The Garden in Winter - What do you do?

I thought your "Armistad" was "Phyllis' Fancy" @JennyJB .
I could see blue/white flowers . I used to have that variety and thought it was very pretty.

 

The Amistad is behind Phyllis!
I do like Phyllis but she's always late to get going and not at her best until mid-September most years. Amistad flowers earlier while Phyllis is still thinking about it.

 

Do your salvias overwinter in the border @JennyJB? (I got Amistad and Phyllis confused too!)

 

Yes, they do. It's one of the benefits of sandy soil - they never sit in standing water, which helps if there's a freeze. I leave the top growth on until spring too because it helps to protect the crowns. I also have lots in pots which remain outside, mostly up against the house for the winter. I have occasionally lost one but not often.

 

That’s really helpful @JennyJB, thank you. I’ll do the same this year with Amistad and see how it fares.

 

I do take cuttings occasionally as insurance. I have just taken some of Phyllis (rather late but they're indoors on a propagator base ) because I only have the one plant in the garden. There are (I think) five Amistad in various places so I would be unlucky if they all died. And it's a more common variety, easy to get hold of if I do lose them all.

 

What do I do in the garden in the winter?
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Something like this......

 

Fortunately we don't have to do anything ... and it is our supposed "rain seasom" and we can be quite colourful with Poimsettia, Brugmansia and Tecomaria blooming and of course everything evergreen.

 

My dreams of an all-year-round attractive garden soon got dashed. Evergreens suffer here and I lost loads before giving in and sticking to the few species that thrive. I've never subscribed to the 'Oh isn't frost pretty on old stems and seedheads' school of gardening. 99% of the time it's wet and grey and the borders would just look a complete mess. ideally, I'd cut down perennials and give the borders a thick mulch of sterile compost, but it generally takes me all winter just to do the main border The 'yellow' border is undoubtedly the star in winter, with Eleagnus 'Limelight', a cream-striped Phormium, Sarcococca, Camellias, Acers, Cornus 'Midwinter Fire' and Hedera 'Glacier' + Lysimachia Creeping Jenny for ground cover. It fair glows even on the gloomiest day.
Winter activity is mainly confined to pottering in the temporary conservatory, safe on a level, hard surface. After landing on my rear end every winter on the clay-ey slope and on one memorable occasion breaking a rib, any descent to have a look at stuff is made with a pair of ski-sticks

 

Over the last few years I have tried to incorporate as many plants as possible that either flower or look good in winter. Some of mine are:- winter flowering honeysuckle, a winter flowering clematis, sarcococca, variegated holly, a dwarf blue holly, various grasses, lots of hellebores, cornus sibirica, Daphne, euronymus, the green/gold and green/cream ones. A special favourite is Algerian Iris, a very delicate looking blue iris in the midst of sword like leaves. Some of my roses are still in flower at the end of November. Another good 'doer' in winter is Osmanthus 'Goshiki, a slow growing holly like bush with green/cream/pinkish leaves. I love small bulbs which flower early in the year as well - must get some more!

 

Not keen on the winter garden, I just spend my time pruning and squelching, Oh how I hate winter.
I get less depressed about it after the new year, but not sure why, maybe its because I know that whatever the weather throws at us it cant stop the days getting longer, from now till the new year is the worst time of year for me.

 

Love your winter view.

 

Bung Bob in kennels, get yourself a passport and take off for somewhere like Madeira or Tenerife, Spain or Portugal! Think of the fun you could have with botanic gardens!

 

I’m with you there @pete, I hate the gloom of winter until the new year but if the garden can add some cheer, that helps.

 

Likely because Sunrise is earlier from around 30Dec....