A plant makes a great gift. It’s sustainable, great for wildlife, and has a longevity that makes it a really meaningful present.
We’ve chosen some that we think would make a particularly wonderful present at Christmas.
- Camellia ‘ Yuletide’ – Top of the pile would be this choice autumn flowering camellia, with neat vivid red flowers with yellow stamens that starts flowering in November and carries on all over Christmas. It is a sasanqua camellia so needs a sunnier spot than others and is happiest on a south west wall. And before Elaine starts bleating that it wouldn’t do in her chalky soils, it is also perfectly happy in a pot.
2. Cornus ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’ – I have grown (and loved) C. sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ for many years but the newer cultivar ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’ is even more striking and rather unexpectedly, given its name, has winter stems of the deepest glowing cerise. Again, you could grow it in a big pot, but I have recently planted mine out in front of a low-growing, soft leaved cistus and the grass Miscanthus ‘Yakushima Dwarf’ to create a satisfying winter cameo.
3. Helleborus ‘Anna’s Red’ – Some of the newer hellebore hybrids are quite muscular, but this one is inarguably in a class of its own. Its finely defined sepals, almost wax-like in the same way as magnolia blooms, and their deep maroon colour, put it in the ‘outstanding’ bracket.
Named after plantswoman Anna Pavord and bred by Rodney Davey, this is the first red flowering hellebore with marbled foliage. It produces masses of flowers from late winter, each of them larger than average. As winter recedes you’ll be overjoyed by this very classy plant.
It’s happiest in partial shade.
4. Clematis urophylla ‘Winter Beauty’ – All of the filigree-leaved winter-flowering clematis are lovely, but this one is really special with its pretty creamy-white bells summing up the winter. It’s perfect in a sunny border to add some extra height. It might appreciate a little shelter for winter protection, making it ideal for a conservatory or greenhouse.
‘Old man’s beard’ as it is also known, loves climbing, so perfect for someone who might want to cover an obelisk, climbing frame, wire or structure. Height: 4m (13′). Spread: 1.2m (4′).
5. Grape-vine. Perhaps a rather more whimsical suggestion, but how about a grape-vine for a wine-lover? We’re big fans of ‘Siguerrebe’ with its dessert-wine flavoured grapes, but there are lots of great varieties suitable for growing in a sunny site in the UK. Check out ‘Interlaken’, Boskoop Glory (easy to grow, hardier for Northern gardens than most, and lovely foliage in autumn) or Muscat Hamburg.
7. Rose. Roses are the UK’s most popular plant and for good reason. Generous with their flowers, often highly scented and repeat flowerers, they’re a gift that lasts a lifetime. ‘Bare-rooted’ plants in winter are less expensive than potted plants available in summer.
Catherine’s Rose from Harkness Roses – endorsed by HRH the Princess of Wales. This is a repeat flowering bush rose with coral pink flowers carrying a rich scent. £5 from each sale will go to the Royal Marsden Hospital’s cancer campaign.
We’ve picked three fabulous options here:
Bonica is a real The3Growbags favourite for good reason. It’s a compact bush rose that’s literally smothered in blooms from June right up to December. French in origin, it’s small but mighty and the profusion of its absolutely charming pink flowers will amaze its owner and their neighbours!
Rhapsody in blue – delivering wonderfully rich purply/blue blooms, this upright, bush rose will keep flowering month after month with wonderfully scented blooms.
8. Sunflower seeds. In amongst the high-tech of a modern child’s festive haul, why not include a little horticulture? Websites like littlepals.co.uk sell appealing and colourful packs of seeds, pots etc. for a budding gardener. Or just pop some packets of easy seeds like sunflowers, mustard and cress or tomatoes into their Christmas stocking? Who knows what green fingers you may inspire?
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