Winter wonderland at Sir Harold Hillier's garden!

It may be mid winter, but there are still wonderful gardens to visit at this time of year! I dropped in at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum in Hampshire this week and during a very brief sunburst, took these photographs in the glorious winter garden. My heart lifted when I saw the array of colours - clever planting of dogwood (Cornus) - used all over Britain to give winter colour to gardens - because it gives such vibrant hues (above and below) when there is little else in bloom.

Just a brief ray of sunshine is enough to bring this wonderful garden alive, with all the multi-coloured Cornus stems ranging from green to yellow, orange and red and silvery evergreens in between. This garden is always a joy to visit, whatever the season, and every time I return, I'm amazed by what I find here. Also worth remembering is that annual membership here costs just £29.50, but includes entry to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, Wakehurst Place, the National Botanic Garden of Wales and the Birmingham Botanical Garden - so really worthwhile if you're passionate about gardens! 

Skilful planting leads to magnificent winter colour palettes here at Hillier - 180 acres of some of the finest plants and trees in the country - just outside Winchester and en route to the south coast. All the other gardens included in membership also have fine winter features. Kew, Birmingham and Wales have magnificent glass houses and you'll find the Millenium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place, so weather doesn't matter if you're visiting any of these!

Sir Harold Hillier was one of the greatest plantsmen of the 20th century - he travelled the world collecting plants and brought them back to England - he even sent plants home from his honeymoon! They were then planted at his home here near Romsey or, in the case of tender species, on the Isle of Wight, where he kept them in the kinder climate at Ventnor. Both gardens are run by local councils and are a fine example of public garden stewardship and making gardens work on a grand scale!

What's really noticeable at this time of year is that even winter has its blooms - look at the trees and you'll see the winter colours; look at the bark and you'll see wonderful patterns; look at the ground and you'll see the beginnings of spring! Just open your eyes and enjoy.

There is also an excellent nursery. I bought all the prunus I have in my garden from here a couple of years ago, having seen just what it can do to brighten up a winter patch. Other notable garden features are the Bog Garden, the Children's Garden (below), which encourages smaller people to appreciate plants and textures, while teaching them about how gardens work; the Ghurka Memorial Garden featuring plants from Nepal; and much, much more. My only regret is that I don't live closer so that I could visit more often!