07 October 2014
A Touch of Gold in Winter
A touch of colour in the garden during winter can enliven both the garden and the spirits of the viewer, even if you are just peering out of the window. Hint – position your bright plant where it can be clearly seen from the house. There are a number of shrubs that are evergreen with gold variegated foliage and these provide consistent bright colour throughout the cold months of the year. The obvious choice is a holly and amongst the brightest is Ilex altaclerensis ‘Golden King’. This has dark green glossy leaves, gold-edged. Despite the name it is a female holly and will have some berries if there is a male holly in its vicinity. This could be the male holly, confusingly called Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden Queen’, with regularly shaped green and golden foliage. Hollies are prickly and the leaves can hurt small hands when the tree sheds them and they lie on the ground, so be warned. There are other gold-variegated hollies available including the near thornless Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden van Tol’, another female variety. If you want something big and beautiful but without thorns try an Elaeagnus. The most handsome of them all is perhaps Elaeagnus x ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’, where the green and gold leaves have a crisp and vibrant quality that is more intense in its effect than hollies. There are other forms with golden variegation. On a smaller scale are a range of bright and cheery Euonymus japonicum forms that include Euonymus japonicas ‘Golden Maiden’, which has gold leaves with a green edge and stands around a metre high. You could try planting these in a group of three to provide an interesting and unusual feature. Finally, there is an evergreen honeysuckle, grown for its lively foliage. This is . The leaves are small and pale gold during the winter months. It can be grown so that its foliage cascades down, particularly effective against a house wall or a fence. All these plants are easy to grow in any normal garden. Wishing you winter cheer! This Longacres Blog post contributed by Susan A. Tindall
