We all spend time decorating the house for Christmas, choosing a theme to decorate with can equally apply to the garden, with the added bonus that the winter colour will reappear next year. And you can always tweak it if you feel like updating the colour scheme. John Lewis are one of the trend setters when it comes to Christmas decoration and this year have chosen the theme of the British Landscape. Chosen unsurprisingly as we have all been spending a lot of time outdoors over the past year. The themes cover a wide range of landscapes from the Scottish Highlands to Urban Living, the sun rising over the coast and even the virtual landscape of Technicolour Supernature.

Frost covered seed heads

The Snow Mountain Theme

The first of these themes is Snow Mountain, based on the Scottish Highlands, think lots of silver and icy blues, lots of sparkles and twinkling lights with a large splash of Scandi simplicity. There are plenty of snowy whites in a winter garden, ranging from shrubs, to perennials and smaller plants ideal for under planting or adding to pots. The dainty flowers of Viburnum tinus ‘French White’ has dark green leaves that make the perfect backdrop to show off summer flowering plants.

Viburnum tinus ‘French White’

Starting with the shrubs

Many winter flowering shrubs are scented too, winter flowering honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima or Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’) blooms on the bare branches, making the flowers the star of the show. Usually grown as a shrub but it can be trained as a climber against a fence or round a seating area, which is what I’ve done with a couple of them. The traditional Christmas box is a smaller flowering shrub, perfect for small spaces or to grow in a pot by the door, whether choosing the more well known Sarcococca confusa or one of the purple stemmed varieties, maybe the compact Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Winter Gem’.

Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’

Moving down to the smaller plants

Hellebores are the quintessential winter plant, many of which have white flowers from the Christmas rose of Helleborus niger or one of my favourites with its compact nature Helleborus ‘Verboom Beauty’. Some of them I love for the names alone Helleborus niger ‘Christmas Carol’ and the dark stemmed Helleborus ‘Cinnamon Snow’ (this one flowers in January but would carry on the white flowers through late winter). To cover up bare patches soil, particularly under deciduous shrubs the tiny velvet flowers of Cyclamen are ideal starting with Cyclamen hederifolium start flowering in October and then Cyclamen coum take over from around December/January time. Both cyclamen come in white varieties Cyclamen hederifolium var. hederifolium f. albiflorum and Cyclamen coum subsp. coum f. pallidum ‘Album’.

Helleborus niger

To add a hint of blue the tiny Iris reticulata are perfect, Frozen Planet is predominantly white with pale blue tips and Painted Lady has splashes of blue along the white petals. Alida is a pale to mid blue and Harmony an inky sky blue, whichever you prefer they all fit in with the Snow Mountain theme or why not have a few of each, after all they don’t take up space. To add that instant hit of colour bedding plants in the form of violas, ideal in pots as you catch that glimpse of colour through a window or door, Viola ‘Vibrante has blue and white petals or the simple white Viola ‘Vibrante White Blotch’.

Iris reticulata

Adding the Sparkle

To add the sparkly element outdoor lighting will help, adding an uplighter to a tree, interesting shrub or piece of sculpture will create a view from the house on a dark winter’s evening and extend the use of the outdoor space in summer. Or perhaps some festoon lighting wrapped around the bare branches of a tree or topiary by the front door. This would fit right in with a trend that popped up last year and fits in with Snow Mountain of Door-scaping, adding garlands and generally making the entrance inviting.

Christmas lights outside RHS Wisley

About the Author

Camilla Grayley is a garden designer based in York, mainly working in and around Yorkshire but has travelled up and down the UK to design gardens and is always happy to travel to help clients with their gardens. I love creating gardens with strong architectural outlines softened by voluminous planting that draws on year round interest, ensuring there is something to capture the eye whatever the season. Gardens should always evoke all the senses from the colour palette on the eye, to the rustling of plants swaying in the wind to the amazing perfumes that can be inhaled, whether on a summer’s evening or the depth of winter.

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