky with natural wood oil and horizontally clad over
hue, Karen chose a typically Scandinavian pale the 3m x 3m structure, to spectacular effect.
paint for the decking. That expanse of deck A waterproof membrane was added to a sloped BEFORE
invited the addition of another structure, this roof and the interior painted black for drama.
time for relaxation rather than work. Inside, a contemporary grey all-weather sofa,
egg-shaped rattan chair and pouffe are
PERGOLA PERFECTION complemented with textural Scandi-brand wall
“The pergola in the other corner was Len’s idea, hangings and layered rechargeable lighting. The original retaining walls
and it was a good one!” says Karen. “He wanted They bring a touch of the indoors outdoors, were repurposed into raised wh ich
beds
a bespoke design and an all-weather space that much to Karen’s satisfaction. “It’s just like a living
room,” she says. “I’ll sit out there with a book and
a coffee and, because we have electric heaters
and loads of blankets, I use it all winter too. It’s low-maintenance but high-impact requirements.
so snug, it’s my favourite place to relax outside.” The flowers and foliage also needed to be
feline-friendly as cat Coco is a leaf nibbler.
TWIN TERRACES “I wanted easy plants that would stay green
Next came the most ambitious part of the all year round and I had quite a specific colour
garden transformation, and it was no easy task. palette,” explains Karen. “Like the garden, my
A refurb of the middle area, which Karen house is decorated with grey and white, with
reserved for two distinct zones, required local pops of warm tan and cinnamon tones. Lindsay
landscapers (@superior_outdoor_areas on helped me identify plants that would flower in
Instagram) who levelled off the slope, creating similar shades, like the ginger heucheras and
tiers for Karen’s coveted beds. On the brighter orange lilies. They complement my interior
left side, she designed one patio for sunbathing, decor beautifully.”
and on the right a symmetrical terrace for shady Such considered choices and attention to
relaxation. Broken up by a flag-paved path and detail perfectly sum up Karen’s garden. After
gravel edging, each zone is clearly delineated biding her time for more than two decades, she
while being united by the same tile design. couldn’t be happier with the results. “It was
of her
Karen shares morei_up Those striking porcelain slabs caused some definitely worth the wait,” she says. “I’m proud of
Nordic loves @sca nd _north controversy though! “When the men on site saw what we’ve achieved, especially designing such
the big geometric design I’d chosen, they a unique space that works in all seasons. I can’t
warned me it might be too much,” laughs Karen. wait to get the family together again this
MY GARDEN “I stuck to my guns and I’m glad I did! The bold

unfussy pattern works brilliantly.”
Christmas and get cosy under the pergola.”
Raised beds on both sides are an integral part

PL AN of the design, adding to the cosy enclosed feel
when relaxing on the terraces. Karen called in a
Karen’s tips for a cosy
LOCATION Wigan
local rendering firm to create that all-important winter garden
THE LOOK Cosy Scandi style whitewash, yet another sleek Scandi touch.
SITE Size 80m2 Faces South The landscaping wasn’t without its challenges Collect as many snug soft
Soil Acidic and those beds were originally intended to be furnishings as you can. Faux fur
raised higher at the back. “We had to improvise blankets, sheepskin rugs and fluffy
MY BUDGET when the workers dug down and found deep cushions add cosiness and warmth. To
Garden office £5,500 Pergola stubborn tree roots on one side,” explains Karen. save cash, buy cushion covers, then swap
£3,000 Decking £1,500 Landscaping “The roots couldn’t be removed so instead of with summery fabrics.
(including materials & rendering) raising the beds as planned, we created low Invest in outdoor storage boxes so
£7,000 Electrics £300 Plants & soil symmetrical squares on either side. We planted you can keep fabrics dry. Look at
£800 Furniture £1,000 Decor £200 an acer and a palm tree, which look great. It wickes.co.uk for affordable but stylish
TOTAL: £19,300 turned out to be a blessing in disguise.” boxes, and head to amazon.co.uk for
zip-up waterproof bags.
HOW LONG IT TOOK EASY-CARE PLANTS Outdoor heating is a game changer,
Building garden office 1 week The rest of Karen’s planting was equally whether that’s a gas-fired cylinder,
Constructing pergola 3 days successful. Inspired by the lush greenery she wood-fuelled chiminea or electric fire. We
Laying decking 2 days Landscaping and Len spotted on holiday in Jamaica, the bought an electric heater from Amazon
2 weeks Rendering 2 weeks beds include oversized tropical-style shrubs that spins around and distributes heat
Planting 1 week Electrics 2 days Fatsia japonica and bamboo as well as dramatic evenly in our pergola.
TOTAL: 7 weeks blooms canna lily and red-hot poker. For an atmospheric glow, dot
Local garden designer Lindsay Clegg candles around. Battery-powered
(lindsay-clegg-garden-design.co.uk) advised ones are safe, long-lasting and convenient.
Karen on the best plants to suit her
GARDEN MAKEOVER
WHEN THE WINTER

sun is shining, it’s time for
some R&R – rest and rattan!
WREATH-READY FOR
another year with a swirl
Hardblue Slabs, of new black ribbon.
£44.95/m2, tilemountain.co.uk
A BLISSFUL BLEND OF TOP TO TOE TEXTILES
zones for work, rest and play. create a chic hygge hideaway.
PEACE AND JOY

This easy-to-maintain outdoor space Make a
wreath for your
promises year-round relaxation front door too!
whatever the weather Turn to p100
’TIS THE SPOT

for eating, drinking
A COSY CORNER and being merry.
for soaking up the joy
of being outdoors.
IT’S BEGINNING TO MERRY & BRIGHT

look a lot like Christmas Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’
under the pergola. adds a pop of colour.
FELINE-FRIENDLY
canna lily ‘Tropical Yellow’
adds lush greenery.
Want to
style your space
for Christmas,
too? Turn
to p28
6 EASY
NATURALLY PROJECTS
TO DO
NOW!
These easy-make projects will fill your

garden with seasonal goodwill and
on-trend SCANDI STYLE
Make
small
beautiful
PRETTY ICE HEART (not hot) water to release it. A silicone baking
Just wait till you see how the sun sparkles on this mould makes it far easier to remove the ice
ice decor! In chilly temperatures it’ll last for days, heart but you can use metal – just hold the WHAT IT COST
but a block of ice will take a good eight hours to mould in the water a little longer. ✽ Wood offcut, Free
melt even on a mild day, so this project is a great ✽ Sandpaper: Prep Hand Sanding Sheets
make if you’re expecting garden guests. Assorted, £1.56/10 pack toolstation.com
PH OTOS: FLORA PRESS, GAP PHOTOS
Rather than using water straight from the WHAT IT COST ✽ White and blue paint sample pots:
✽ Foraged pinecones, Free
FEATU RE: JU LES BARTON-BRECK.
tap, use cooled boiled water as this will freeze £1.75 each wilko.com
without air bubbles for clearer ice. Put your or £4/24 theworks.co.uk ✽ Exterior spray varnish: Paint Factory
pinecones in the mould then pour in a little ✽ Heart mould: Large Heart Shape All Purpose Clear Matt Varnish Spray,
water. If the cones float, then freeze at this point Silicone Baking Mould, £5.49/250ml amazon.co.uk
to anchor them down, then top up and return to £3.99 therange.co.uk ✽ Crafting wire, 70p therange.co.uk
the freezer. Freeze overnight, or if a really cold TOTAL: £3.99 TOTAL: £11.25
evening is expected, just leave it outside. To
remove, dip the mould into a sink of warm
SIMPLE PROJECTS
TIP Wrap the w
ire a
pencil to create a round a
rtful loops
Hyacinths
COOL
CONCRETE STARS
Concrete is so on-trend
and looks particularly
good out in the garden.
You can buy creative
concrete that is specifically
made for craft projects and
comes in handy pack sizes.
Following the pack instructions,
mix the concrete with water and pour
into star-shaped silicone moulds. Place a
length of string, doubled over to make a loop,
in the concrete at the top of each of the star
points. Leave to dry – or cure if you want to use
the proper term! – for 24-48 hours. Test it’s set
by lightly pressing a finger on it, then carefully
remove from the mould. For the star stake
option, pierce an only-just-big-enough hole
VINTAGE-LOOK SIGN paint, leave to dry and then apply a in the mould and insert a metal rod
It’s a hotly debated subject but we coat of pale blue over the top. Before (10mm Diameter 304 Stainless Steel Round
think White Christmas should be the second coat completely dries, rub Bar, L50cm, £4.78, metals4u.co.uk) before filling
considered the best festive film, not all over with some fine-grit sandpaper with concrete.
just for the dancing, songs and happy to create a shabby-chic effect with
ending but the outdoor scenery and, different thicknesses of paint.
of course, the snow, snow, snow. Bring When dry, write or stencil a message WHAT IT COST
the vibe to your garden with this little in pencil on one side and go over ✽ Craft cement: Creative Concrete,
sign. You’ll need a piece of wood cut the lines with white paint using a fine £7.45/1kg myfabrics.co.uk
to 25-30cm long and 10-15cm wide. paintbrush. If you like, paint a different ✽ Moulds: SourceTon Star Shaped Silicone
Round off the corner edges with message on the other side. Drill Baking Moulds, £13.56/2 amazon.co.uk
some coarse-grit sandpaper and sand holes at each top corner, cover with a ✽ String, 79p therange.co.uk
everything smooth with some finer- protective coat of all-purpose exterior TOTAL: £21.80
grit paper. Paint both sides with white varnish, and add wire for hanging.
➣
GOOD IDEA!
Tangle battery-powered
microlights around the
antlers for extra sparkle
CHEEKY REINDEER
This pared-back wooden reindeer might
not have a red nose but he definitely has
bags of Nordic charm! Birch logs and
twigs are best as the bark is so pretty, but
any hardwood around will do.
Choose a log around 10cm in diameter
for the body and saw into a 40cm length.
Next, find a log around 5-6cm in diameter
for the head and saw a 20cm-long section,
making an angle cut to suggest the nose.
Collect five sturdy straight-ish twigs and
cut four to 40cm in length for legs, and
one to 15cm for the neck. You’ll also need
two multi-branched twigs for antlers.
Selecting drill bits that are a similar size
to the relevant twigs, drill leg holes, neck
and antler holes at a slight angle, into the
logs. Then assemble the reindeer, making
the holes a tiny bit bigger if needed
but still aiming for a tight fit, and using
waterproof glue if necessary.
Stand him up and trim a leg or two to
make him stable if needed. If you find he
topples forward, the easiest fix is to trim
the back two legs. Don’t forget to name
your reindeer – we called ours Woody!
Christmas
SPECIAL WHAT IT COST
✽ Waterproof glue: Gorilla Wood Glue,
£6 dunelm.com
TOTAL: £6
SIMPLE PROJECTS
PINECONE HEART WREATH Bend a metal coathanger

A naturally lovely decoration, this rustic into a heart shape, or buy
wreath looks great looped over a low- a ready-made florist wire
hanging branch or propped on a patio chair. frame online. Bind dried
moss around the frame using
thin reel wire or twine. Use
WHAT IT COST secateurs to snip off the tops
✽ Wire heart: old coathanger or of the pinecones so they have
Crimped Metal Heart Flower Hoop, a flattish surface.
W25cm, £1.63 littlecraftybugs.co.uk Heat up a glue gun and
✽ Dried moss: Green Reindeer Moss, squeeze glue onto this flat
TRY THIS!
£3/50g hobbycraft.co.uk surface and push firmly onto the Use a white glass pen
✽ Twine, £1.99 therange.co.uk
✽ Pinecones: foraged or buy a bag,
moss-wrapped heart. Leave for an
hour or two to make sure everything is
(£3.50, amazon.co.uk)
£4/24 theworks.co.uk set, then spray all over with varnish. to draw festive scenes on
✽ Glue gun: £5 hobbycraft.co.uk
✽ Exterior spray varnish: Paint Factory
your window
All Purpose Clear Matt Varnish Spray,
£5.49/250ml amazon.co.uk Add a
TOTAL: £19.48 touch of
loveliness
WOOD-SLICE
BAUBLES
These simple tree
decorations are straight
out of the Scandi
Christmas style book.
Choose a log around
5-6cm in diameter with
the bark still on and saw into
2cm-thick rounds. Drill a small
hole and draw on a snowflake shape with
a paint marker pen. Waterproof with a coat
of outdoor varnish and when dry, thread twine
through the hole and knot the ends to make a
hanging loop.
WHAT IT COST
✽ Log Free
✽ Waterproof paint pen: Uniball Paint Pen
Px-20 White, £1.99 therange.co.uk
✽ Twine, £1.99 therange.co.uk
All Purpose Clear Matt Varnish Spray,
£5.49/250ml amazon.co.uk
TOTAL: £9.47
BEST BUYS
SEE THE
Get up the LEARNING CURVE of the latest technology

so you can splurge on style but save on energy costs
A
lready strung up your Christmas lights? Us too! But
now’s a great time to think about upgrading your festive
illuminations, and not just to achieve a more stylish or
spectacular display – investing in the latest products can
save on energy costs too. And once you know what you’re looking
for, you’ll be ready to pounce on the very best products as soon as
the festive sales start, and bag yourself a future-proof bargain.
Thanks to the latest tech, today’s lights are clearer and brighter
than previous products, and come in a wider choice of colour and
effects. With ultra-fine wiring and tiny LED’s, light strings can be
wrapped and woven through foliage and garden features with ease,
built into finely detailed 3D figures and enclosed in vibrant tubing
for modern retro neon motifs. And connectable strings, smart
controls and multi-function modes help take the faff out of creating
your dream light show.
With a 6-hour timer,

you can set the lights
to come on at the same
time each evening
MAKE A SCENE
Lit by 140 (doe) and 50 (fawn) warm white LEDs, these
faux rattan framed figures come with an 8m lead, and
PH OTO: OLIV ER PERROTT
FEATU RE: JILL MORGAN.
a 5m extension cable is available for an extra £5.99. Sit

them on a faux snow blanket for extra cuteness (try
Imitation Snow Blanket, £9.99/10m, amazon.co.uk).
Studley Rattan Resting Doe, £99.99, and Resting Fawn,
£54.99, or set of both, £149.99 lights4fun.co.uk
➣
WHICH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS MAGICAL GLOW
CAN I USE OUTSIDE?
All mains-powered electrical items have an There’s5m of cable between Giving off a soft white light,
these Christmassy cones made
IP rating (this stands for Ingress Protection),
which notes how well protected the electrical
the plug and the first tree from soft spun acrylic are a
contemporary statement, with
components are to moisture and dust seeping the tallest of the trio standing
in. For outdoor lights, you need a rating of IP44, at 90cm tall. Outdoor
IP65 or above and you’ll find this info on the LED Cone Trees, £59/3
packaging or in the online description. marksandspencer.com
Even if the lights are designed for outdoor
use, do check that the plug and transformer are
too – some product descriptions state these are
for indoor use only. Even if you have an outdoor
plug socket, you’ll likely need to use an indoor
socket as the plug will be too big to fit within
the socket’s weatherproof shield.
WHAT IF THE CABLE ISN’T LONG

ENOUGH TO REACH? BRIGHTEN PATHWAYS
Chic and bright, let these star-topped LED
Most plug-in outdoor lights come with a
spiral trees lead guests to your front door.
generous cable length – usually between
Mains-powered, they come with a handy base
5-10m – but sometimes this isn’t enough.
spike so they can be easily pushed into soil, lawn
Many of the latest light strings are
or planters. Christmas Tree
connectable and are designed to
Path Lights, H47.5cm, £15/4
link together simply and safely.
argos.co.uk
The number of strings that can be
daisy-chained in this way and
run from a single socket can
vary depending on product type
so always double-check that the
total wattage of the lights doesn’t exceed the It’s battery-powered
wattage of your socket to avoid overloading
the circuit. Some systems offer sections of
so you can
blank cabling so you can tailor lighting to suit put it anywhere
your garden layout, but it’s key to stick to the
same lighting system to ensure that all the SHINING STATEMENT
products are compatible. A dazzling spectacle with multiple
Using an extension lead is another option light settings and effects, this faux
but it must be suitable for outdoor use. Look rattan stag head features 100
for an IP rating of IP54 or higher and don’t plug colour-changing LEDs that fade Bright
multiple extension cords into one another as
this can lead to overheating and overloading
and flash. Hang inside or out and idea!
change the display via the handy
– buy one cord that’s the right length instead. remote control. Colour Change
Wicker Stag Head, £69.99 longacres.co.uk
HOW CAN I REDUCE RUNNING
COSTS OVER CHRISTMAS?
Thanks to new technical advances and the
greater need for energy efficiency, the latest
Christmas lights are much more economical to It automatically CASCADING LIGHTS
Looking for a statement lighting
run. Practically all contemporary lights feature
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) which are low
loops through feature that will be the envy of your
voltage, give out a crisp bright light and last way different light neighbours? This Insta-worthy metal
tree is for you! Standing at 1.9m tall
longer than a traditional incandescent filament
bulb. Featuring an electrical circuit that passes patterns with 198 bright white LED lights that
across a microchip, these lights use 80-90% less cascade down from the top of the
power than a filament lamp. 28 strings, it packs a punch without
Made from tiny components, they can be taking up much floorspace.
used to form intricate designs that look far more Mains-powered, the transformer
elegant than those on offer just a few years ago. must be positioned indoors. 6ft
They also remain cool to the touch so are safer White Waterfall LED Outdoor
to use around children and animals, and the Christmas Tree, £79.99 very.co.uk
plastic cases are more durable than trad glass.
Timer switches and smart plugs also reduce NEON MAGIC
the amount of energy your lights use, plus they Made from moulded PVC and lit
save on hassle and win approval of neighbours with LEDs, it’s hard not to fall for this
and local wildlife too. Plug into the socket cheeky chap. The sleek neon tubes
before adding lights and either set the hour dial are mains-powered so they’ll shine
to the duration you wish your display to be lit or bright for as long as you like. Neon
pre-set or control remotely using the app. Penguin Light, £45 johnlewis.com
BEST BUYS
Position the
Christmas sturdy wires
SPECIAL and they’ll stayy
in placee TRY THIS!
The lanterns on this
festoon string cast
star patterns onto the
ground below. Projector
Festoon Lights, £40,
coxandcox.co.uk
The perfect
Christmas lights for
a modern garden! ADDED SPARKLE
Why settle for one row of lights when you can
dazzle with masses? At over 6m long, this string
7
of warm white micro-LEDs looks stunning
woven in among foliage or tucked around a handy extras to
door or gateway. With eight twinkle functions,
the golden wiring and clear plastic casing up
make life easier
the style stakes in daytime too. Golden Cluster
String Lights, £80 coxandcox.co.uk Masterplug Weatherproof
Box 4 Socket, 8m Extension
Lead, £24.99 argos.co.uk
STARRY
STARRY LIGHTS
Packing 200 LEDs into
a mains-
powered Masterplug
product, this 2 Gang 13A
star gives a good Waterproof Case
glow. Outdoor Reel 15m, £37
LED Star Light, wilko.com
£34.99/35cm
lights4fun.co.uk Smart IP55
WiFi Outdoor
Double Socket
Sizes60cm, £94.99, and 82cm, With USB, £44.49
olectrical.co.uk
£129.99, also available
We love This light is Varta MultiFormat
Battery Charger,
the retro mains-powered £23.99 screwfix.com
vibes! with a Battery Tester,
£13.99 duracell
5m cable direct.co.uk
Giant White
Gutter Hooks,
16 Pack, £2.99
festive-lights.com
LEAD THE WAY
We love the kitsch charm of this moulded acrylic
gonk and with 60 internal lights he’ll shine brightly in Command Outdoor Decorating
your garden. Acrylic Gonk 3D with Lantern Outdoor Clips, £7.64 amazon.co.uk
Christmas Light Decoration, £50 homebase.co.uk ➣
➣
BEST BUYS
SUPER STAR
This versatile 39cm star with 130
warm white LEDs on a metal
WHAT IF I DON’T WANT LIGHTS sure yours comes with cable ties and stakes if frame can be used indoors or out.
THAT HAVE TO BE PLUGGED IN? your garden is at all exposed. Fairly expensive Light Up Star Silhouette, £35
If you don’t have an outdoor socket or want to for their size, they will last as long as you store coxandcox.co.uk
light hard-to-reach areas of your garden, battery them indoors and treat them with
or solar-powered lights are handy. The length of care as some finer features such as
time these lights stay lit for depends on the type antlers can become brittle with age.
and size of bulb (LEDs will last at least 10 times ✽ Acrylic mesh has an open weave,
more than traditional incandescent bulbs), the constructed from a lightweight wire or
number of lights per string, and the size, quality
and age of the batteries used. Rechargeable
fibreglass frame covered in spun acrylic
with integrated LED lights. These are more
The transformer
batteries are the most environmentally affordable and more forgiving too. It’s worth and plug must be
responsible solution, just check they offer the reading the product spec to see if a figure is
same power your product recommends. made from hard or soft spun acrylic: soft tends located indoors
Some products offer the dual option of mains to yield slightly to the touch, making it less
or battery power, but most battery lights will brittle and easier to transport and store; hard
appear dimmer than mains. can break when knocked, and any damage is
hard to disguise when lit. Need an outdoor
WHAT’S THE BEST MATERIAL ✽ Wicker or rattan figures have all the tactile
plug socket?
FOR A LIT FIGURE? beauty of a natural material but while they’re
Festive lit figures are a fun way to inject fine outside during the festive season, they’re
personality as well as light into your outside not designed for long-term outside use. Some When plugging in any kind of
space. There’s a huge range of winter are pretty huge so do consider where you’ll mains-powered outdoor light, it’s vital that
wonderland characters to choose from but store them for the other 11 months of the year the socket is kept dry and protected from
before you settle on a style, have a think about before you buy! the elements. While you can use an indoor
which material is best for you. ✽ Faux or resin rattan is similar to soft spun socket and trail power leads through open
✽ Moulded acrylic characters have a hard acrylic but has a neutral colouring and more windows, a neater and safer option is to
outer casing, often with a frosted finish, that’s uniform strands with a flatter rather than have an outdoor socket professionally
lit from within. They’re lightweight to move but rounded profile. Mimicking the look of real installed. Costing around £145, it’s a quick
this also means they’ll easily blow over so make rattan, these figures are far more durable. and easy job for a registered electrician.
Designed to take one, two or three
plugs, these units have weatherproof and
dust-tight covers. Many also come with
WINTER WONDERLAND a built-in residual current device (RCD),
These wicker reindeer will turn your which is a safety mechanism designed to
patio or pergola into an enchanting automatically shut off power if any part of
winter feature that’s oozing with Nordic the power supply or item is damaged.
chic. Surround with as many lanterns
as you like! Grey Wicker Reindeer,
£49/69cm, £89/135cm dobbies.com
Resin Woburn
An 8m cable means Stag 1.4m, £169,
you don’t need a dobbies.com
socket right next to
your display
Shop the easy way! Scan here to

shop all these Christmas lights
OUTDOOR LIVING
Join FIONA CUMBERPATCH as she takes

advantage of a quiet time in her garden to make Gifts to grow
seasonal treats and gifts for plant-loving friends
A kind of hush applied around a leaf (any type will do) placed Make
descends on the on a piece of thickly textured Khadi paper life
garden at this time of (available from jacksonsart.com). When peeled
year and to be honest, away, a delicate imprint is left, creating a lovely
lovely
I really appreciate botanical image that can be framed (try Wilko
the brief lull. The for a good selection of affordable frames).
last of my bulbs For foodies, I make rosemary salt. It’s
have been planted just a matter of blending coarse salt with
in leftover pots and chopped rosemary leaves. If you don’t grow
the tender plants this evergreen herb, buy some in a pot from
are safely inside, the supermarket. A ratio of 11/2tbsp of leaves
with pelargoniums to about 30g of salt works well. Add half a
sheltering on teaspoon of lemon zest for extra tang too.
bedroom windowsills and the citrus tree moved Spread the salt mixture on a baking sheet
to just inside the glass doors in the kitchen.
The olive trees now stand along the side wall
and allow to dry for three hours. Decant into
a clean sterilised jar and seal with an airtight Foraged decorations
of the house so they’ll be sheltered from strong lid. Tie on a decorated luggage label, with
winds and snow. Some people envelop them in instructions to add the salt to roast veg, meat
horticultural fleece but I only do this if extreme or crusty bread. It will keep for several months.
weather is threatened. It’s a good idea to have I’ll also be decorating the house with foraged
a roll in the shed though, just in case we’re evergreens. It feels good to wrap up and go
visited by another Beast from the East! hunting in the woods and hedgerows, armed
“ A heartfelt present that can be nurtured

& grown feels right for this year”
PH OTOS: @JAMJARFLOWERS, FIONA CUMBERPATCH, GARDEN TRADING
If there’s any plant whose hardiness I’m not with secateurs and a big bag. I bring home Making botanical prin
sure about, such as the bargain fig tree that I fluffy white clematis, twisty twigs and dried ts
bought on Facebook Marketplace a couple seedheads to pad out small posies of pink
of months ago, I will keep it outside but add a roses in vintage pots. I’ll buy some cyclamen,
thick layer of chipped bark or straw around the and Christmas roses (hellebores) when I
base to protect against frosts. see them too. To turn them into simple gifts,
As my plants hibernate, I’m busy making swathe their pots in lengths of newspaper
gifts for friends and relatives. The cost of secured with colourful ribbon or twine. A plant
living is biting so I’ve been hunting for thrifty that can be nurtured and grown, rather than
inspiration. I’ve found some lovely ideas in tossed in the bin after the festive season, feels
a new book, The Modern Flower Press by like a heartfelt gesture that’s right for this year.
Fiona
Melissa Richardson and Amy Fielding (£30,
William Collins). From stylish pressed
flower-decorated crackers to lampshades
and even tiles, the book offers step-by-step
Instagram @fionacumberpatch
Protect tender plants
instructions to covetable projects. My favourite
is the fern stamp, where watercolour ink is blog fionacumberpatch.com
Fancy
a garden
armchair too?
Turn to p47
PERFECT FOR
PRIVACY, the
birch trees add
an on-trend
sliver of silver.
Danny can now sit back, rel
and enjoy his dream gardenax
GARDEN
makeover
A PERFUMED PATH
of thyme-sandwiched
steps leads the way to a
secluded hangout for two.
“It’s such an easy

garden to look after”
Mini hedges and handsome evergreens have turned
Danny Swallow’s Essex plot from BARE TO BOLD
GARDEN MAKEOVER
BEFORE
W
hen consultant urological surgeon
Danny Swallow moved into his
detached newbuild home in
Chelmsford, Essex, five years ago
he was presented with a humdrum plot that was
overlooked on all sides. “The garden was just
a standard rectangle of grass with a gentle
downward slope away from the house,” he
explains. “There was no planting at all, no
lighting and it had standard wooden fences and
minimal patio slabs outside the back door.” AFTER
Having designed his previous garden with
help from family and friends, Danny was no
stranger to the joys of a pleasant outdoor space. y
He brought with him several beloved plants A blank canvasre offencpaestch Cleverly divided into four zo
from his old plot. “The dark red acer tree was turf and ba a modern mix of easy evergnes using
given to me by a relative for my 30th birthday,
reens
12 years ago,” he explains. “The cloud pine tree,
I pruned myself – it was the centrepiece of my CALLING IN THE But this time around, Danny wanted
old garden in Cambridge – and the Chusan PROFESSIONALS professional help on the design front. Spotting
palm was a pot plant I’ve had for years. The fig But when Covid-19 hit, Danny realised he a garden designer’s sign at a neighbour’s house,
tree I’ve had now for 14 years.” needed more from his outside space. “I was he wasted no time in inviting Sean Butler from
The hot tub was also a gift from his previous staying at home more and the garden was not Cube 1994 (cube1994.com) to have a look.
garden and Danny installed a new deck to at all interesting or pleasant to be in. The “Within minutes Sean had an idea in
accommodate it. “And I’d already bought and patio outside the back door was too his head of how it could be,”
planted a row of birch trees because the garden small to fit a furniture set as well remembers Danny. “He could
is so overlooked from multiple directions,” he as being able to open the door, see what I like as the fittings
adds, “as well as buying a slate water feature and so I couldn’t use the space as I in my home are the same
putting in some basic lighting.” wanted to,” he says. slate grey and I told him I ➣
THE HOT TUB

is neatly nestled
against the house
for easy access.
Birch
PH OTOS: GAP PHOTOS. GARDEN DESIGN: CU BE 1994 LTD/SEAN BU TLER

FEATU RE: GAP PHOTOS/KIRSTY MCNEIL-O’CONNOR.
THE DINING TABLE

is conveniently close to the
indoor and outdoor kitchens.
A CLOUD-PRUNED
pine takes pride of place Pick the
on the lower terrace. perfect petite
pine for your
plot, p18
Acer palmatum
Pine tree
wanted an outdoor kitchen area, multiple zones
and a contemporary garden that wasn’t too hard
to maintain.” And the lawn just had to go. “Sean
asked me if I wanted to keep the grass but I
really didn’t,” Danny adds. “I find the upkeep of
a lawn to be quite annoying. I don’t have a dog Need
or children so there’s no practical need for one some designer
anyway. They look awful when they dry out in evergreens in
summer and they don’t look good if you forget your garden?
to mow them either!”
Turn to p42
DESIGNED FOR LIVING
Sean takes up the story. “We were working in
the same housing development when Danny
got in touch during that first lockdown in 2020. arranged so that when you walk out of the back
He asked for some high-impact wow planting, doors, they’re directly in front of you in a line,
privacy for the existing hot-tub area, and to planted inside a rosemary hedge as if they are
e
Danny’s new oucetdotoorunspwiacnd extend the existing patio space to create areas growing out of it. They offer lots of shade and
is the perfect pla for dining, relaxing and entertaining. We worked privacy to the armchair terrace area reached by
together to create a contemporary space, the stepping stones. That’s where I go on a hot
divided into a series of rooms, separated by day. I really didn’t expect that I would be
mature planting, to create a great escape.” spending so much time there, but it’s so lovely
MY GARDEN The design separates the garden into zones,
the previously sloping plot levelled into two
and sheltered and cool.” And the fourth tree?
“That’s gone to a friend who lives across the
PL AN paved terraces linked by steps and delineated
by black-painted railway sleepers. In place of all
road!” Danny reports.
Box hedging gives further structure to the
LOCATION Chelmsford, Essex that grass is porcelain paving, a cool slate grey garden, with plenty of evergreen plants both
to match the fittings inside the house. small and tall. Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’ and
THE LOOK Modern Mediterranean On the lower terrace, a comfy corner sofa sits thyme provide a mosaic of tiny leaves at ground
SITE Size 250m2 Faces South-west across from an outdoor kitchen complete with level while Mexican feather grass grows to a
Soil Clay barbecue and sink with running water. Spaced mid-height 60cm and Stipa gigantea to 2m.
pavers lead through the planting to another Against this foliage fiesta, a mix of orange
MY BUDGET seating area, this one with two comfy armchairs. and deep purple blooms dance. Spring sees the
Clearance & excavations £5,000 On the upper terrace are a dining table and 12cm-wide blooms of oriental poppy ‘Prince of
Landscaping £25,000 chairs, alongside the hot tub on the deck. “I’ve Orange’ bopping in the breeze on their wiry
Bespoke kitchen island £5,000 seen that at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, stems, then in early summer comes the
Planting £6,000 where they often talk about different garden 90cm-high stems and almost-black blooms of
TOTAL: £41,000 rooms and Cube really like that way of iris ‘Superstition’. But it’s iris ‘Carnival Time’ that
designing too,” says Danny. steals the show with rusty-orange flowers up to
HOW LONG IT TOOK 20cm across! No surprise then, that Danny’s
Clearance & excavation 1 week POWERFUL PLANTING favourite colour is orange! “I like the informal
Concrete foundations 1 week Of the four birch trees that Danny had planted, planting areas, it’s not too regimented and it
Landscaping 3 weeks three were moved to a new home. “They’re now makes it easy to add things in without worrying
Planting 3 days
TOTAL: approx 6 weeks
“I picked up the acer at Tesco
for £5 – but look at it now!”
GARDEN MAKEOVER
WITH ALL THE
home comforts of
indoors, the garden
is guest-ready too.
Rosemary
SMART IDEAS
TO STEAL A TREAT FOR THE SENSES,
the evergreen rosemary hedge looks,
MAKE A SECRET PATH
smells and tastes good year round.
to your patio with pavers and
mini hedges of clipped thyme.
Box hedge COVER BARE SOIL LEAFY TOWERS

with a mulch of bark chips. of veronicastrum
punctuate the mini
USE STIPA GIGANTEA thyme hedges.
to screen a boring fence.
about a strict formal design,” he says. “I’m really are really easy to clean. I tend to only use the
glad I’ve been able to incorporate the plants I outdoor kitchen and living room with the sofa
brought with me too.” when I have company. As I live alone, it’s quite a
The biggest success story though is the Acer lot of effort to fire up the kitchen just for myself
palmatum that creates a natural boundary so when I’m entertaining I really enjoy using it.
between the dining area and the corner sofa, “The sofa is really comfortable, the dining
underplanted with Californian poppies. “I picked table is close to the house for easy access to the
that up at Tesco next to the checkout,” says indoor kitchen, and the outdoor cooking area
Danny. “It was a bit sad and on sale at just £5 but has running water and a gas barbecue with an
look at it now, it’s huge!” electric spit attachment. It faces out so when I
cook, I can also see everything that’s going on.”
TIME TO PARTY! And even on dark winter nights, Danny can
It’s safe to say that Danny loves his new garden. enjoy his updated plot. “The lighting is all
“The design allows me to use the outside space integrated and I can operate it from my phone,”
fully and have an area that I am proud to
entertain in. There’s so much space for and
he says. “It’s on a timer to come on at dusk for a
couple of hours so I can enjoy looking out over
Thyme
around the furniture,” he says, “and the pavers the garden, even if I’m indoors.”
DREAMING IN GREEN Leaves in an array of distinctive shapes give this garden a strong sense of style...
PLANT
HEAVEN
Japanese maple Japanese painted fern Silver birch tree Box Fig tree
GROW A LIVING TAPESTRY
In this beautiful garden, designer Tom Howard
Star jasmine (tomhowardgardens.co.uk) has included a wide
range of evergreens with differing colours, leaf
types and shapes, which means that even on the
darkest of winter days there’s always something
to be enjoyed. Along with topiary balls in the
border and Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ in the
raised bed at the back of the plot, there’s an
GARDEN D ESIGN: TO MHOWAR D GAR D ENS.CO.U K

orderly row of olive trees that lead the eye to
the fabulous living wall that cleverly conceals the
GAR D E N D E S I GN: OSA DA D E S I GN.CO M
shed. It’s made up of a mix of evergreen ferns

and grasses that flourish in this semi-shady spot.
DIY your own tapestry by fixing lengths of
guttering with end caps attached in rows
on a wall or fence. Pierce several drainage holes
in each, fill with a 80/20 mix of multipurpose
compost and grit and plant up with a mixed fern
collection such as the Evergreen Hardy Fern
Collection, £14.97/3 x 9cm pots, yougarden.com.
TRAIN CLIMBERS ARTFULLY ALONG

A WHITE WALL
This light-filled back garden designed by Darryl Osada (osadadesign.
com) has horizontal wires running all around the reflective rendered walls
to support evergreen climbers. The white background acts as a cool blank
canvas to make climbers the star of the show when the pleached magnolia
‘Merrill’ trees drop their leaves.
For something a bit different, try Stauntonia hexaphylla (£25/4L pot,
mailorder.crug-farm.co.uk) which is a vigorous twining climber with
elegant glossy green leathery leaves and heavily fragrant large white
bell-shaped flowers in spring. Grow in the ground in part shade or sun.
Pittosporum tenuifolium
‘Variegatum’
Olive
Brachyglottis
‘Sunshine’
G ARDEN DESIGN: TH EGARDENBUILDERS.CO.UK
CREATE STATEMENT SHAPES WITH MINI HEDGES

This look takes time to achieve (unless you buy established plants, which
can be costly) but plant now and this time next year your garden will be
showing off some creative shapes as in this eye-catching front garden
designed by The Garden Builders (thegardenbuilders.co.uk). The
neatly clipped circular low-level hedges are filled with a variety of plants
including evergreens Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’ and Pittosporum tenuifolium Smart
‘Variegatum’. Along with the gravel, this garden, apart from a seasonal
haircut, is a super-easy space to maintain. design
Keep costs down by buying bareroot fast-growing shrubs such as
green privet (£18.99/3, 3fatpigs.co.uk), which can be trained into
solutions
small formal hedges, in full sun or a partially shady spot. Space out three
plants per metre and keep them neat by trimming twice a year.
EASY IDEAS
ELEGANT
Steal these DESIGNER TRICKS to keep your
garden looking lush all year round
Pittosporum tobira
‘Nanum’
Heuchera
Carex oshimensis
PH OTOS: S HUTTERSTOCK, ALAM Y, VISION S
W
FEATURE: JULES BARTON-B RECK.
hen garden designers are provide a structure that’ll quietly show off
given a brief, their clients all of summer’s bright blooms. So if you’re
invariably stipulate that glancing out of your windows now and
their swish new space must thinking your plot isn’t looking its best,
look good all year round. The solution is take inspiration from these designer tricks
to include a skeleton of evergreens that’ll that’ll ensure your garden looks lush even
shine through the winter months, but also on the dreariest winter day.
➣
USE BAMBOO TO CREATE
A WARM TROPICAL VIBE
GAR D EN D ESIGN: AMIR SC HLEZ INGER MYLANDSC APES.CO.U K.

These dramatic plants, with their elegant
swaying canes and delicate foliage, add
year-round structure and movement as
well as a touch of the exotic – just what’s
needed in dreary old winter. There are lots
of different stem colours, heights and leaf
types to choose from to suit almost every
garden spot, large or small, as long as the
soil doesn’t get waterlogged or become
really dry.
PHOTO : LU C Y F IT T ER
Always choose a clump-forming type
that isn’t invasive and can be grown in
large pots such as Fargesia ‘Winter Joy’,
£29.99/5L pot, jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
ADD STYLISH STRUCTURE WITH POM-POM BAY TREES

Easy to grow, bay trees are invaluable in a straight stem. And they look great! Just
your garden and their aromatic leaves prune once or twice over the summer to
are super-useful in the kitchen too. Left keep in shape.
to their own devices, bays grow into Create an architectural feature
imposing bushes or trees but you can buy throughout winter with the
standards, which have been trimmed and Laurus nobilis Standard Bay Tree, H90cm,
trained to grow a sphere of foliage atop £77.99, dobies.co.uk.
Make it happen!
Whichever evergreen you go for, these
little buys will keep it looking good…
1 Show off a statement

lovely in a chic modern
container like this
concrete-look resin
Grigio Balloon Plant
Pot in Anthracite,
£82.99/30 x 30cm
hortology.co.uk
2 To keep shrubs and trees

in shape you’ll need a
good pair of shears to
make it light work.
Spear and Jackson
4855TS Razorsharp
Advantage Topiary
Shears, £17.81
amazon.co.uk
3 Shredded bark is one PLANT A SIMPLE ROW

of the cheapest mulch OF ORNAMENTAL GRASSES
types and great for Here’s a super-easy evergreen idea but you
keeping evergreens can see for yourself how fab it looks! Most
moist but not ornamental grasses turn to shades of bronze,
waterlogged. Spread it beige or russet in winter months, and sparkle
around the main stem when covered with frost. They also wave around
whether in the ground in the slightest breeze, adding movement.
or a pot. SylvaBark For maximum impact, stick to one grass
Pine Bark Mini Mulch, such as blue fescue which has beautiful
£29.98/2 x 50L silvery-blue leaves that fade to straw-brown.
waitrosegarden.com Festuca glauca ‘Blue Select’, £7.98/3 x 7cm pots,
jparkers.co.uk.
EASY IDEAS
POT UP
SEMPERVIVUMS IN
Fargesia LARGE CONTAINERS
This is such a simple add to a
‘Winter Joy’ garden but it looks so good!
As well as being evergreen,
sempervivums can survive
really hot dry summers along
with snow-filled winters
with hardly any help from
you. They’re happy in bowls,
troughs or borders but for a
designer look, pack them into TRY THIS!
an over-sized planter where the
foliage will shine. Trim and shape fast-growing
The striking Sempervivum conifers and line up in
‘Reinhard’ has evergreen rosettes
of thick fleshy green leaves with red tips
modern angular containers
and pink flowers in summer. £6.99/1L pot,
worfieldplants.co.uk.
ADD A MAXIMALIST VIBE

WITH SHOWSTOPPER LEAVES
There aren’t many evergreen plants that will add
such a glossy and glamourous look to your garden
as Fatsia japonica, also known as Japanese aralia.
It thrives in semi-shade where its large and shapely
leaves will lend a hot humid jungly look as well as
producing little black berries in winter to keep native
THAT’S CLEVER! wildlife happy. Keep the soil or compost moist but
This planter sits on two not waterlogged by covering the
surface with decorative gravel or
plank pavers of a similar mulch. In the ground it
grows big but you can
tone, drawing even more contain it in a pot for a
attention to these more compact plant.
Buy this beauty
easy-grow plants and watch it grow
into a 2m foliage
powerhouse,
£29.50/5L pot,
bigplantnursery.co.uk.
Fatsia japonica
USE YEW TO MAKE
TOPIARY BALLS
Box plants have traditionally
been used to form perfect
little spheres but as it’s at high
risk from box blight and other
problems, it makes sense to
choose a less-stressful shrub that
can do the same job. English
yew (Taxus baccata) has dark
green foliage that’s easy to trim
into pleasing ball shapes and the
bonus is that you can do that
whenever you want, apart from
in freezing conditions.
Get the look instantly with
the Taxus baccata Topiary
Ball English Yew, £25.95/23cm
pot, charellagardens.co.uk.
OUTDOOR LIVING
Irish
HOT CHOCOLATE
Time to relax can be hard to come by right now
so if you do find yourself with a moment at
the end of a busy day, make the most of it by
nipping out into the garden for a warming
well done. This grown-up hot choc is rich,
super-chocolatey and just a little bit boozy.
And don’t stop at marshmallows as a topping
– make your pleasure potion even more
marvellous with chocolate flakes for extra
chocolatiness, chocolate fingers for dunking
or anything else you might fancy! Good
company optional…
Drink
anyone?
DECEMBER TIPPLE
To make 2 servings:
YOU WILL NEED
✽ 500ml milk
✽ 4tbsp cocoa powder
✽ 60g 70% dark chocolate, small pieces
✽ 2tbsp sugar
✽ 5tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
FEATU RE: CLARE WALKER. PH OTO: STOCKFOOD
WHAT TO DO
1 Gently heat the milk in a saucepan
ulg e n t to p p in g , whisk
(don’t boil). TIP For a n ind ip p in g cream,
2 With the pan still on the hob, whisk in
0 0 m l w h
the cocoa powder, chocolate and sugar. together 1 1 tb s p B a ileys
Continue whisking until well blended and
a r a n d
heated through.
3 Turn off the heat and stir in the Baileys.
2tsp icing sug
Serve immediately in your favourite mug
and adorn with your chosen toppings.
BEST BUYS
TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF LASTING CUE THE CURVES
Your garden may not be looking its best at the IMPRESSION If your winter garden
moment but a quick hose of a patio corner, Pull up a pew with a is looking a bit bare
a few strategically placed petite pines (see morning brew, then and the harsh
p18) and a couple of cushioned Milano Luxury stack away or leave straight lines of your
Garden Chairs, W55cm, outdoors for a hot- hardscaping have
with lightweight toddy nightcap, all crept into view,
aluminium year round, thanks to soften them up with
frames and its anti-corrosive a pair of curvy Dylha
polyester resin. Remy Stacking Rojo Armchairs,
woven rope,
and you’ve
got yourself a
2
Armchair – Blue,
W52cm, £179
W69cm. They’re
pretty tough but are
best stacked away
3
bridgman.co.uk
sweet winter in harsh weather.
seating spot. £109.95/2 sklum.com
£125 mossand
homes.com
We FLEX APPEAL
1 LOVE
this!
If you’re planning to while
away an hour or two outdoors
with the latest issue of Modern
Gardens, then this Husarö
SHOW A LITTLE LEG Armchair, W64cm, with
Any winter blues will be curved frame and
cured every time mesh flexible
you take a seat fabric will keep
in this leggy your bum from
bright and cheery going numb!
£99 ikea.com
recyclable plastic
Ania Yellow
Garden Chair,
5
W60cm. It’s UV-
resistant, also in PEACE OUT! 6
brown, white and Give your garden an inviting laidback boho vibe
4 black. £84.99
kavehome.com
with this Pia Garden Armchair, W65cm, part of the
Vintage Rattan Collection. £169 tikamoon.co.uk
Shop the easy way! Scan here
to shop all these armchairs
NARROW ESCAPE MEAN AND GREEN TWIST YOUR ARM?

Park the housework for another day and your bottom Made from weather-resistant powder- Sit back, relax, pour yourself
on an Octa Wicker Garden Armchair, Cement Grey, coated aluminium, this stackable Zuiver a glass of vin chaud
W56cm, and simply bask in the joy of being outdoors. Albert Kuip Garden Armchair French mulled wine
Made from reinforced – Green, W59.5cm, means and soak up the
fibreglass, it’s practical but business! £339 Parisian bistro vibes
comfy too. £170/4 sazy.com naken.co.uk of this Kafe Business
Resin Armchair,
W55cm. Made
8 from weatherproof
#10 aluminium, coated with

epoxy paint, which
mirrors the authenticity
9
BEST 7 of bamboo, it’s tough too.
£129 maisonsdumonde.com
SPREAD
YOUR WINGS
A compact seat fans
SLIMLINE GARDEN
out up top to cocoon
and support you in
throne-like style.
For added durability,
10
ARMCHAIRS
the acacia seat has
COMPILED BY ANG ELA KENNY
been pre-treated
with woodstain. Seat
cushions are available
However big or small your plot, there’s too, from £30.
Vingson Wing
room to squeeze in a COMFY SEAT Chair, 87cm-104cm,

£250 ikea.com
Selina’s garden
RUBY REDS
Stylist & book author SELINA LAKE shares her
on-trend styling ideas & glorious garden buys
T
his Christmas I’m craving a nod back
to festive traditions and for me that
means a more traditional colour
palette for my styling projects. So this
month I’m sharing my ideas for bringing classic Berried
Christmas ruby reds into your own festivities.
treasure
WWW.COUNTRYLIV INGFAIR.COM. P HOTO: RACHEL WHITING. STYLING: SELINA LAKE

Red is the colour of Christmas like no other
tone. In previous years I’ve opted for new and If you can see your garden table
from inside your home, create a
STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY: SELINA LAKE

unexpected colour palettes to style my tree,
Christmas table and welcoming garden simple festive centrepiece. Here I
displays, but I can’t help but be drawn back to used a vintage galvanised metal box,
jolly reds, giving them a new spin, of course! but any shallow container will work.
I’m combining classic red with ruby tones, I filled the box with ivy, rosemary
vibrant pinks, a smidge of orange and lots of and smoke bush cuttings from my
fresh green foliage with branches, twigs and garden, then added some
pinecones. Having a new colour scheme doesn’t berry-laden pyracantha. Stand a
necessarily mean buying loads of new things to solar lantern on the table too for
fit it – look at items you already own and see if a pretty evening feature.
you can use them for your Christmas styling.
Berries are a great way to add a touch of red
to your centrepiece, wreath or gifts so if you
have any shrubs or trees laden with berries in
your garden, cut a few branches before the
birds eat them all. My favourites are pyracantha,
hawthorn and classic holly. Trending
A good way to plump up the reds on the
Christmas table is with red candles or tealights,
in candlesticks, jars or clear glass votives.
now
I weave foliage between them to create Ruby reds will add a rich and
a table garland and then add a colourful inviting vibe to your home and
fabric cracker to each place setting, to garden this Christmas and you can
make it feel jolly and festive.
When wrapping gifts I decorate them stop them from feeling too trad
with a little something from my garden, and by adding in splashes of
a rustic sprig of green foliage goes so well
with a luxurious naturally dyed ruby silk ribbon.
pink and orange.
They look so good under the tree, I can hardly
bear to give them away! Wishing you a very
happy ruby-red Christmas.
Pretty presents
For eco-friendly wrapping, I use leftover
Selina wallpaper or recyclable gift wrap – this is

Circles and Dots by Peggy Angus, £2.75/sheet,
cambridgeimprint.co.uk. I tie it with ribbon or
string and decorate with sprigs from my garden.
OUTDOOR LIVING
Instagram
@selinalake
Reusable crackers
I’m always striving for more
Naturally lovely planet-friendly celebrations
so I was delighted to find
Yes it’s a little decadent but naturally dyed silk happycrackers.co.uk. Use the
ribbon is one of my favourite styling props. I use handmade fabric crackers
it to add bows to my wreaths, as a Christmas tree- (from £30 each) to decorate
garlands as well as the table,
topper and also to give my wrapped gifts a touch of and don’t worry if they get
luxury. £10.53/3m, from Cfleursdesign, etsy.com. grubby while dining al fresco
as they’re machine washable.
Tray display
Red candles instantly bring
Christmas feels. Place them in
candle holders or, for a truly
modern take, simply arrange
a handful on a metal tray with
fir sprigs and pinecone twigs.
Red Chime Candles, £8/20, ✽ NEXT MONTH:
COOL & CALM
thedanes.co.uk
“We can eat outside
all year round!”
Simon and Tanya Marks’ outdated Cheshire garden
is now a swish outdoor space with room to
entertain in ALL WEATHERS
T
he generously sized back garden of schemes, Simon and Tanya were prepared locally and, before contacting him, backed this
Simon and Tanya Marks’ Edwardian to invest in a major makeover. “We wanted to up with online research,” says Tanya.
house on the edge of the Derbyshire achieve a seamless outside/inside feel so the It wasn’t long before David visited and, while
Peak District was perfectly adequate garden was an extension of our home, filled his assessment was an ‘average, dated back
when the couple moved there back in with year-round colour and scent. Access was garden’, he found lots to like. “I loved that it
December 2005. Although overgrown trees also an important consideration, so it wasn’t a was south-facing, and there were some nice
made it very dark and the bottom of the chore to go out to eat or do the gardening, acers I was determined to keep,” he recalls.
garden was prone to water-logging after enjoy a cup of tea on a sunny morning or just
rainfall, it served its purpose as a home for a to sunbathe,” says Tanya. ENTERTAINING HUB
trampoline and a plethora of toys for their two In search of inspiration, the couple visited Central to the Marks’ brief was a covered
young children. But fast-track to 2020 and the stately homes including Chatsworth House kitchen and dining area, to complement a
couple wanted to make more of this now to look at the gardens and hunted online for garden room housing a home office and
clutter-free south-facing outside space. ideas. And when friends mentioned garden storage unit that was already under
“We love outdoor life and like dining outside designer David Keegan they took a look at his construction. “There was a
with friends whenever possible,” says Tanya. website (dkgardendesign.co.uk) and liked what Wendy house-type shed in one ➣
“Nothing warms the heart more than good they saw. “We’d seen some of his projects
company, fine wine and generous portions
of interesting food.”
Having dabbled with a couple of
minor garden improvement
FEATU RE: MELANIE WH ITEHOUSE. P HOTOS: DAV ID KEEGAN
GARDEN
makeover
GARDEN MAKEOVER
BEFORE
AFTER
ace
The tired waterdlolaggckedluspre
Fresh, bright and modern wi
was dark an st lawns and easy-care deckth
ing
new
Aluminium pergola, from
£12,990, cbsolarshading.co.uk
SMART IDEAS
TO STEAL
Faro Porcelain MAKE A MODERN
ROCK GARDEN with
Paving, £66/m2, cobbles and thyme.
londonstone.co.uk PLACE LIGHTS
behind screens.
ADD NEAT EGING
to lawn-side borders.
Designer David’s vis ion was of a
all areas
space that made bes e of
t us
OUR GARDEN
PL AN
LOCATION Marple Bridge, Cheshire
THE LOOK Contemporary
SITE Size 275m2 Faces South
Soil Clay
OUR BUDGET
Paving £5,000 Millboard decking
£8,000 Pergola £13,000
Corten screens £2,000 corner of the garden, which was to be removed from beginning to end. “We learned that you
Kitchen £3,500 Furniture £5,000 and this struck me as the perfect location for the need to go with the flow,” says Tanya, “and trust
Plants & planting £8,500 outdoor kitchen and dining area,” David says. the designer. David is a creative and you have to
TOTAL: £45,000 But there was lots to do before construction go with that, otherwise you stifle the creativity.
of this sleek entertaining space could begin. “We had to hit optimal planting times, which
HOW LONG IT TOOK “The lawn sloped badly to one side of the is why the renovation was spread over such a
Clearance 1 week Groundwork prep, garden, which led to flooding, so I decided to lift long period. But we were delighted with the
including installing electrical cables the entire lawn so it was on one level, and add a finished garden – it is such a sharp contrast to
2 weeks Installing paving, decking & drainage layer to the sub-base,” explains David. what was there before and takes advantage of
pergola 2 weeks Soil works, cobbling “My main design focus was to make every part all elements of the space. We’d never have
& planting 1 week of the garden a usable functional destination. thought of using the space this way as we lack
TOTAL: 6 weeks over 6 months Far too often gardens tend to focus on one area that creative flair – and we’d probably never
at the expense of the entire space.” have been brave enough to overhaul it totally
without David’s input!”
DETAILED DESIGN The garden now works day and night, four
Work began in spring 2021 and, sometimes seasons of the year, thanks to smart lighting.
HOW WE DID IT... slowed by the British weather, took six months Corten steel screens are double-walled and
2
1
3
THE TURF IS STRIPPED, a drainage layer THE OLD SANDSTONE PAVING outside PAVING FOR THE KITCHEN and dining
installed and the area levelled. Construction of the back doors of the house is cleared and area is added. With the Corten screens already
the garden room is finished and paths laid. sleek Millboard decking laid in its place. in place, the framework for the steps is built.
GARDEN MAKEOVER
Enhanced Grain Smoked A SLEEK SLICE

of granite slabs
Oak Millboard, sweet-talks you
into exploring
from £130.10/m2, everything the
millboard.co.uk garden has to offer.
Add a
splash of
winter red to
your plot,
p57
FABULOUS UNDERFOOT
But it’s perhaps at ground level that this garden Cold-season colour
A TEXTURE TREAT is most impressive. Silvery-grey Millboard
of cobbles, boulders composite decking and porcelain tiles, inset with As well as summer blooms, David chose
and rusted Corten black granite, offer a sleek sophisticated look. plants that would bring warmth to the
screens draws you in. Silver-grey feature cobbles interplanted with garden in autumn and winter.
thyme infill oak steps for fabulous texture. And
granite paving provides a practical slip-resistant
✽ Acer palmatum ‘Orange
Dream’ grows orange-yellow
contain internal lighting, adding after-dark solution on the perimeter pathways.
foliage that matures to
drama. Hooded lights illuminate the path and A decked area directly outside the house
lime-green in summer and then
an LED striplight integrated into the structure offers a comfy seating area within easy reach of
turns a striking yellow in autumn.
of the pergola ensures that this area is still a the inside. Granite stepping stones provide an
functional space on a winter evening. “It’s easy route across the generous lawn, also ✽ Reliable and
sublime, and can flex from such subtlety to planted with scented thyme. And a circular steel low-maintenance, Cornus
Blackpool Pleasure Beach!” reports Tanya. sculpture set among Japanese silver grass and sanguinea ‘Winter Beauty’
And oh! What a pergola! Automated louvres evergreen ferns adds a punctuation point. has vibrant autumn foliage and
in the roof give shade from the sun as well as The Marks now spend far more time outside orangey-red stems in winter.
shelter from the rain. Sitting underneath this and their teenagers love their revamped ✽ Also known
impressive structure is a standalone outdoor space. “The new garden connects as heavenly
stainless-steel outdoor kitchen bought from seamlessly with the house and the neutral grey bamboo, Nandina
bbq-barn.co.uk, where you can choose which paving is practical and a lovely contrast to the domestica
components to include for a bespoke-to-you colourful planting,” says Tanya. “We especially ‘Compacta’
design. And the table and chairs were sourced like the pergola with its cooking and dining boasts brilliant
from sky-linedesign.co.uk, along with the rest of space. There is a lot more wine and adventurous red foliage and berries.
the garden furniture, for a cohesive look. food consumed outside now!”
4 6
MATURE IVY PLANTS are delivered, to THE PLANTING BEGINS. The trees A SCULPTURAL STEEL BALL from
be planted behind the pergola and provide are in, and the thyme between the pavers in aplaceinthegarden.co.uk is secured, the steps
screening from neighbours. progress, but there’s lots still to do! filled with cobbles and the lawn turfed.
STAY
Whether you’re gardening or simply relaxing on your
outdoor sofa, here’s how to ward off WINTER CHILLS
HIL
CENTRAL HEATING
This machine-washable gilet boasts a
battery-powered heating system which
you can turn on to
boost the insulation
offered by the
synthetic down fill.
Non-bulky, it’ll fit
under a jacket for an
extra layer, or over
a fleece if you’re
busy pottering.
Voltera Loft
Heated
Bodywarmer,
Bodywarmer
£125;
Rechargeabl
Rechargeable
STOP THE COLD RISING
The air near the ground is colder at night
Heated Jacke
Jacket
and if it doesn’t get any sunlight during
Battery Pack, £30 £30;
the day it will stay cold. An outdoor rug
both regatta.com.
beneath your chairs will minimise the
chill underfoot. Soft Geometric Indoor
Outdoor Rug, £19.95, kukoonrugs.com.
HEAT YOUR SPACE
An infrared electric patio heater gives off warmth
through radiant heating meaning that it warms objects
(you!) rather than the air around you, making them really
Cover up
efficient. However, if you want to feel warm no matter Made from recycled plastic
where you move about within a smallish sheltered area, bottles but soft as wool, this
then a halogen heater is a better option as it raises the
temperature of the space, not just you. Maze 2100W Outdoor Diamond Coral Blanket
Lyra Electric Patio Heater, £359, mazeliving.co.uk. (£55, weavergreen.com) is stain
resistant and machine washable.
Have a wee!
You ll feel colder if your bladder is
You’ll
FEATU RE: JU LES BARTON-BRECK. P HOTOS: SHU TTERSTOCK
CHIM, CHIM, CHIMINEA full because your

There are many ways to heat body heat will
up your patio but if you’re after be used to
roasty-toasty heat then a chiminea
is more efficient at burning fuel keep your
than a firepit. Choose cast iron urine
if warmth is your top priority as
this metal will radiate a great
warm as
amount of heat over a larger well as your
area because of its density. Sierra vital organs.
Bronze Large Cast Iron Chiminea
with Grill by La Hacienda, £139,
garden4less.co.uk.
Heattech Fleece EASY IDEAS
Turtleneck Long Sleeved
Thermal Top in Orange,
£19.90 uniqlo.com
Ladies Knit
Fleece Lined
Multi Thermal
Thermal Bobble
Ankle Socks with
Hat with Pom Pom,
Wool, £10/2
£14.99 heatholders.co.uk
next.co.uk
THE SCIENCE OF THERMAL CLOTHING

Thermals don’t actually make you warm, rather they stop you
getting cold. They’re designed to sit closely next to your skin
and retain your body heat, which with looser-fitting clothing
would escape. Thermal clothing also absorbs moisture and
wicks it away from your skin. That makes it great if you’re Warmer heats up
doing any active gardening jobs as sweat, once cooled, would This Rechargeable Hand ns as a power
in seconds and als o functio
otherwise leave you feeling cold. ancesurvey.co.uk
bank. £24.99, shop.ordn
LOVE LAYERS
Wear several thin layers rather
than one thick one because the
air trapped between them will
add extra insulation. Plus you
can remove or add a layer as
needed. Wear gloves and fluffy
socks too: one of your body’s
first responses to cold is to
reduce blood flow to hands and
feet, and this can lead to a loss These grip-tastic Briers
of dexterity and sensitivity. Wa
Gloves (£7.99, raynaud rm Gardening
sdi
highly rated by those wh sease.com) are
o suffer in the cold
WARM YOUR INSIDES

Much as we’d like to recommend a hot
mulled cider, alcohol is a vasodilator
meaning it causes your blood vessels to
dilate, which makes it harder for them
to constrict and keep your core body
warm. It also impairs your ability to shiver,
which your body does to keep warm. So,
stick to the hot choc and marshmallows!
rmers in the
Put these barley-filled wa kets. Cotton
into poc
microwave and pop
pping.rspb.org.uk
Hand Warmers, £14, sho
Put a hat on
M NRU GS.CO
While the myth that you lose most of your

body heat through your head has been well
PHO TO: KUK OO
and truly debunked (it’s only about 10%) it’s

still a good idea to try to cover every bit of
Take inspo from theshSceeandi your body when you’re out in the cold, and Insulate your feet when you pop out
onto the patio for a cuppa with Calceus
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EASY IDEAS
SIMPLY
Plant a SCARLET ACCENT in your garden and

make frosty mornings even more amazing…
SKIMMIA
JAPONICA REEVESIANA
Firing up feelings of warmth and joy, the
colour red is a must-have in the winter
garden and this little pocket rocket has us
rubbing our hands together with glee. With
thick evergreen foliage and loose heads of
bright red berries, it can be grown in shade
or part shade in any soil. Pop it in a pot and
brighten up a doorway for months. Height 1.2m
Spread 90cm. £17.99/1.5L pot ashwoodnurseries.com
HEUCHERA
‘CHERRY COLA’
Ignite a wave of vivid red at
the front of flowerbeds or in Cornus alba
pots on your patio with this ‘Sibirica’
sun-loving alum root. Plant
it in compost that allows Hot damn, call a fireman – this Siberian
water to drain well, protect dogwood is on fire! Garden fireplaces are
it from harsh frosts and it’ll a big trend at the moment and we know
happily blaze away all year many readers have used this winter-
round, with small cherry-red weather warrior as decorative flames. It’s
flowers fizzing out from the not fussy what it grows in but it loves a
foliage in July and August. bright spot where its red stems will glow
Height 20cm Spread 35cm. in low winter sunshine. Height & Spread
£9.99/9cm pot dobies.co.uk 1.2m. £17.99/2L pot crocus.co.uk
➣
EASY IDEAS
SWITCH IVY Bold &
Life will always be rosy when brilliant
you have a pot of Leucothoe
‘Zeblid’ on your patio. It’s a
breeze to grow and will brighten
up bare patches in a flash.
Green and copper leaves turn
a celebratory wine-colour in
winter, and it doesn’t mind a
bit of shade. A fine vintage
indeed! Height 1.5m Spread
2.5m. £12.95/2-3L pot
gardeningexpress.co.uk
NANDINA DOMESTICA
‘RICHMOND’
Melt away any winter blues with these
cheery red berries that look even more
magical with a touch of frost. In a sunny
spot with well-drained soil, the evergreen
bamboo-like foliage turns fiery red in
winter, too. Height & Spread 1.2m.
£16.50/2-3L pot burncoose.co.uk
WITCH HAZEL ‘DIANE’

If you only roll out the red carpet for one
of these VIPs – Very Important Plants –
make this Hamamelis intermedia the star
of your winter plot. The deep red flowers
with red-purple centres are a welcome
sight on a dreary day and cut branches
will fill your home with fragrance as the
flowers open. Give it a well-drained spot in
sun or part shade. Height & Spread 4m.
£27/9cm pot hayloft.co.uk
COTONEASTER ‘CORNUBIA’
It’s worth braving the cold for a closer
look at these clusters of red berries
before the birds gobble them up. Give
it a spot in sun or part shade in well-
FEATURE: VAL B OURNE, ANGELA KENNY. PH OTOS: VISION S, SH UTTERSTOCK ,
draining soil and its deep green leaves will

develop a bronze tint too, with creamy-
white flowers in June. Height & Spread
ALA MY, GAP PH OTOS/CLIVE NICH OLS – RHS GARDEN, WISLEY
6m. £19.99/2L pot rhsplants.co.uk
Cyclamen persicum
Gaultheria procumbens ‘Rouge Ecarlate’
A big flash of checkerberry brightness Turn up the heat with a pot or two of
is just what we need right now. This this Persian cyclamen, with heart-shaped
low-growing evergreen hides bare soil leaves and fragrant flowers, which bloom
quickly and birds love its large glossy red September-February year after year. It’ll
berries too. Pop it in a pot of ericaceous be fine in a sheltered patio spot in mild
compost, bring it inside to enjoy over winters, or pop it on a windowsill indoors,
Christmas then pop it back outside in in part shade, and make sure it can drain
the new year. Height 30cm Spread 1m. well. Height & Spread 15cm. £12.95/3 x
£12.99/3 x 9cm pots jparkers.co.uk 10.5cm pots sarahraven.com
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Fancy forest
Bring WOODLAND CHARM to Christmas dinner with Jane’s floral faffery lo
and is easy and thriftyoks stylish
this theatrical but thrifty arrangement, says JANE SCOTT to create
or as long as I can remember, festive

foliage and flowers have been a
key part of home decorating at
Christmas. When I was little, Mum
would gather up bits of holly and
make a sweet centrepiece for our
dinner table, just the right size to sit between
the turkey and the bottle of Blue Nun wine.
Since those days I’ve made some grander
statement pieces but here we are this year,
looking at a very different December. We’re all
keeping a very close eye on our finances and
our festive flowers need to be thrifty.
Luckily this arrangement is both frugal and
fabulous, turning foraged foliage and dried
flowers into four simple posies, which are then
wired onto a metal frame to create a natural
woodland-style border over the dinner table.
It’s a great way to decorate without using up I’m keeping things frugal by foraging I begin by assembling my frame,
valuable table space. 1 for free foliage for my arrangement,
and using DIY home-dried flowers.
2 positioning the clamps and adjusting
the top bar to fit the length of my
Jane I’m using 12 ivy trails, 8 cone twigs and 4 each

of conifer sprigs, nobilis pine and privet berries,
along with 4 dried stems of statice, hydrangea
and dock.
table. These frames are brilliant and can be used
again for all sorts of special occasions. I sourced
this one online – prices start at around £21,
search ‘table over frame’.
Then I make four posies. Each one uses I attach two of the posies to each end Next I repurpose some empty glass
3 a stem of nobilis as the base layer. Next 4 of the top pole of my table frame using 5 jam jars into votives. I wind two 60cm
PHOTOS: SIMON SMITH
I add 3 ivy trails, 2 cone twigs and 1 each florist wire. One hangs down to create lengths of florist wire around the neck
of dock, privet, statice, conifer and hydrangea. the side of the leafy frame and the second of each jar, pop in a tealight and hang them
I bind the stems together using florist wire, reaches along the top pole towards the centre. from the frame. I then tie ribbons to each end of
leaving 15cm of wire at both ends to attach the I also wire a few leftover bits and bobs to the the top pole and let the ends hang down to add
posies to the frame. centre of the rail. a lovely finishing touch.
SIMPLE PROJECT
Add a
touch of
loveliness
TIP This make Instagram

s a lovely leafy fr @janescottflowers
family photos wh ame fo
ile you’re enjoying r festive blog janescottflowers.com
the feast
Simple
pleasures
LOG ON TO TABLESCAPING
Tablescaping is huge this year and 1
‘woodland’ is the biggest trend. Make
log slices part of your design and they’ll
act as trivets for Christmas dishes. Wild
Woodland Christmas Dining, from £17.99/
Carlina Linen Napkin, all wayfair.co.uk 25
SIMPLE
IDEAS
Law of
Pinch expert tricks and clever ideas
to decorate your home with
NATURAL TREASURES this Christmas
BRANCH OUT 3
Forage for a straightish branch, trim off any
PH OTOS: FLORA PRESS, STARSU NITEEUROPE.EU, GAP PH OTOS/V ICTORIA FIRMSTON
twigs and sprigs with secateurs, then use

twine to bind on bunches of foliage stems.
Wrap with microlights (50 Warm White
LED Micro Battery Fairy Lights, £6.99,
lights4fun.co.uk) and prop in a corner.
FEATU RE: EMMA KENDELL, ANGELA KENNY.
PUT A LEAFY RING ON IT!

2
Tie foliage sprigs to a simple metal ring
and hang from a door handle. Farringdon
Wreath Small, £12 gardentrading.co.uk
EASY IDEAS
TRY THIS!
Tie cinnamon sticks together
for a scented dec. DIY
Cinnamon Sticks,
£1.50/5, dunelm.com
5
SEE RED
A crimson cyclamen
(£5.99, dobbies.
com) brings
the most
stylish dash
of festive colour.
TRY A
CUTE IDEER...
Group houseplants
on a placemat.
6 Woven Reindeer
Placemat, £7
Paper Trees, matalan.co.uk
from £7, TIP Make drie
d fl
roseandgrey.
co.uk and grasses more owers
r
spraying with ha obust by
irspray first
4 7
CREATE SOME SHELF AWARENESS
Any shelf can become a showstopper need a trough vase (try Royal Imports DIY INCREDIBAUBLES!
festive feature once its contents are cleared Flower Vase Acrylic Rectangle, £25.14, Dried flower baubles are big this year and
and replaced with a fabulously festive amazon.co.uk) or any low long container you can even snap up a three-pack for £5
floral arrangement. And if you supplement – gravy boats are great! Fill with scrunched- in B&M! Or make your own with garden
shop-bought blooms with foliage from the up chicken wire to support stems, pour in treasures and Fillable Baubles, £4/6
garden, it needn’t cost a fortune. You’ll water and get creating. hobbycraft.co.uk ➣
SPRUCE UP TERRARIUMS
Make a winter wonderland terrarium with
a large jar. Add a layer of compost and
moss then arrange long-lasting sprigs of
Christmas
cut pine and old decorations. Pine Tree
Decorations, £12.99 dobbies.com SPECIAL
8
Simply
stylish
MAKE LIKE A TREE ADD GARLAND GRANDEUR EASY IDEAS
Use birch branches Take down the curtains and use the curtain
and twine to make pole to support a garland. It’s easy to make a
a simple tree shape garland in whatever style you like – use a reel
TRY THIS!
to display baubles. of florist wire to bind pine sprigs and whatever Use a glue gun to make
Forage for your
own branches or
other treasures you fancy into a long strip.
Daunted? Start with a faux garland and wire
mini pinecone Rudolph
buy readymade: on real sprigs to plump it up. baubles with twig antlers
Bloomingville Majda
Deco Tree, £37.90 10 and berry noses
willow-natural.co.uk
RISE & SHINE

Woodland Splendour Give your
houseplants a festive
Traditional 6ft Garland, makeover by treating them to
£30, bmstores.co.uk metallic planters. This Opulent
Metallic range from Ivyline
(ivylinegb.co.uk) costs from £24.99
and is made from 95% recycled
THINK OUTSIDE
11 THE BOX
Turn houseplants
glass. Or spray your existing
planters with a metallic paint. 14
into extra decs by SPRAY SEEDHEADS
surrounding them
with wrapped-up
13 Gild seedheads for glam-adds to
garlands or to make stunningly
boxes. Make mini boxes simple place settings. Spray-
for small plants too. paint (Paint Factory all purpose
PERK UP LEAVES
12 Shimmering Gold, £5.95/400ml)
or glue on Imitation Gold Leaf
An anti-desiccant Sheets, £2.99/50 sheets both
spray (Wilt Stop, amazon.co.uk
£20.69, amazon.
co.uk) seals leaf
pores, preventing
moisture loss, to
make greenery last
for longer.
TEASE SPRIGS INTO TASSELS
Wooden Geometric Teal Tree If your Christmas tree is a long-
needled variety, bind sprigs together
Decoration, £2, dunelm.com with gold wire to make tassels.
They look great attached
with small alligator clips
(£4.99/50, amazon.
co.uk) to tablecloth
corners and napkins.
16
15 SLICE UP
17
GO UP THE WALL YOUR LIFE
Take down pictures and use the wall Use a log slice as a tray.
hooks to hang a garland with whatever If you can’t be bothered
decs didn’t make it onto the tree. sawing and sanding, then
this Pia Plate is just £6.99 dobbies.com ➣
Heavenly
scent DRESS TO IMPRESS
Form a circle of pine
19
sprigs to create a place
18 mat. Simply cut small slim
sprigs, then twist wire
AMP UP around the stems. No
FESTIVE AROMAS time? Buy faux! Foliage
The combination of pine Christmas Place Mats,
and eucalyptus scent is £14.99/4 gingerray.co.uk
divine but you’ll need the
freshest stems for the
best scent. If you buy a
locally grown Christmas
tree then you’ll have
offcuts – and ask the seller
for waste trimmings too.
Your local florist is the
best source of eucalyptus
PHOTO : B MS TO R E S.CO.UK
stems. Supplement the

fragrance with a scent-
matched candle: Tesco
Apothecary Eucalyptus
& Pine Needles Candle,
BE CLIP HAPPY
20 £8.50 tesco.com
Champagne Flower Clip,
Flower clips are a big trend £1.99 therange.co.uk
GO FOR GOLD
this year so it’s quick and easy
to garden-up your tree.
Flower
21 Spray stems with gold paint
(Enamel Spray Paint Metallic,
Christmas £7/400ml, wilko.com) and add to
Blush Flower Decoration, garlands, floral arrangements
Clips, £30/6 £10 monsoon. or push into the compost
coxandcox. co.uk of houseplants. You can
co.uk use any garden foliage
but hang it upside down
in the airing cupboard
Oxblood for a few days to dry a
Magnolia little first.
Clip On, £3.49
charlies.co.uk Gold Maiden Fern Stem,
Dark Blue/Gold Fabric Rose £5 matalan.co.uk
Clip, £4.99 crocus.co.uk
PIMP UP POTS
Turn spare plant pots into
candle holders and let the moss
and ivy spill out onto the table.
24
P HOTO: BLOOMINGVILLE
22 23
POP ON A SEEDHEAD
Make sweet angels by popping a poppy
WRAP IN STYLE
Wrap up boxes and books with
Serax Rounded
seedhead into an eggbox support. hessian or brown paper and twine and Antique Pot, £8,
tuck in a seedhead.
johnlewis.com
EASY IDEAS
GET TWIGGY WITH IT
A glass vase of twigs hung
with a few white ornaments
oozes understated style.
25
Bloomingville Milan
Deco Paper Tree,
£16, trouva.com
w it h b e r r ie d s te ms,
TIP For a rra ng
ements
5 , ll o y d s p h a r m acy.com) to
1.5
adding glycerin (£ elp berries stay attached
the water will h
Sow the seeds of
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Emma Kendell,
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Treat yourself at
the garden centre
A few small pots of
gorgeous winter favourites
will transform your patio
ready for festive guests.
Scatter them about for a
colourful surprise wherever
visitors wander, or group
together for a merry
tabletop display.
WHAT TO DO IN YOUR
THIS MONTH
Simple steps to keep your plot looking good
EASY IDEAS
Pile up your prunings

A big mound of sticks makes a
welcome nesting site for wrens
and dunnocks – just make sure
it’s enough of a tangle that cats, Spruce up wood
It’ll be easier to get to now plants
magpies and other predators are leaf-free, so choose a dry spell
to give it a coat of preservative.
can’t get into it too. Remember that drying will take
longer in cool temperatures.
Layer up lollipops
If heavy frosts (below -5°C) are
Care for your forecast and you don’t have a
Christmas cactus frost-free place to move lollipop
Snapped up one of these little
olive and bay trees to, wrap the
gems at the supermarket? Keep
pots and tops with garden fleece.
it on a well-lit windowsill but out
of direct sunlight, around 15-18°C, Pause and listen…
and the flowers will last for weeks.
… to the winter song of robins,
It naturally lives in a jungle and
not a desert, so give it the humid one of the only garden birds to
conditions it likes by standing continue singing through winter.
the pot on a gravel- Sweet and melancholy, it’s the
filled saucer of water. perfect tonic for shorter days.
Show your soil some love

Once your herbaceous plants – those with
green stems rather than woody – have died
back, add a layer of well-rotted compost,
composted bark or leaf mould to the bare
soil. This is great for your garden and the
planet as healthy soil soaks up greenhouse
gas carbon dioxide. As well as adding
nutrients to the soil, it’ll stop heavy winter rain
and strong winds washing or blowing it away.
EASY IDEAS
STEP-BY-STEP
CHECK PATIOS & PATHS
Give them a satisfying spruce-up
now ahead of spring.
1 Remove any weeds or

moss growing in joints,
then give the area a
sweep with a stiff brush.
2 Wash your paving to

remove dirt and green
algae using a patio cleaner
Scent your patio or a power washer.
Treat your patio to
sure-fire schnozz-
pleasing evergreen
stunner winter box
(£12.99/9cm pot, Give blotchy hellebore
dobies.co.uk). The leaves the heave-ho 3 Once dry, if mortar is
flowers’ perfume is so missing in gaps, fill with a
Blotches that appear on the mix of sand and cement
strong, you’ll be able to COMPILED BY ANG ELA KENNY. PHOTOS: VISIONS, SHUTTERSTOCK, FLORA PRESS,
to give a smooth finish.
smell it every time you leaves in winter are a sign
walk past. Plant in half of fungal disease. Wearing
John Innes compost and gloves, pull them off and put
GAP PHOTOS/JONATHAN BU CKLEY/ELKE BORKOWSKI
half multipurpose, and them straight into your

position in sun or shade.
green waste bin.
4 Rake leaves off gravel
Garden notebook paths, otherwise they will
rot and encourage more
Find your simple guide to all you need to know to get weeds in spring.
started outside at moderngardensmagazine.co.uk
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It’s so
easy!
Winter
Use Christmas-tree offcuts to make a
weatherproof cover so your garden
birds can FEAST IN PEACE 1
Tie three long lengths of twine to the
outer edge of the basket, an equal
distance apart.
Feed the twine through the hole in the Tie the three strands of twine together, Stack conifer stems around the basket
2 basket base, then turn the basket over. 3 then use the remaining twine to form a
hanging loop.
4 and wire them together at the top.
Wire this hat to the basket frame.
FEATURE: EMMA KENDELL, GEOFF HODGE. PHOTOS: GAP PHOTOS, SHUTTERSTOCK
Tie decorative pinecones and sprigs to Tie the pinecone bundles around the Use a doubled length of twine to hang
5 lengths of twine. 6 edge of the basket frame. 7 your bird feeder from the centre of the
basket frame.
SIMPLE PROJECT
YOU WILL NEED

✽ Scissors and secateurs
✽ Strong garden twine: £1.99
therange.co.uk
✽ Hanging basket frame: Garden
Pride Round Bottom Wire Hanging
Basket, £3.95 sam-turner.co.uk
✽ Offcuts from your Christmas tree
✽ Wire: 0.35mm Dark Green Floristry,
£3.17/100m wreathsandfloristry.co.uk
✽ Pinecones: foraged, or 10p/4
wilko.com
✽ Bird feeder: Half Filled Coconut,
£2.49 birdfood.co.uk
THAT’S CLEVER!
£11.6 The hanging twine
0 will keep larger birds
such as pigeons away
Christmas
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BEST BUYS
EXPE
£54.9 CT TO PA
9/1.5L Y
pot
Camellia
Cut-out-and-keep
care guide ‘YULETIDE’
Light up your winter garden with
a patio pot full of glossy foliage
and OPULENT BLOOMS
Most camellias flower in spring but ‘Yuletide’
blooms from November to January, reaching
FEATURE: GEOFF HODGE. PHOTOS: GAP PHOTOS/FRIEDRICH STRAUSS, SHUTTERSTOCK, ALAMY
a crescendo in December. And while the showy

7cm-wide flowers mean this diva will definitely
grab the attention of garden guests at
Christmas, it won’t demand much of yours to
grow well. Even when left to its own devices,
this fun-size shrub grows into a shapely pyramid
that’s 3m high and 2.5m wide, but if you’re stuck
for space then pop it in a large pot or train it to
strut its stuff against a wall.
It’s unlikely to need any pruning but if you
ever want to tidy it up, just use secateurs to snip
off any branches that spoil the plant’s overall
appearance as soon as it finishes flowering.
And not that we’re mercenary at all but
may we suggest that you buy plants for
family and friends as well? The
annual bout of floral
joy in their
gardens will
begin just as
they start their
Christmas
shopping!
‘Yuletide’
W
ant your garden to be swoon-worthy
every Christmas? Then gift your
outside space this sumptuous shrub Buy your
that’ll be smothered in crimson garden
blooms come December. With evergreen glossy
dark green leaves and a glorious golden centre a gift!
to the vibrant flowers, it’s the perfect festive add!
M O D E R N G A R D E N S M AG A Z I N E.CO.U K
With pollen-packed golden
buzzy friends, ‘Yuletide’ anthers, perfect for ou
‘Yuletide’ is the gift that keeps on giv r
ing
Good to know
Make sure the spot you choose
doesn’t bask in early morning sun in
winter. Still-frosted flowers may turn
brown when hit by the sun and buds
may drop off.
How to make your new plant happy

✽ PICK A HEALTHY PLANT ✽ HELP IT THRIVE tmas
g makes it feel like Chris
Choose a compact plant with plenty of Keep the soil or compost moist, watering A snowy-white pot pairin 4.99/1.5L pot, crocus.co.uk
well-coloured leaves and, if you want to thoroughly in summer, ideally with rainwater, every day! ‘Yuletide’, £5
enjoy blooms straight away, some fat whenever it starts to dry out. This is
flowerbuds. Don’t buy anything with dying, important as if the plant dries out, the
off-colour or yellowing leaves. flowerbuds may not grow properly.
Add a controlled-release fertiliser such as
✽ KEEP IT ALIVE Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia &
Camellias are edge-of-woodland plants so Rhododendron Continuous Release Plant
they prefer a lightly shaded position or one Food (£6.99/1kg, primrose.co.uk) to the soil
in dappled shade, away from strong cold or compost when planting, or feed through
winds. They need a moderately fertile, spring and summer with Miracle-Gro
moist but well-drained acidic soil so before Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Soluble
planting, dig in some ericaceous compost Plant Food (£3/500g, wilko.com). Your
(John Innes Ericaceous Compost, plant will appreciate you adding an annual
£9.99/35L, marshallsgarden.com). In autumn layer of shredded bark or similar
containers, use an ericaceous compost. material around its base.
“ We three kings of
Orient are……
”
Baby it’s cold outside! No
proble
will happily shrug off a m – the flowerbuds
dusting of snow
BEST BUYS
EXPE
£18/C2T TO PAY
L pot
Clematis
Cut-out-and-keep
care guide ‘WINTER
‘Winter Beauty’ gives you the double whammy
of dark green evergreen leaves that are the
BEAUTY’
perfect backdrop and foil for a gazillion little
flowers. Each measuring a dainty 4cm across,
Adorn a wall with
the blooms emerge from pale green buds and
become ever paler and more flared at their tips,
ADORABLE
finishing in a flurry of creamy-white petals that’ll
grace your garden from early to late winter. BELLS that’ll
FEATURE: GEOFF HODGE. PHOTOS: GAP PHOTOS/HOWARD RICE/JOHN GLOVER, ALAMY
Unlike other evergreen winter-flowering

clematis, the leaves of ‘Winter Beauty’ are lush
and substantial rather than ferny in appearance,
bloom just in time
and the flowers hang from dark stems that
contrast with the flowers.
for Christmas
It grows to a height of up to 3.5m with a
spread of up to 1.5m, so it’ll do a good job of
covering a relatively large area. A warm sunny
wall makes the perfect spot, or train the stems
around a tripod of supports for a pyramid of
winter loveliness in a border.
‘Winter Beauty’ will happily tolerate
temperatures down to -5°C but if your garden
gets chillier than this, grow it in
Buy your
a large pot so you garden
can move it to a
sheltered spot,
a gift!
porch
or cool
conservatory
over winter.
W
hile most clematis flower in summer,
those that bloom in winter are especially
lovely to grow and Clematis urophylla
‘Winter Beauty’ is our very favourite of all.
If you’ve got any funds left over after your Christmas
shopping, then give your garden the gift of these beautiful
blooms in a delicious creamy-white. And unless you want to
keep it small, you don’t even have to prune it!
‘Winter Beauty’
seedheads
Good to know Clematis urophylla
‘Winter Beauty’
Snip off faded flowers while
your plant is still young so it puts
all its energy into growing.
Let ‘Winter Beauty’ scram

to adorn its winter-bare ble up a leafless tree
branches with blooms

✽ PICK A HEALTHY PLANT use John Innes No.3 Compost or a
ally transform
Plants may be stocked in your local garden multipurpose compost with added John Green flowerbuds gradu test white
the sof
centre but you’re more likely to find one Innes. Plant your clematis deeper than it’s into delicate bells of
from an online supplier. Choose a plant with growing in its pot, burying around 8cm of
at least a couple of strong stems and a the base of the stems in the soil or compost.
good covering of healthy well-coloured
leaves. Don’t buy anything with off-colour ✽ HELP IT THRIVE
or yellowing leaves! In spring, apply a layer of controlled-release
fertiliser such as Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub
✽ KEEP IT ALIVE Continuous Release Plant Food (£5/1kg,
To perform at its best, ‘Winter Beauty’ diy.com) around the base of the plant. Keep
needs a warm sunny position that’s the soil or compost moist, watering
sheltered from strong winds, in moist but thoroughly in summer whenever it starts to
well-drained soil that doesn’t dry out in dry out. ‘Winter Beauty’ is really easy to
summer. Dig in moisture-holding organic look after and no routine yearly pruning is
material such as Coco & Coir Coco Grow needed but, if it starts to spread too much,
(£14.99/75L, cocoandcoir.com) if you’re cut back any over-long stems to a bud
planting in the ground and, in containers, straight after flowering
“ Ding dong, merrily

on high…
” A cloak of evergreen ‘Wint
er Beauty’
disguise an ugly wall or leaves will
fence
BEST BUYS
EXPE
£35/s CT TO PAY
traintandard-
ed tre
e Lollipop
Cut-out-and-keep
care guide HOLLY
Add sparkle and style to your outside
‘Argentea Marginata’
‘Silver Queen’
space with a cute TINY TREE
‘Golden
King’
Lollipop hollies
are readily
available online
– just search for
‘standard trained’
– in all sorts of
colour combos. Leaves have varying degrees of
green and yellow or green and white, and you
don’t even have to choose red berries as there
are varieties with orange-red or yellow fruit.
If you want berries then it’s important to know
that holly varieties are either female or male.
Only the females produce berries, but to
reliably do so they need a male not further than
3m away – which is why you’ll often see pairs of
these lollipop trees in gardens or either side of a
front door. The label or online description will
make the sex clear, and don’t be fooled by the
FEATURE: GEOFF HODGE. PHOTOS: VISIONS, ALAMY, SHUTTERSTOCK
names: ‘Golden King’ is a female while ‘Silver

Queen’ is a male!
Our favourite lollipop holly is ‘Argentea
Marginata’, which grows purple-pink leaves that
mature to a devilishly dark green with a bright
F
silvery edge and, as it’s female, scarlet-red ancy having holly in your garden for
berries. Have a look, too, at ‘Golden King’, Christmas but don’t have room for a big
which has glossy foliage edged in golden-yellow spiky tree? Here’s the (very stylish) answer!
and red berries. A lollipop or ‘standard’ holly is happy in a
If you’re not a fan of the prickles then choose pot or in the ground and its distinctive shape
almost spineless J‘ C van Tol’. Its other means it’ll sparkle all year round.
advantage is that, along with its variegated
forms ‘Golden van Tol’ and ‘Silver van Tol’, it’s
self-fertile so it will produce red
berries on its own – great if
you’ve only room for Buy your
one tree. garden
‘JC van Tol’
a gift!
✽ PICK A HEALTHY PLANT Free Farmyard Manure (£6.75/50L,
Look for a tree with a straight clear stem wickes.co.uk). In a container, use John Innes
and a rounded head with a good covering No.3 Compost or a multipurpose compost
of healthy well-coloured leaves. If it’s got with added John Innes.
a wonky stem, a sparse head or dying
off-colour foliage, leave it be. ✽ HELP IT THRIVE
Add a layer of shredded bark or similar
✽ KEEP IT ALIVE around the base of your tree in spring or
Hollies can be grown in lightly shaded or autumn, and apply a controlled-release
sunny positions but variegated varieties fertiliser such as Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub
keep their colours better in a spot with Continuous Release Plant Food (£5/1kg,
plenty of sunshine. Your new tree will need diy.com) in spring. Water in summer to
moist but well-drained soil that doesn’t dry keep the soil or compost moist. And give
out in summer, so before planting, dig in your tree an annual trim in summer with
some soil improver such as Gro-Sure Peat secateurs to keep the lollipop shape.
‘Argentea Marginata’ (£3

4.9
is a female with leaves bol 9/3L pot, very.co.uk)
“ ”
dly edged with cream
The holly and the ivy…
‘Alaska’
gh-as-old-boots holly
You can count on your tou down to -20°C
to survive temperatures
Good to know
If any shoots start growing on the main
upright stem of your holly, you can
remove them whenever they appear Jolly up your indoor dec
s an
by cutting them off using secateurs. lollipop holly indoors for d bring your
up to a week
SIMPLE PROJECTS
Pinch your
Not hung your washing outside for weeks? Put your pegs
to far better use with these fun FESTIVE UPCYCLES
GOOD IDEA!
Create smaller
stars with just the
midi pegs too
HANGING STARS
String up these little beauties on shrub
branches and shed doors.
YOU WILL
NEED
✽ 5 standard (8cm)
wooden pegs, metal springs removed
✽ 5 midi (4.5cm) natural wooden pegs,
metal springs removed, £2.44/24
littlecraftybugs.co.uk
✽ Waterproof wood glue: Loctite Extreme
Wood Glue, £4.58/225g toolstation.co.uk
Matt Varnish Spray, £3.60/400ml
FEATURE: JULES BARTON-BRECK. PHOTOS: FLORA PRESS, GAP PHOTOS
houseofpaints.co.uk
✽ String or twine
WHAT TO DO
Christmas
1 Glue pairs of the standard peg pieces
together, back-to-back, sandwiching a length
SPECIAL
of string between the tapered ends of one
pair. Now glue the bases of these together to
form a star shape.
2 Repeat with the midi pegs, but this time
making pairs by gluing the tapered ends of
two peg halves together, facing each other.
3 Glue the midi star onto the standard star.
4 Once the glue has dried, spray
10.62
all over with varnish and tie the
string into a hanging loop.
£ ➣
£3.60 Share your
upcycles with us
PATIO on Instagram or
TABLE TRIVET Facebook - search
Protect the surface and add
chic Scandi-style at the same time.
Modern Gardens
magazine
YOU WILL NEED
✽ Approx 24 standard (8cm) wooden pegs,
metal springs removed
✽ Drill with small wood bit
✽ Old block of wood
✽ String
✽ Exterior spray varnish: Paint Factory Matt
Varnish Spray, £3.60/400ml houseofpaints.co.uk
WHAT TO DO
1 Drill a hole in each peg piece, approx 1cm from the
tapered end. This is much easier if you lay the peg
piece on a block of wood when drilling.
2 Thread string through the holes, with the peg halves
either all facing in one direction or back-to-back,
depending on which style you prefer.
3 Pull the string tight so the tapered peg ends come
together and a circle is created – remove or add more
pegs if needed – and tie.
4 Spray one side of the trivet with varnish, leave to dry
and then spray the other side.
HO-HO HOUSEPLANT
POT CLIPS
How cute are these mini Nutcracker-style So
figures? Clip onto houseplant pots to add EASY!
a festive touch around the house.
YOU WILL NEED

✽ Standard wooden pegs
£1
✽ Selection of coloured marker pens:
Signature Jot It Markers Pens Assorted,
£1/10 onlinepoundstore.co.uk
WHAT TO DO
1 Use the marker pens to create faces and
figures on the pegs.
2 Leave to dry then arrange as you wish.
SIMPLE PROJECTS
£15
TIN-CAN CANDLE
Make a few for your patio table.
.10
YOU WILL NEED ✽ Sprigs of seasonal
✽ Glue gun: Pink Mini Hot Melt foliage & berries, & moss
Glue Gun, £5 hobbycraft.co.uk
✽ Clean empty tin can, label WHAT TO DO
removed (a standard-size peg fits 1 Squeeze glue all over the tin and
a 198g sweetcorn tin perfectly) wrap two layers of hessian ribbon
around it.
✽ Hessian ribbon: Natural Jute
Fabric Roll, 6cm x 2m, £4.50
2 Apply glue to the flat side of TRY THIS!
each peg and stick onto the hessian,
hobbycraft.co.uk
making sure the pegs butt up against Fold two red-and-white greaseproof
✽ Approx 10 standard (8cm)
wooden pegs, metal springs
each other and are level top and muffin cases into quarters, glue
removed
bottom with the tin.
3 Fix on the mini wooden trees with
onto a peg and add a button face
✽ Mini wooden Christmas tree more glue. Spray all over with the and wire antennas
shapes: £2/16 theworks.co.uk varnish and leave to dry.
✽ Exterior spray varnish: Paint 4 Fill the jar with soil or
Factory Matt Varnish Spray, sand, push the candle
£3.60/400ml houseofpaints.co.uk into the centre and
poke in sprigs of
✽ Soil or sand foliage and berries GIFT PLANT LABELS
✽ Candle and moss to cover. Repot a cheap plant and add a peg label to
create a bargain-but-beautiful prezzie.
YOU WILL NEED

✽ Leftover exterior wood paint & paintbrush
✽ Standard wooden pegs
✽ Ballpoint pen
✽ Exterior spray varnish: Matt Varnish Spray,
£3.60/400ml houseofpaints.co.uk
✽ Wooden skewers
WHAT TO DO
1 Paint the pegs all over including the metal
springs, and leave to dry.
2 Use the pen to write on the name of the
plant, then spray all over with the varnish.
3 Push a skewer through the tightest part of
each peg.
£3.60
&
GOT A QUESTION? We’ve got the
answer, whether it’s about a problem
plant, a tricky spot or a product you need
This Ceramic Hedgehog Bow (£6.95,
Q I WANT TO use my very small courtyard reallywildbirdfood.co.uk)has smoloth
more this winter but don’t have room for to help your prickly visitors feed morrece sses
e easily
a firepit or heater. Any suggestions for keeping
warm? Damien Zimmerman, Fife
Q
I OFTEN HEAR HEDGEHOGS snuffling around my
garden. Is there anything I can do to help them out over
How about heated outdoor cushions? Not only will winter? Abbigail Barry, Lincolnshire
they help take the chill off but they also fit in with the
money-saving message ‘heat the human not the home’, The best thing you can do is fatten them up! Hedgehogs need to build
up their fat stores by eating as much nutritional food as possible before
or in this case garden. Depending on your budget, there’s they hibernate, from late December until late March depending on the
the weatherproof Heated Scatter Cushion (£49.99, weather and the individual. Natural food sources will be hard to sniff
gardenfurniturecentre.co.uk) with three heat settings out this time of year so offer small dishes of meat-flavoured dog or cat
food and some water. Or you could treat them to a specialist food such
up to 45°C and pockets on the side to keep your as Vivara Organic Pate for Hedgehogs, £2.45/100g, vivara.co.uk.
hands nice and toasty; or you could splash out on
the Sit & Heat Nimma Heated Cushion (£239.58,
gardenhousedesign.co.uk) which warms up when you Q MY ‘THALIA’ FUCHSIA has withered.
What’s wrong with it? Milly Bone, Cumbria
sit on it and turns itself off after two minutes when
you stand up. Both are battery powered. Don’t worry, fuchsia leaf withering is normal in winter – even
hardy ones lose their leaves when outside. It also happens if
Sit & Heat Nimma you bring fuchsias into the house, because of how dry it is.
Ideally, tender fuchsias such as yours need to be kept in a
Heated Cushion cool place indoors over winter, such as a shed. Their leaves
will drop and the leafless plants won’t grow anymore until
spring, but it’ll be fine! Keep the compost just moist at all
times because it won’t like it to be completely dry.
Q
MY JAPANESE HOLLY hedge is
looking a little worse for wear. Will
manure perk it up? Mia Milne, Cambs
Japanese hollies (Ilex crenata) aren’t fans of

heavy clay soils that become waterlogged
in winter. If that’s the issue, it won’t grow
COMPILED BY ANG ELA KENNY.
much and the older leaves will turn

PH OTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
yellow and fall off. Manure is good for

conditioning the soil but it doesn’t contain
many nutrients so it’s better to add a
general fertiliser such as pelleted chicken
manure – try Poultry Manure Pellets
Fertiliser, £9/7kg, wilko.com – in spring.
OVER TO YOU
Q I ENJOY GETTING
stuck in with gardening
10 (from £14.99/small in grey or
purple, tinkerandfix.co.uk) with
but my gel nails always Nailguard Technology foam-
get ruined one way or another padded fingertips, designed to CONTACT US
especially in winter when the soil protect nails from dirt and moisture. Address: Modern Gardens, Bauer Media, Media House,
is harder. Are there any gardening Or, there are those with plastic claws Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA
gloves that will help protect attached (£16.50, feishdek-uk.co.uk)! Email: moderngardens@bauermedia.co.uk
them? Sadie Clark, Devon They look a bit like they should be EDITORIAL
part of a Halloween costume but Phone 01733 468000
Editor Emma Kendell
There are a few options you could they’re designed to prevent broken Art Editor Marisa Bailey
try including these Watson Gloves – Perfect fingernails while digging and planting. Production Editor Angela Kenny
Junior Designer Megan Spear
Editorial Assistant Holly Cammarata-Hall
Contributors Clare Walker, Fi Galley, Fiona Cumberpatch,
Geoff Hodge, Jane Scott, Katie Masters, Jill Morgan,
Jules Barton-Breck, Rachel Toal, Selina Lake
House
plant ADVERTISING
success! Phone 01733 366404/366411
Group Commercial Director Nicky Holt
Commercial Director Iain Grundy
Key Accounts Joe Sheehan
Display Sales Stuart Day
Classified Sales Lucy Baxter/Mark Wilde
MARKETING
Phone 01733 468209
Brand Manager Susan Rogers
Product Marketing Manager Sophie Lee
Direct Marketing Manager Julie Spires
Direct Marketing Assistant Holly Aston
Head of Newstrade Marketing Leon Benoiton
Acting Newstrade Marketing Manager Luke Whitby
Newstrade Marketing Executive Hannah Watts
PRODUCTION
Phone 01733 468878
Print Production Colin Robinson
Advertising Production Chloe Martin, Kurt Baker
Q A POINSETTIA IS on my Christmas wishlist this year, and so Printed by Walstead Bicester
Distributed by Frontline
is keeping it alive as the one I bought last year died! What do I SUBSCRIPTIONS & BACK ISSUES
need to do? Shani Cervantes, Buckinghamshire To ensure that you don’t miss an issue and for the best
subscription offers, visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk
You’re in good company – eight million of these are sold in the UK each year For orders, renewals, missing issues or any other enquiry,
please email bauer@subscription.co.uk or call
(according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board). Choose a plant 01858 438884. For overseas, call +44 1858 438884
To manage your account online, visit
that’s inside a shop rather than outside, and don’t let it get cold on the way home. www.greatmagazines.co.uk/solo
Even a quick nip of chilly air can damage the foliage so wrap the plant in a couple Syndication syndication@bauermedia.co.uk
of plastic bags. Once home, keep it cool as it’ll wilt if it gets too warm. A north- H BAUER PUBLISHING
CEO of Bauer Publishing UK Chris Duncan
facing windowsill, away from radiators, is good but a cool conservatory is Managing Director – Sport & Leisure Steve Prentice
ideal. Water when the compost surface dries out and mist occasionally. Head of Digital Charlie Calton-Watson
Chief Financial Officer, Bauer Magazine Media
Lisa Hayden
Q
Modern Gardens magazine is published 12 times a year by H Bauer
HOW CAN I make my wooden decking less Publishing. H Bauer Publishing is a company registered in England and
Wales with company number LP003328, registered address Media House,
slippery in winter? Kaia Benton, Suffolk Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. VAT no
918 5617 01. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any form in whole
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Brush it with a stiff broom on a dry day to remove any letters, copy or images submitted to the magazine without further consent. The
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for unsolicited manuscripts, images or materials lost or damaged in the post.
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responsible for any errors or omissions nor do we accept any liability for any loss
Store on amazon.co.uk. If frost or ice is forecast you could fashion or damage, howsoever caused, resulting from the use of the magazine. Whilst
we endeavour to feature the latest products, all products shown are subject to
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Anti-Slip Granulate Safety Matting, £33.99/1.2 x 1m, amazon.co.uk). If you’re COMPLAINTS: H Bauer Publishing is a member of the Independent Press
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JUST ASK!
Want some design inspiration or got a garden question you’d like answered? Get in
touch, including a picture if you have one, by email at moderngardens@bauermedia.co.uk
ASK THE
Each month we help sort out a reader’s

problem garden with clever advice from
the best experts in the garden design world
Q We’ve paved a large section of our outdoor

space to make it low maintenance but we
worry it looks stark and uninviting, especially in
winter. We love having parties all year round –
how can we add wow factor without making it a
hard-work garden? Lucy Patterson, Derbyshire
DON’T WORRY, LOTS OF HARD lounge seats. The gas bottle is hidden behind
A landscaping doesn’t have to equate
to dull. In this east-facing garden
the water feature with the supply pipe out of
sight under the decking.
measuring 48m2, designer Simon Orchard The original concrete seating was cold to sit
(simonorchardgardens.com) transformed what on so it was replaced with floating hardwood
was a concrete clinical-looking space into a benches, underplanted with shade-tolerant
fabulously modern and welcoming entertaining evergreens including Pachysandra terminalis
zone, without getting the diggers in. “My clients ‘Green Carpet’, which is an excellent evergreen
had previously had their garden redesigned but low-growing mat-like plant.
the husband, who’s an architect, felt it just wasn’t
doing justice to the house or for their love of ✽ Bring in the plants
hosting outdoor parties,” says Simon. And, as “I introduced lots of planting to soften up the
you can see, it’s now a fabulous outdoor space space,” adds Simon, “and made the beds around
and a billion miles away from boring! the three sides of the space quite generous
to allow for ground-, mid- and waist-height
✽ Soften the hard stuff flowering perennials and grasses. This allows
“My solution was to create a cosier feel,” them to tumble and spill over the edges of the
explains Simon. First some of the stone paving beds to soften up the geometric layout.”
was overlaid with grey composite decking from Billowing warm-toned Mexican feather grass
Trex, which looks more inviting and is warmer sways about in the slightest of winds, adding
and softer underfoot. drama to the garden. And at the back of the
“I replaced the old fireplace with a water feature, Simon designed a living wall
custom water feature with water trickling from made up of star jasmine, a climber with glossy
three copper pipes into a trough below, which evergreen leaves and highly scented flowers;
adds a really calming element,” continues Simon. along with Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’, which has
On the decking, a gas-fuelled firepit takes vibrant purple tones; and the lime-green slender
centre stage, surrounded by free-standing leaves of Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’.
SIMON ORCHARD, GARDEN DESIGNER
“
Don’t try to cram too much into your
outdoor space – the most successful garden Hardwood benches set am
planting provide extra se
ong pretty
ating for guests
”
designs are often the simplest ones
OVER TO YOU
5
Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’
6
1 Carex ‘Everillo’
4 7
Mexican feather grass
3 After
Before
FEATURE: JULES BARTON-BRECK. G ARDEN DESIGN: SIMONORCHARDGARDENS.COM.
Get the look

1 WATER FEATURE Veneto Water
P HOTOS: SIMONORCH ARDGARDENS.COM , ALAMY, SH UTTERSTOCK
Fountain, Multi Spout Water Feature, £1,995

spaliving.co.uk
2 FIREPIT Gullbran Eco-Stone Fire Pit,
Lighting adds drama as
darkne
extends the hours the gard ss falls and
£319.99 wayfair.co.uk
3 COMPOSITE DECKING Trex Enhance
Naturals Deck Board Calm Water, from £52/ en can be enjoyed
D25m x W140mm x L3.66m uk.trex.com
4 CHAIRS Grey/Brown Rattan Garden
Furniture 2 Seat Bistro Set, £199.99 diy.com
5 HEUCHERA ‘PLUM PUDDING’
£29.97/3 x 9cm pots waitrosegarden.com
GOT A GARDEN PROBLEM?
6 CAREX ‘EVERILLO’ £9.99/2-3L pot Tell us all about it and send a picture of
concrete
A mass of grey clinical
jacksonsnurseries.co.uk your plot to moderngardens@bauermedia.
looks cold and uninviting

7 MEXICAN FEATHER GRASS co.uk. We’ll select the best for expert
£12.98/6 x 7cm pots jparkers.co.uk design inspiration!
n t h e g ar d e ”
n
“ I’ m i
Take a peek over the
garden fence at Liz Evans’
wonderfully creative outside
space in the West Midlands Sitting back and
Share more of Liz’s gard relaxing doesn’t
* I share my @mygardenxx & @faffingwith en love
garden with... flowersxx come easy to me!
family, friends (including
Instafriends) and neighbours who often pop garden and my quirky rustic corner surrounded
round to have a natter and swap a few plants. by a picket fence that is slowly being covered
Birds, bees and butterflies are also very by clematis and roses.
welcome – in the summer there was a blackbird
who came for a bath almost every evening! * My inspiration is... my mother and
grandmother who have both shared their love
* My garden is... 7.5m x 9.5m, plus an of gardening and flowers with me. I’m also
alleyway at the side of the house, Potter’s Alley. inspired by the challenge of giving each garden
This is where I do lots of faffing and I’ve filled space its own individual identity.
it with shade-loving hostas and heucheras to
make a little secret garden – I try to use every * I use my garden for... self-expression,
inch of my garden as it’s quite small. I used to creativity and escapism. As well as the usual
be a childminder and the garden was divided gardening jobs, I also like to experiment in the
into lots of little play areas for the children to garden with still-life photography using the
Old flowerpots make cute explore. This has left me with a patchwork of flowers that I’ve grown. I love the freedom of
tealight holders small spaces and I’m giving each a makeover, trying new and quirky ideas such as freezing
one by one. I now have several mini gardens. flowers and capturing the way they change as
which include a woodland garden, cottage the ice around them melts.
A frog
among foliage
A cheap and
cheerful homemade
Christmas tree
GARDEN MAKEOVER
An eclectic mix of
garden decor in
my rustic corner
Ramping up the
festive vibes under
a wooden arbour
* My best garden moment... was * My favourite plant... is heucheras.

having blue tits nesting in one of my bird I currently have over 50, which is quite a lot!
boxes. The boxes were intended to be purely They are very reliable and their foliage provides
decorative so I was thrilled to see the birds interest almost all year round.
popping in and out of one earlier this year!
* My latest project... is to squeeze in
* My favourite area... changes raised beds, one for veg and one for cut flowers.
throughout the year but if I had to pick one
it would be the rustic corner. When I was * My top tip is... everything
childminding, my garden was a playground and I do in the garden is for my
I wanted to retain that element of fun in this own pleasure and I feel very
area. It’s quirky and a bit daft – like me – which is flattered that other people
probably why I like it so much! happen to enjoy it too.
A garden is a very
* My current obsession... is all things personal space and
festive! I love Christmas faffing and I’m excited
to see how some of my ideas for festive floral
it’s important to stay
true to your own tastes
Some of my festive
arrangements and decorations turn out this year. and preferences when flower faffing
I’m sure dried hydrangeas will feature heavily as creating one, rather than
I just can’t get enough of them. following traditions or
the latest trends. It’s you
* My best buy... is an old galvanised
watering can that I found online and was an
who will see it more than
anyone else so surround
I’ve dried lots of
absolute bargain because it’s not watertight, yourself with things that hydrangeas this year
which makes it perfect as a planter! bring you joy.
* What my garden means to me...

It provides me with a space in which I feel free
to experiment and allow my creativity to flourish
alongside the flowers. It’s my sanctuary and my
haven for peace, optimism and reflection. All I
need to do now is learn to sit still long enough
to enjoy it before spotting another job that
needs to be done!
Get in touch Tell us all about your garden by

emailing moderngardens@bauermedia.co.uk
I love to freeze
blooms to photograph
Pottering in my
happy place
Throw a festive
Gather FRIENDS AND FAMILY for an

oh-so-cosy celebration to remember
Christmas
SPECIAL
Lightyear Firepit Protector,
£20.35, amazon.co.uk
FEATU RE: KATIE MASTERS. PH OTOS: GETTY IMAGES,
W
ant to make your festive CHOOSE YOUR FIRE SITE a heatproof fire mat.
get-together stand out from the Look for a level area of your A spark shield over the fire
crowd? Simple! Take it outside. garden that’s well away from any will also help stop any
SHUTTERSTOCK, ALAMY, FLORA PRESS
The key to creating a cosy night structure, whether that’s a home, escaping embers.
of Christmas celebrations under the stars is to shed or fence, and overhanging
make your firepit the focal point of the greenery. You also need room for PICK YOUR LOGS
celebrations. Think warmth. Think the soft your guests to have their chairs Choosing your wood
light of flickering flames. Think snuggling up roughly 75cm away from the fire. carefully will make a huge
in blankets and sheepskin throws while If fulfilling those criteria leave you difference to your guests’
aromatic pinecones crackle on the fire. Ready? looking at the centre of your lawn, don’t comfort and your stress levels. First of all
Let’s get the festivities prepped! worry. You can protect your grass using make sure it’s dry as even slightly damp wood
➣
OUTDOOR LIVING
Come
outside
TURN UP
is hard to light and liable to give off lots of THE HEAT
smoky vapour. Most commercially supplied Leave out plenty
wood will include a moisture content of cosy blankets,
percentage in the description and you’re gloves and scarves
looking for a rating of 20% or below. for guests to help
Next, check that it’s non-resinous wood, as themselves to
wood with a high resin content emits a lot of until the firepit, or
soot when it’s burned, which can lead to the wine, starts to
coughing and nasty deposits on your food. warm them up!
Most deciduous woods such as oak, apple and
birch are non-resinous, while most conifers such
as pine, cedar and spruce are resinous.
Choose hardwood logs over softwood as
they’re denser so will burn for longer and give
off less smoke. The top choices that fulfil all
these requirements are oak, ash, birch and any
fruit-tree logs.
BUILD A BETTER FIRE

You can do this well before guests arrive and
MAKE THIS! then relax, knowing that your firepit won’t take
a moment to light. Start by wiping any moisture
SMOKING from your firepit as any that seeps into the logs
will make it harder to light. Then use the
Homefire
Twizlers Natural
SMUDGE STICK log-cabin method to construct your y fire. Using g Firelighters,
The ancient ritual of burning sticks of kindling, you’re going
ng to build a little £3.25/300g,
‘log cabin’ in your firepit. Start
art with two homefire.co.uk
smudge sticks will add parallel sticks then lay two more
ambience to your gathering on top, at right angles to thee
first pair, to form a square
YOU WILL NEED with the ends poking out at
✽ Herbs and sprigs such as lavender, the corners. Repeat until
pine, rosemary or thyme your log cabin is four- to
✽ Cinnamon sticks six-stories high. Place a
natural firelighter in the centre
tre
✽ Dried orange slices of the log cabin and build a little
✽ Star anise teepee over it using the smallest
allest pieces of USE THE F
FLAMES TO COOK
✽ Red twine kindling you have. Finally, stand
and three logs in There are all so
sorts of products available to
a tripod shape over your log cabin. enable you to cook over a firepit. Some designs
WHAT TO DO When it comes to lighting the fire, simply have tailormade grills that convert them into
1 Make a bundle of the herbs and sprigs light the firelighter, and the sturdy framework of barbecues, or there are standalone tripods with
and put the dried fruit and spices on top. kindling around it will ensure a good oxygen hanging grills that you can position over the
2 Use the twine to bind them tightly into flow while the fire gets going. Then all you need bowl. A Dutch oven can be placed directly on
a bundle and tie securely. to do is feed the fire with extra logs as required. embers or hung on a tripod and used to cook
3 Leave to dry for at least two weeks. anything from paella to chowder.
SCENT THE SMOKE There are also long-handled accessories from
4 Outside, light the stick at one end and Adding naturally flammable material to your sandwich toasters and waffle makers to popcorn
then blow out the flames so all you have is log cabin creation helps your fire catch and pans that are held over the flames. Or keep it
smoke. Put it in a heatproof dish – out of brings a festive aroma to the woodsmoke. super-simple with long skewers or roasting forks
reach of any pets or children – and leave Pinecones or spices such as cinnamon sticks, for guests to fire-roast treats such as mozzarella
the smoke to curl its way up to the stars. star anise and cardamom are easy wins, or go balls with cherry tomatoes as well as the trad
5 Once the ashes are completely cool, you for dry citrus peel such as orange, lemon and marshmallow. If you’re using wooden skewers,
can scatter them on the garden. grapefruit or woody herbs such as rosemary, remember to soak them in water for 30 mins
thyme and sage. first to stop them catching fire.
6 around-the-firepit festive drinks

THE POINSETTIA GINGERBREAD HOT MULLED MOCKTAIL
Pour 25ml Cointreau and 50ml CHOCOLATE Warm a cup of apple juice, a few strips of
cranberry juice into the Heat 250ml milk in a orange peel, a cinnamon stick and a clove for
most glamorous small saucepan with 10 mins over a low heat before straining and
glass you own, 75g finely chopped adding a swirl of honey.
mix, top with good-quality dark
75ml champagne chocolate and 1/2tsp
and add a sprig ground ginger, stirring
of rosemary into a smooth liquid using
ng
to garnish. a cinnamon stick. Pour iinto
t a mug, add
dd whipped
hi d
cream and a crystallised ginger garnish.
OUTDOOR LIVING
6 game-changing
ggam
firepits we want
firep
fi
The multitasking
Swivel Grill with Fire Bowl
(£79.99, amazon.co.uk)
works as a
firepit and
a grill.
A clever airflow design

promises low smoke and
a burning temperature
that’s a massive 200°C
hotter than conventional
firepits. Bonfire, £219.99
eu.solostove.com
The Porto
Handmade Fire
Bowl (£149,
gardenstoreonline.co.uk)
measures a generous
80cm in diameter so more
guests can benefit from the heat.
The perforated design of

the La Hacienda
Beswick Perforated
Firepit (£129, johnlewis.
com) means it radiates
warmth from the sides
as well as straight up.
Gardenline Tripod
Fire Pit, £44.99 Morsø You can sit this stylish bowl
aldi.co.uk Fire and Grill Hotrod 60 Dutch
ch flat on the wire stand or
Glove, £21 Oven, £59.99 tilt at an angle, plus there
morsoe.com klarstein.co.uk are a range of add-ons
5 including a grill, plancha plate
and a raised tripod
buys Kadai Toasting Fork, £8.99
chessingtongardencentre.co.uk
e.co.uk
base. Bowl 57,
for firepit £289 uk.hofats.com
feasting The decorative base of
the Blumfeldt Stone
Outdoor Fire Pit (£209.99,
Gardeco Cast Iron
wayfair.co.uk) is made from
Cooking Iron, £49
heat-resistant MagicMag to
firepit.co.uk
protect your patio and lawn.
SNOW QUEEN WOODSMOKE TOAST CHRISTMAS PUDDERY

Pour 225ml hot brewed Shake together 50ml gin, Put 75g dried mixed fruit,
coffee into a warmed 25ml Cointreau,
eau, 30ml limee 2 orange slices,
cup and stir in 1tsp juice and ice and pour 1tsp orange zest,
brown sugar and into a glass. Top with 1 lemon slice,
30ml whiskey. 30ml cider. Light
ight a sprig 1
/2tsp lemon zest,
Whisk 120ml double cream until of thyme, blowow it 1
/4tsp mixed spice
it’s thick but still pourable and out and plunge ge and a clove into a jug and pour over
gently pour over the back of a warmed the head of thehe 125ml each of cranberry (unsweetened) and
teaspoon so it sits on top of the coffee. Dust still-smoking sprig pomegranate juice. Mix, leave to chill overnight,
with edible glitter. into your drink.
nk. then strain and serve with an orange slice. ➣
OUTDOOR LIVING Weber Refillable Lighter,
£10.99 hayesgardenworld.co.uk
Firepit FirePoker,
£17.99 uk.biolite
energy.com
5
handy
helps
Log Carrier, £36 Log Tongs, £10
carriercompany.co.uk homebase.co.uk
Fire Pit
Guard, £39.99
rhsplants.co.uk
EAT THESE!
FIREPIT TWISTS
You can make the dough in
advance then invite guests
to fire-bake their own bread
YOU WILL NEED
✽ 500g self-raising flour
✽ 3tbsp sugar
✽ 1tsp salt
✽ 400ml water
✽ Fresh sticks, ideally about 2.5cm
thick, the bark stripped from one end
WHAT TO DO
1 Mix together the flour, sugar and salt in a
large bowl, then mix in half the water. Start
kneading the dough, adding splashes of
water until the dough comes together into
one lump. The dough can be popped in
the fridge at this point, but let it come back
to room temperature before using.
Serve a butter board 2 Hold the stripped end of a stick over the
fire to sterilise it. Roll a handful of dough
into a long thin snake and wrap it around
Inspired by TikTok and American chef Joshua salt and lemon zest then top with tasty bitesize
the stick. The dough will swell as it cooks so
McFadden, the latest must-have centrepiece titbits. Festive toppings to try include finely
don’t worry about any gaps.
at any foodie gathering is a simple-to-make chopped caramelised Brussels sprouts and
easy-to-customise butter board – and it tastes onions with diced pancetta and fresh thyme 3 Press to ensure the dough is secure on
even better when you make your own firepit- leaves; diced charcuterie meats, cubed cheese, the stick then rotate above the fire so it
baked bread (see right). olives and tiny sprigs of fresh rosemary; and cooks evenly until golden brown.
Simply spread a serving board with a thick walnuts, sliced bananas, a drizzle of honey and 4 Leave to cool for a few mins before eating,
layer of room-temperature butter. Scatter with a sprinkle of cinnamon. preferably alongside a butter board!
OVER TO YOU
Growing, making, upcycling or SIMPLY ENJOYING.

We love to see what you’re up to in your gardens
Mini makeover
of the month!
When we moved to our newbuild near the coast, we had to cope
with builders’ rubble and a high water level. The original lawn was
often waterlogged and not much survived. We decided to give
it a makeover and create a seaside effect with lots of stones and
pebbles surrounded by warm-coloured paving slabs. Most of our
plants are in pots, which can be moved around to freshen things up.
*FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS, VISIT WWW.BAUERLEGAL.CO.UK/COMPETITION-TER MS.HT ML

I love my cannas and hydrangeas, which create a colourful display
for most of summer, and I have lots of grasses, which provide
movement and interest into winter. It’s now a relaxing escape we can
enjoy all year round. Christine Baker, email
After
Before
YOUR PRIZE
✽ Congratulations to
Christine for sending us her
mini makeover. She receives
a net of fairylights worth
£19.95 from sparkle.lighting
Have you transformed a corner of
your plot from lacklustre to lovely?
Or turned a dull old item into a fab
ere little The garden is now blooming garden feature? Send us a before and
A work in progress,powh
or dr ainag e lacecap hydrangeas a firm fa , with after photo and you could be the winner next month!
survived because of vourite
Our garden rocks!

My husband Kevin has
built a mini-Stonehenge
in our front garden on
the Isle of Wight using
some salvaged stone.
We think it looks great
as do our neighbours,
and it didn’t cost us a
COMPILED BY ANGELA KENNY
single penny, so it’s even

more satisfying!
Tina Thomas, email
I made a wreath using two wire
coathangers, cuttings from my garden and
old ornaments. Sandra Carter, Facebook
OVER TO YOU
Love your...
HIPPEASTRUMS
T
hese showstopper blooms are our flamboyant flowers have been tricked into their after much deliberation, concluded that the
favourite of all Christmas decs and festive display, naturally blooming in the spring true amaryllis hails from South Africa while
they last well after we’ve packed away or summer along with all the other bulbs. Floral hippeastrums are from Central and South
all the rest, cheering us through the suppliers refrigerate the bulbs in autumn to America – and it’s these west-of-the-Atlantic
post-festive lull. And you’ll appreciate simulate winter weather, then bring them into bulbs that are commercially sold in the UK
them all the more the warm, which fools them into flowering early. around Christmas. But don’t feel a jot of
knowing that these Don’t be hoodwinked into thinking that a remorse if you use the names interchangeably
hippeastrum and an amaryllis as even though this ruling was passed at the
are one and the same thing International Botanical Congress back in 1987,
though! This centuries- amaryllis remains the most commonly used
old conundrum has name to describe hippeastrum. As long
provoked heated debate as you take good care of your bulb, it’ll
among some of the world’s live for 75 years, by which time we’ll all
leading botanists who, hopefully have learned its proper name!
Share your
hippeastrums
on our Instagram
or Facebook page
FEATU RE: CLARE WALKER.

PH OTO: FLORA PRESS
OVER TO YOU
PAWS
...FINS AND FEATHERS. We love to see
WHISKERS...
your pets enjoying your gardens too!
Watering can’t!
We love having
frogs in the garden,
perhaps not in
the watering can
though – we couldn’t
understand why
water wasn’t coming
out. It made us
chuckle once we knew
what was happening. Here’s Harry cat getting cosy under
Nicola & Gavin our potted Christmas tree.
Risbridger, email Jane Klückers, Facebook
PRIZE PET!
Mr mice guy
This little mouse was darting about
the wild part of our garden, pinching
peanuts from the birds and the
squirrels. He became quite tame
during daylight hours, safe from
WWW.BAUERLEGAL.CO.U K/COMPETITION-TERM S. HTML

nextdoor’s night-prowling Siamese cat.
Daphne Ritchie, email
*FOR FU LL TERM S AND CONDITIONS, V ISIT
Monte loves running round a snowy

garden in his Santa hat while I enjoy
my coffee and try to stay warm. Our
garden is very small but fenced on all
sides with no poisonous plants, to keep
him safe. Ivanka Bass, Facebook
YOUR PRIZE!
✽ Monte wins a
Luxury Calming
IT’S A WINTERFUL LIFE! Bed, worth £29.99,
Grace loves being out in the snow in
COMPILED BY ANGELA KENNY
from mikkipet.com
rural Wales. We enjoy our garden with @mikkipetuk
her all year round, with chimineas Poor Mr Bumble found it For a chance of winning next month,
and firepits keeping us warm when rather cold this morning! post your photo to facebook.com/
moderngardensmagazine or email
the temperature drops. Jean Tetreault, email moderngardens@bauermedia.co.uk
Jo Hicks, Facebook
Christmas
SPECIAL
Ozothamnus
hookeri
Yew
Bay
W
ant to greet Christmas
FUTURECONTEN TH UB.COM , SH UTTERSTOCK, ALAM Y, GAP PHOTOS/
guests with the biggest

of grins? Then make
FEATURE: JULES BARTON-B RECK. PHOTOS: GETTY IM AGE S,
your very own garden

wreath and open the door to a cascade
of compliments! Using sprigs cut from
your garden, foraged materials and a
THE COUNTRY GARDE N FLOWER COMPAN Y
few cheap buys, you can easily make

this showstopper front-door dec in a
couple of hours, and it’s a lovely way to
spend an afternoon indoors when it’s
cold and miserable outside. Our
step-by-step guide will ensure success
and, being bespoke, you can make
your wreath as minimalist or
over-the-top marvellous as you like,
and match it to your garden style.
BIG PROJECT
MAKE YOUR VERY OWN
GARDEN
WREATH
Follow these 10 easy steps to create
a RAVISHING RING of natural
beauty, tailormade to
your tastes
20cm Black 30cm Gold 77cm Giant
Layered Metal Colour Metal, Superior Round
Round, £4 £6.25 littlecrafty Willow, £59.66
hobbycraft.co.uk bugs.co.uk littlecraftybugs.co.uk
40cm
Dark Natural 45cm Light Natural
Rattan, £13.99 Willow Chunky, £18.95
floristrywarehouse.com notonthehighstreet.com
#2 BIND IT
#1 START WITH MOSS
Whether you’ve gone for a metal or
WITH A BASE natural wreath base, the next step is to
cover it with dried moss. This gives shape
You can buy wreath bases made of metal, and ensures a solid base for all the
rattan or willow, or you can make your own additional greenery and embellishments to Dried Moss,
with foraged branches. Head out into your be attached to. You can buy moss ready-prepped £7.95/100g
garden to look for some small branches that or it’s highly likely you’ve got plenty in your lawn bakerross.co.uk
are pliable – dogwood, birch, willow and hazel (and removing it will benefit the grass!). Simply
are all perfect. Avoid using freshly cut pine, rake the moss out of the grass using a spring
spruce or fir stems as they can release resin tine rake and lay on pieces of kitchen roll to dry
that leaves difficult-to-remove stains. Before out thoroughly, around 2-3 days.
you cut, check the wood is pliable enough by You’re going to use floristry wire to bind
bending back and forth without breaking. handfuls of moss to the base – if it’s a flat base
And snip off any side stems too. then just cover the top; if it’s a 3D rattan or
Once back indoors, overlap two branches wooden base, cover the top and sides. First
by about one-third of their length, using attach the end of the wire to the frame by
floristry wire to secure in place. Repeat and, looping it round and twisting to secure.
when the wreath is the required size, overlap Then take a handful of dried moss and
the two ends to form a ring, and secure. Add press it into a solid fat sausage. Place it
more layers of branches, weaving them in and onto the frame and wind wire around
0.35mm Brown
out and wrapping really pliable it, making sure to press the moss
Floristry Wire,
thinner ends around the wreath. Tie together so it’s as solid as possible.
£3.17/100m wreaths
them in with wire as you go until Repeat with more moss sausages
andfloristry.co.uk
you’ve got a wreath base that’s until the whole base is covered,
around 5cm thick. Trim off any secure the end of the wire
untidy ends and wire ties. and snip off any excess. Expanding Lawn Leaf
Rake, £7 wilko.com
➣
0.35mm Dark Green Floristry Wire,
£3.17/100m wreathsandfloristry.co.uk DECEMBER 2022 M O D E R N G A R D E N S 101
#3 ADD PLENTY OF GREENERY
Now it’s time to fill out your mossy wreath base embellishments (see #4, p103). Then place you may want to attach a further bundle above
with evergreen trimmings. It’s best to use your bundle on the front of the mossy base and below too. Lay the next bundle in the same
conifer sprigs as they’ll last for ages – use sprigs with the cut stems facing left if you’re direction but a little to the left or right,
cut from the low branches of your Christmas left-handed and right if you’re right-handed. depending on which way round you’re going,
tree or ask your local florist or tree seller if Wrap the wire around the base to secure. so it covers the stems of the previous bundle,
they’ve got any offcuts. Depending on how wide your wreath base is, and secure with more wire. There’s no need to
Attach the reel of wire to the base by snip the wire between bundles, just keep laying
wrapping around and twisting to secure. Next, on the bundles and wrapping around with wire
gather a bundle of 3-4 sprigs, depending on until you’ve worked your way all around the
how bushy they are. Add a sprig of base. Attaching the last bundle is always a little
another evergreen such as eucalyptus, fiddly as you need to tuck it under the very
rosemary, laurel or ivy to each bundle if first bundle, but then twist the wire to secure
you like, along with any extra and snip off the ends.
Good to know
It’s legal to forage for foliage,
fruits and flowers on any
common land as long as what
you take isn’t rare or protected
and your gatherings are for your
personal use only. For the sake
of the plant and the wildlife it
supports, make sure you don’t
strip any one place bare.
1 02 M O D E R N G A R D E N S D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2
BIG PROJECT
#4 ADORN TRY IT!
WITH GARDEN
TREASURES
Anything with a stem can be included in the
bundles made in step #3, and if you want to
embellish your wreath with lots of garden
treasures then it’s a good idea to attach them
at this point, so they’re really secure. You can TRY THIS!
also simply tuck these into the finished ring
of foliage – just push the stems in the same
#5 WIRE A Add an on-trend look to
direction as your evergreen bundles so they
embed in among them. For smaller items or SUPPORT feathers and other accessories
by spray painting with
natural gems without a stem, attach them to
sturdy wire and then push the wire into the
Add a detail that can be metallic paint
wreath. For heavier items such as pinecones, it’s bent into any shape
best to push the wire all the way through the
wreath and secure beneath the base. YOU WILL NEED
✽ Mistletoe Add sprigs as a final ✽ Florist stub wires: L30cm, £3.99/25
touch as the white berries easily amazon.co.uk
drop from the stems. ✽ Flower tape: Stemtex in Olive Green,
✽ Hydrangea blooms If you £1.99/27.5m oasishomeandhobby.co.uk
grow them in your garden ✽ Long-nose pliers and secateurs
hopefully you dried some flowers ✽ Floristry wire: 0.35mm Dark Green,
after their autumn blooming. If not, £3.17/100m wreathsandfloristry.co.uk
buy online: £7.25, castlefarmkent.co.uk. ✽ Little treasures from the garden
✽ Grasses Dry grasses by hanging WHAT TO DO
upside down in an airing cupboard,
then spray the flowerheads with
hairspray to keep them intact.
✽ Pinecones Wind wire around the
base layer of the cone and twist it
tight. Cones will open and close
in dry and damp weather, so leave 1 Hold 3 stub wires together and wrap the
#6 BRING A
space for them to move.
✽ Allium seedheads Add these
flower tape around their length – stretch the
tape as you wind to make it stick.
FLOURISH
starbursts to your wreath at the end as
they can be quite brittle.
✽ Berries Pick from your garden
WITH FRESH
but if you’re foraging then do be
aware that some of the prettiest are
FLOWERS
also the most poisonous – if you’re not sure There are a few flowers that will last out of
what it is, leave it where it is. water long enough to look good on your
✽ Feathers Wash first to remove 2 Use pliers to bend over the top into a wreath. And the good news is, lots of these
parasites: swish in soapy dishwater, shepherd’s crook shape. Attach the floristy are cheaply available at the supermarket
rinse and dry with a hairdryer; if wire by wrapping around a few times. (largely because they’ll last for a while out
it needs reshaping, hold briefly in of water!). Alstroemerias, carnations,
the steam of a kettle then use your chrysanthemums, spray roses and statices
fingers to preen. are all good bets. You’ll need to wire the
✽ Poppy seedheads So pretty, and stems to make sure they don’t flop, but it’s
any left standing in your garden will easy! Simply feed a stub wire up the stem
be tough enough to survive on your to the base of the flower and trim to size –
showstopper wreath. 3 Gather a few bits and bobs into a mini the heavier or bigger the bloom, the bigger
✽ Rosehips Don’t have a rose to make posy, hold against the crook end and wrap gauge of wire you’ll need.
these bright beauties? Buy stemmed Green
wire around the stems to secure.
hips from a florist, or try etsy.com, Florist Stub
£11.99/10 stems. Wires, £3.99
✽ Ivy swag As well as adding sprigs amazon.co.uk
into your bundles, drape a swag around
the finished wreath, making
U-shaped pins from wire
to hold in place.
10
lovely
4 Wire on more posies until it’s as long as
you want. Twist and cut the wire, push into
the wreath and bend into a pleasing shape.
things to
add wow ➣
#7 FINISH #8 ADD A
OFF WITH A HANGING LOOP
FRESH SCENT A wide ribbon wrapped around your
wreath makes for a stylish finish. Want
Black Metal
Door Wreath
Add one, two or all of these for a a more relaxed feel? Rip a Hanger, £6.95
fabulously fragrant experience! fabric section and fray sarahraven.com
the sides. Or if you
✽ Cinnamon sticks want a concealed Stylish Mistletoe
Over-Door
Tie three together with hanging
twine, thread floristry mechanism, over-door Wreath
wire through the twine
and poke into the wreath.
simply
fashion a
hangers Holder, £9.99
lakeland.co.uk
Do the same with dried loop with
lemongrass sticks. a few rounds of Cast Iron Stag
✽ Star anise Use a glue strong wire and attach this to Wreath Hanger, £7.50
gun to stick individual stars your wreath. aplaceforeverything.co.uk
onto stems.
✽ Rosemary Add long
stems into your bundles
at the beginning.
✽ Citrus slices Orange
or clementine are
#9 LIGHT IT UP
a festive favourite Make sure your wreath gets the admiration it
but lemon and lime deserves after dark by loading it up with
are lovely too. Heat lights. We’re a fan of micro fairylights, which
the oven to 100°C have LED lights on a thin flexible wire
and line a baking that you can bend into whatever
tray with parchment. shape you want – just wind them
Thinly slice the fruit around and around the entire
into 5mm-1cm slices with a wreath and you’re good to go.
serrated knife or mandolin 100 Warm White Outdoor
and arrange on the tray. Blot battery-operated Micro
with kitchen paper. Bake for 2-4 hours, turning Fairy Lights, £16.99
every half an hour. Turn the oven down if they lights4fun.co.uk
start to brown, remove once dry
and cool on a baking rack.
Use floristry wire to attach
to the wreath – choose wire
to match the colour of the
fruit if you like (from £4.43,
wreathsandfloristry.co.uk).
✽ Essential oils Using
one drop of your favourite Crank up
essential oil to every 10ml
of water, fill a spray bottle,
the style
over your wreath.
shake well and spritz all dial
✽ Tree spray Refresh your wreath’s
scent with Pine Tree Scent Spray,
£1.19/250ml easyfloristsupplies.co.uk
Which wreath matches your garden style?

FIR FESTIVAL LEAFY LIMES WHITE STUFF
Think less is more? It’s easier to buy Spray your completed
Then don’t go dried limes wreath with a couple
overboard with (£3.95/6, of light coats of
embellishments theessentials white paint
and stick to a company. (Rust-Oleum
few natural co.uk) rather Chalk White
groupings of than dry your Garden Furniture
pinecones. own as it’ll take Spray Paint,
up to three days £8.09/400ml, sprayster.
in a 50°C oven. com) for a frosty finish.
BIG PROJECT
#10 DISPLAY
IT YOUR WAY
If you don’t want to hang your wreath on
your front door then there are plenty of
other ways to display it. Lay it on an
outdoor table and stand a candle in the
centre. Fix it in a window on a long
length of ribbon. Prop it on a garden TRY THIS!
chair where it can be seen from indoors.
Or hang it on the front of your garden
Every couple of days,
shed. And now you know just how easy it lightly mist your wreath
is to make a wreath, why not make a few with water. Copper Plated
more – a grouping of an odd number of
wreaths of different sizes looks fab!
Plant Mister, £8.99,
waitrosegarden.com
c a n s tr ip th e tr immings
TIP Yo u any
s e th e b a s e fo r m
and reu c ome
C h r is tm a s s e s to
HIP HOP FOLIAGE SUNNY

A simple FIESTA DELIGHT
combo of Mix sprigs Pin slices of
green of foliage in dried orange
foliage different to your
plus red shades for finished
berries a minimalist wreath – try
and modern drying blood
rosehips look that’s still oranges for a
couldn’t be bursting with stylish twist.
more Christmassy! character.
DECEMBER 2022 M O D E R N G A R D E N S 10 5
Curious
A staple in medieval orchards and now
surging back into fashion, you can grow
this FRAGRANT FRUIT in a patio pot
W
ant to add a little magic to next you can leave the fruit on the tree for as long as
year’s Christmas dinner? Then possible to develop a full flavour, but they’ll
plant a quince tree and treat your store for up to three months – and it’s best to
guests to the ambrosial scent and keep them for at least six weeks before using to
distinctive taste of this unusual fruit. allow the flavour to mellow.
Looking like the lumpy offspring of an apple Quince trees are easy to look after and you
and a pear, don’t be put off by the fruit’s odd don’t need to worry about pollination for your
appearance. The flesh turns a delightful pink as quince to crop – one tree is all you need. They
it roasts, poaches, bakes, or becomes a delicious do require a warm sunny sheltered spot though,
jam or membrillo – a Spanish quince paste as the flowers open early in the year when they
usually eaten with hard cheese. may be susceptible to frost, and sun is needed
The trees are pretty as well as productive with to ripen the fruit. In most gardens they’re fine
pale pink to white scented blossom in April/ anywhere, but if your plot is cold or exposed,
May that bees and other pollinators love. The plant against a south- or south-west-facing wall
green fruit is covered with fluffy grey-white hair for an extra blast of warmth.
that rubs off before it matures to yellow in To get the right-sized tree for your garden,
autumn. And even the leaves are attractive with check the label or online description to see
grey downy undersides. which rootstock it’s growing on. Quinces grafted
But what we love most about quinces is that on Quince C and Eline rootstocks will reach 3m
when they’re ready to harvest in October or high; those on Quince A will reach 3.5-4m high;
November, they become extremely aromatic, and if grown on its own roots, the tree will shoot
filling your autumn garden with a divine vanilla up much taller. If you want to grow your tree in a
fragrance. As long as there’s no danger of frosts, container, choose one of the smaller trees.
OUR FAVOURITES TO TRY

FEATU RE: GEOFF H ODGE. RECIPES: H OLLY CAMM ARATA-HALL. PHOTOS: STOCKFOOD,
✽ ‘Serbian Gold’ has lots of greenish-yellow

fruit and, originating from Serbia, is the
hardiest quince. £26.99/bareroot tree on
Quince A primrose.co.uk
SHUTTERSTOCK, GAP P HOTOS/CLAIRE HIG GIINS/FRIEDRICH STRAUSS
✽ ‘Champion’ ripens relatively early with

golden-yellow fruit. £24.95/containerised
tree on Quince A victoriananursery.co.uk
✽ ‘Vranja’ is the most popular variety with fruit
in lovely shades of yellow. £39.99/bareroot
tree on Quince A thompson-morgan.com
‘Serbian
S b Your
Gold’ garden
larder
EASY IDEAS
TRY THIS!
Store undamaged fruit in
shallow trays in a cool dark
place, ensuring the fruits
don’t touch
HOW TO GROW
A quince tree is the perfect add for a
sunny patio.
YOU WILL NEED

✽ Quince tree
✽ Big bucket of water
✽ Crocks (flat stone or broken
pot pieces)
✽ 60cm wooden barrel planter:
Whiskey Barrel, £52 diy.com
✽ John Innes No.3 Compost,
£13.90/70L diy.com
✽ Watering can with rose
✽ Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub
Continuous Release Plant Food,
£7.45/900g homebase.co.uk
WHAT TO DO
1 Place the roots of the quince tree in the
bucket of water for 20 mins.
2 Place crocks over each drainage
hole in the barrel. Stand the tree in the
middle, spread out its roots and adjust its
Good to know! position until the soil mark on the trunk
(which shows the depth it was originally
Check the label to make sure growing) is 2-2.5cm below the rim.
you’re buying a true quince
(Cydonia oblonga) and not a 3 Fill around the roots with compost,
Japanese quince (Chaenomeles firming as you go, making sure there are
speciosa), whose fruit is also no pockets of air left in the compost.
edible but not so delicious. 4 Water well with a full
can, and whenever
the compost
starts to dry out.
5 In spring,
p ro d u c e s to o m uch fruit, feed with a
TIP If your tre e controlled-
n c h e s d o w n, c u t half release
weighing the bra cateurs when plant food.
of them using se w alnut

’re th e s iz e o f a ➣
they
MULL THEM!
MELT-IN-THE-MOUTH MERRY SPICEMAS QUINCES

INGREDIENTS WHAT TO DO Simmer for 30 mins or until the
✽ 75cl bottle red wine 1 Pour the wine into a deep quinces are soft.
saucepan and bring to the boil. 3 Transfer the quinces to a serving
✽ 200g caster sugar
Once boiling, add the sugar and stir plate to cool slightly.
✽ 4 star anises well to dissolve fully.
4 Increase the heat under the liquid
✽ Large cinnamon stick 2 Reduce the heat to a gentle and reduce by half. Drizzle over the
✽ 4-5 medium quinces, peeled, simmer then add the spices and quinces before serving.
cored & quartered the quinces. Split the vanilla pod
✽ 1 vanilla pod down the middle and scrape out
the seeds. Add the seeds and
Serves 4-6 the pod to the saucepan.
d o ll o p o f th ic k cream,
TIP Serve with
a
e o r v a n il la ic e cream
ma s ca rpon
EASY IDEAS
TIP Keep the sk
ins on
to allow the quin when roasting
ces to
shape even when keep their
really soft
ROAST THEM! TRY THIS!

Add thick slices of peeled
PERK-UP- quince to a tray of roasted
YOUR-BIRD veggies for a great
QUINCE SIDE flavour twist
INGREDIENTS
✽ 800ml water
✽ 150g caster sugar
✽ 1 large orange, juice & zest
✽ 3-4 medium quinces, 2 Reduce the heat to a simmer
halved & cored and add the orange zest, juice and
quinces. Simmer for 25 mins.
Serves 4-6
3 Remove the quinces from the liquid
and add to the tray of your roast
WHAT TO DO duck or goose for the final 45 mins of
1 Bring the water to the boil in a cooking. Make sure to use any pan
deep saucepan. Add the sugar and juices to coat the quinces for extra
stir to dissolve. yummy flavour.
TOP THEM!
LET’S-GET-READY-TO-CRUMBLE TIP Serve with

a drizzle
one y
QUINCE & CHESTNUT CAKE
or two of runny h
INGREDIENTS 30 mins. Once the quinces are soft,
✽ 75cl ready-made mulled wine remove from the mulled wine and
leave to cool.
✽ 6 small quinces, peeled,
cored & sliced 2 In a small saucepan melt 50g butter
then mix in the brown sugar, plain flour,
✽ 230g butter, softened cinnamon and chestnuts. Place in the
✽ 60g brown sugar fridge until needed.
✽ 35g plain flour 3 Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease
✽ 1tsp ground cinnamon and line a 26cm loose-bottom cake tin.
✽ 100g vacuum-packed cooked 4 Cream the remaining 180g butter
chestnuts, chopped and the caster sugar together in the
✽ 220g caster sugar bowl of a freestanding mixer, until
light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at
✽ 3 eggs a time beating well between each
✽ 1tsp vanilla extract addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and
✽ 125ml buttermilk or natural buttermilk. Fold in the self-raising flour
yogurt then pour the cake batter into the
prepared tin.
✽ 225g self-raising flour
5 Arrange the quinces on top of the
Serves 8-10
cake batter and push down slightly.
WHAT TO DO Bake for 25 mins.
1 Pour the wine into a deep saucepan 6 Remove the crumble topping from
and bring to the boil. Add the quinces, the fridge and scatter over the cake.
reduce to a simmer, and poach for Bake for a further 25 mins.
DECEMBER 2022 M O D E R N G A R D E N S 10 9
FILL YOUR PLOT WITH FREE*
Enjoy a riot of early colour with

fabulous RUFFLED PRIMULAS
W
hen it comes to spring
blooms, we say go wow or
go home! And you can’t
help but smile at this
gloriously colourful and wonderfully
scented Belarina collection of six
primulas, and who doesn’t need more of
that in their outdoor space?
Easy to care for, you can pretty much
put them anywhere, in full sun or semi
shade, in any fertile moist well-draining
soil. They will make an unforgettable
welcome in pots by the front door, and
work brilliantly in flowerbeds too.
You’ll receive 1 each of ‘Candy Frost’
for eye-catching extra-large lilac blooms
edged in ice-white lacing, ‘Valentine Red’
for ruffled double flowers in sumptuous
velvet burgundy-red, ‘Sweet Apricot’ for
striking lightly scented double blossoms
in an eye-catching apricot shade,
‘Candy Frost’ ‘Valentine
‘Buttercup’ with clean and compact
bright green leaves and lightly scented Red’
double blossoms of golden-yellow, ‘Pink
Ice’ for delicately scented double flowers
that open up a creamy-white and
become more and more flushed with
pink until almost the whole flower has a
soft rosy hue, and ‘Cream’ for delicately
scented buttery-cream blooms that look
almost as if they’re made from tissue
paper. Deadhead regularly and the
flowers will keep on coming from
February and into spring in even the
worst of British winters. Supplied as six
plug plants, one of each variety.
*JUST PAY POSTAGE
To claim your free* plants: Visit

yougarden.com/RMG153 or call 0844
502 0050, quoting offer code RMG153
and product code FFER 480863.
‘Pink Ice’
READER OFFER
FREE * More great deals...

plants worth Have a jolly holly winter SAVE
£30
£24.98 What better way to frame your
festive porch or doorway than
with this pair of gorgeous holly
trees? With a bluish tinge to the
leaves and masses of red berries
in autumn, they will add style to
your Christmas displays for many
years to come. Expertly grown
into elegant lollipop shapes
‘Cream’ (known as standards), they’ll add
instant impact this year, and the foliage will bush out further over time
into a dense ball. Just one trim a year will keep them in perfect shape.
To order*: ✽ Pair of standard holly trees, 80-100cm tall, plus 2 planters, for
£59.98, save £30, product code 510186
Spruce up your Christmas decs SAVE

£5
‘Sweet Little beats the sight or
smell of a real fir garland at
Apricot’ Christmas! Made with fresh Norway
spruce branches for fragrance,
‘Buttercup’ adorned with classic red berries, real
pinecones and finished with a festive
bowl, it’s perfect for laying across
mantlepieces, sideboards, windowsills
and tables. To order*:
✽ 1 x 1.1m long garland for £24.99,
save £5, product code 170034
Whip up a ready-made wreath SAVE

£5
If you haven’t got the time (or inclination) to
make your own, this Christmas wreath made
with real fresh fir greenery will go down, or
should we say up, a treat! It’s 30cm in diameter
and comes complete with classic red berries,
real pinecones and is finished with a festive
bow. Already got one? Why not treat a
wreathless friend or family member? To order*:
✽ 1 x 30cm wreath for £24.99, save £5, product
code 170033
HOW TO ORDER
✽ GO ONLINE
yougarden.com/RMG153
✽ CALL
0844 502 0050 quoting offer code RMG153 then the relevant
product code/s. Calls cost 5p/min plus your phone provider’s access charge
WHEN YOU RECEIVE *
POSTAGE IS £6.99 PER ORDER (NOT PER ITEM)
your plants, pop them
T&Cs Orders dispatched within 7-10 working days. Contract for supply is with YouGarden Ltd, Eventus House, Sunderland Road,
into pots of multipurpose Market Deeping PE6 8FD. Offer subject to availability, and in the event that it is oversubscribed, we reserve the right to send
compost on a bright suitable substitutes. UK delivery only. Delivery surcharges may apply for the following postcode areas: AB, DD8-11, GY, HS, IM,
IV, JE, KA27-28, KW, PA20-80, PH19-50, TR21-25 and ZE. Images show mature plants and are for illustration purposes only. See
windowsill for 3-4 weeks website for photos of plants as supplied. Following Brexit there are a number of changes that prevent us from trading in N. Ireland.
Full terms and product details at www.yougarden.com. Offer closes 30 December 2022.
before moving outdoors.

GET-THE-PARTY-STARTED Buy 3,
save £12
SEASONAL
plus 15 free*
hyacinth
bulbs
SCENTS
Deck the halls, windowsills
and wherever else you like
with these fairylight-bound
HYACINTH BASKETS
O
ne of the best ways to get
into the festive spirit is to
make your home smell like
Christmas. And sweet yet
spicy hyacinths will have you rocking
around the Christmas tree in no time.
They’ll look great grouped
together on a side table or shelf or
why not buy as gifts for friends and
family? Supplied complete with
hyacinth bulbs, fully lined hand-
woven rustic grey baskets, plus
fairylights and decorative moss, all you
need to do is settle back with your
favourite festive tipple and enjoy the
display as the buds unfurl. Your basket/s
will be delivered in December, in time
for Christmas. Plus, you’ll get 15 free
hyacinth bulbs, worth £17, with your
order. Hic hic hooray! To order:
✽ Basket, fairylights & pink hyacinths
x 1 for £18, product code 47HYP1
✽ Basket, fairylights & aqua hyacinths
x 1 for £18, product code 47HYA1
✽ Basket, fairylights & white hyacinths
x 1 for £18, product code 47HYW1
✽ Baskets, fairylights & hyacinths x 3
(1 of each) for £42, save £12, product
code 47HYC3
Visit hayloft.co.uk/ROMG or call 01386
426 245, quoting offer code ROMG
and the relevant product code/s, paying
£6.95 postage*.
READER OFFER
More great deals...

Let the festivities be-gin! Save
£18
We often wish gin and tonic grew on trees, and this
Philotheca myoporoides is the next best thing! Rub or
brush against the evergreen foliage and enjoy the intoxicating
scent of a freshly poured glass of this merry combo. It comes with
a red pot, decorative moss and Christmas label, if you can bear to
give it away to a friend or family member. Just as well we’re giving
you the chance to buy
3 for £39, saving £15.
The hyacinth One for Mum, two for
flowers will grow you! You’ll also be able
to enjoy white scented
up to 25cm tall! blooms, which pop up in
spring. To order*:
✽ Gin & tonic plant, red
pot & moss x 1 for £18,
product code 47GT1
✽ Gin & tonic plant, red
pot & moss x 3 for £36,
save £18, product code
47GT3
Have yourself a rosy Christmas

When you find yourself heading outdoors for a post-
festivities potter, this Christmas rose (Helleborus Save
niger) will keep your spirits blooming into the new year £18
and beyond. Although unscented, the white flowers
and silvery-green foliage are a treat for winter-weary
eyes. Why
not float a few flowers
in a shallow bowl of
water for an easy
table centrepiece?
Supplied in 9cm pots
with hessian wrap and
a gift label. To order*:
✽ Christmas rose x 1
for £14, product code
47HN1
✽ Christmas rose x 3
for £24, save £18,
product code 47HN3
HOW TO ORDER
✽ GO ONLINE
hayloft.co.uk/ROMG
✽ CALL
01386 426 245 quoting offer code ROMG

then the relevant product code/s. Calls cost 5p per minute plus your
phone provider’s access charge
*
POSTAGE IS £6.95 PER ORDER (NOT PER ITEM). PLUS,
15 FREE GARDEN HYACINTH BULBS WITH YOUR ORDER
AFTER FLOWERING T&Cs Your contract for supply of goods is with Hayloft, Manor Farm, Pensham, Worcs WR103HB.
plant your hyacinths in your Full T&Cs available on request. All items are subject to availability. Images for illustration purposes
only. All orders will receive an order acknowledgement. Occasionally the advertised delivery date
garden and refill the baskets may change, however, this will be clearly stated on your order confirmation. Offer available to UK
addresses only. Reader offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions or discounts.
with your fave houseplants. Delivery in December, in time for Christmas. Offer closes December 17 2022.

GARDEN MAKEOVER
OUR GARDEN CRUSH

We would be more likely to consider a BOXING DAY SWIM
if we were the lucky owners of this swoon-worthy sea-side garden
J
ust imagine waking up to this wonderful edge of a cliff,” explains Duncan. “The pool was the steep slope of the garden. “The stone was
view and wandering down to the pool for already in-situ but the only way to get to it and quarried on site when the house was built so
a morning swim, surrounded by flowers around the garden was via clunky and straight it’s perfect for linking in with the surrounding
FEATURE: JULES BARTON-BRECK. PHOTOS : GAP PHOTOS /MAR K B O LTO N,

and foliage! Set atop a cliff edge in rendered steps.” Even worse, there were cliffs,” says Duncan.
Kingswear, South Devon, this elegant space was concrete walls that blocked the views, so any
designed by garden maker Duncan Nuttall connection with the landscape was lost. ADDING COASTAL PLANTS
(duncannuttall.co.uk). “My clients wanted me to On the sea-facing side of the house, clipped
REVEALING THE VIEW
SHUTTERSTOCK. GARDEN DESIGN: DUNC AN NUT TAL L

make their house look like it was sitting in the salt-tolerant Elaeagnus pungens shrubs (also
landscape rather than just being plonked on the The first step was to rip out an ugly 24m-long known as spiny oleaster) have been shaped to
tarmac drive that led to the front door and echo the shapes of the undulating sea. As the
replace it with a winding path that takes you planting flows around the house towards the
down to the house through soft and pretty pool, it becomes more sheltered and the palette
planting. “Cars are now parked away from the is more diverse with shrubs that are clipped to
front of the house and hidden with holm oak reflect the cliffs coming out of the sea.
and mountain ash trees up by the garages,” says Duncan planted grasses to link the scrubland
Duncan. “This was a big step in making the found on top of the cliffs, which are interspersed
garden work so much better and it dramatically with sea holly (eryngiums), marshmallow
increased its size.” (althaea), giant fennel (ferula), agapanthus,
Leftover stone from the house renovations sedums and echiums to provide splashes of
was reused to build dry-stone walls that terrace colour throughout the year.
Bliss! Step out of the pool and gaze

at the beautiful seascape all around.
en to mirror the
The plants were chunosdin
shapes of the surro g sea and cliffs
Mountain ash tree
Rosemary
se y
21
BE E
R
EM SU
EC IS
D RY
LE UA
SA N
N A
O J
In next month’s issue...
Garden makeovers esign

The biggest garden d
pinch
packed with ideas to trends for 2023
P HOTOS: STARKANDGREENSMITH.COM, EMM A KENDELL, GETTY IMAGES,
SHU TTERSTOCK, GAP PH OTOS/JOANNA KOSSAK/JENNY LILLY
Swoon-worthy update
s y now plant
Designer plants to bu Find the perfect house
you can do yourself ces !)
at bargain winter pri for you (that won’t die
PLUS, CLEVER SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL GARDENS, GROW LEMONS,

FENCING BUYER’S GUIDE, HOW TO RESTORE PAVING & MORE!

Modern Gardens - Issue 81 - December 2022

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100sE W

MODERN GARDENS DECEMBER 2022

£4.25 December 2022 Issue No.81

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