In The Not So Bleak Midwinter - A talk by Timothy Walker

The Rutland Group of The Hardy Plant Society were thoroughly entertained at our January 2019 talk by Timothy Walker, who was the Director of the Oxford University Botanic Garden from 2002 – 2014. He is such a knowledgeable and accomplished speaker who has the rare ability to make his lectures fun, interesting and amusing. He took as his topic ‘In the not so bleak Midwinter', covering the time from December to February.

Plants need to earn their keep at this time of the year whether it is for their berries, colour, shape and structure. Topiary comes into its own in the garden, as can be witnessed at Great Dixter. Snow helps with hardiness at this time, providing insulation for the plants. Some plants, such as Euphorbia stygiana, an endangered species from the Azores, can grow in a sheltered, protected spot in the U.K. With the threat of climate change some plants may be endangered whilst other plants may be able to be grown. Many plants come into their own in the winter as they produce berries or show off their bark, tassels or scent e.g. Betula utilis ssp.albo-sinensis, Stachyurus praecox, Garrya elliptica and Sarcococca confusa. We were stimulated to see how many plants and shrubs could provide so much stature to the garden in winter. So many enchanting plants were mentioned that some of us will be looking to acquire something new and effective for our gardens in the winter.