The Winter Garden - Book review

Of course, winter means different things to different people in different areas. Just look at the picture see what the winter garden is like here in Pennsylvania (I’ve just been out snow blowing this morning). But in milder areas of the US and in Britain, of course, there’s a wealth of often forgotten plants  to enliven the season.

In Val Bourne’s attractive and very readable book, two elements are emphasised: stepping back and taking in the broader picture and also looking in very close at the detail. So textured paths and surfaces, striking fences and simple sculptures along with evergreen hedges, high and low, and shapely evergreen perennials are always interesting, and especially when rimed with frost or dusted (or weighed down) with snow.

Then at the other extreme there’s the delightful detail in tree bark, coloured shrubs stems, snowdrops, garrya catkins, spidery and of course fragrant witch hazel flowers, arum foliage, seed heads and berries hanging on from autumn and so much more. At times, perhaps, she borrows from a little too far ahead into spring (pulmonarias? Anemone blanda?) but this is an inspiring book – and one which makes those of us who’ve been looking out at snow in November this year simply want to move! It's -10C/14F this morning, so not many plants in flower. Hence the need for structure, as Val points out.

The Winter Garden by Val Bourne is published by Cassell Illustrated.

Order The Winter Garden in Britain from here.

Order The Winter Garden in North America here.