Marlene Dietrich suited her movie era. marlene-dietrichThe highlights and shadows of monochrome did wonders for her face; all architectural angles and arches. In the same way, many plants that show off their best when dusted with snow. Their sharp lines or textured qualities zing, or their unexpected winter colour glows.

Snow has the same effect as black & white movies.. it focuses your eye on shapes and forms, rather than the jumbled greenness we often lazily take in. If you want to check if your garden has enough architectural interest, take a black & white photo of it in mid-summer. Are there enough columns, spikes or domes amongst that fluffy foliage? And come winter, will there be enough leaf, bark or berry to see you handsomely through to spring?

Here are a few winter wonders I spotted today:

winter hamamelis

Hamamelis

winter evergreen olive

Olive

winter seedhead hydrangea

Hydrangea seedheads

winter evergreen mahonia

Mahonia

winter seedhead chusan palm

Chusan palm

winter tree
winter cornus

Cornus sibirica

winter grasses

Phormium, Miscanthus, Stipa arundinacea

winter hydrangea
winter evergreen berries
winter evergreen interest
winter evergreen rosemary

Rosemary

winter pollarded tree
winter evergreen privet
winter evergreen Garrya elliptica

Garrya elliptica

winter skeleton
winter bamboo

Phyllostachys aurea

winter evergreen Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Variegatum'

Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Variegatum'

winter evergreen jasminum nudiflorum

Jasminum nudiflorum

winter interest rosehips

Rosehips

winter hamamelis thumbnail
winter evergreen olive thumbnail
winter seedhead hydrangea thumbnail
winter evergreen mahonia  thumbnail
winter seedhead chusan palm thumbnail
winter tree  thumbnail
winter cornus thumbnail
winter grasses thumbnail
winter hydrangea thumbnail
winter evergreen berries thumbnail
winter evergreen interest thumbnail
winter evergreen rosemary thumbnail
winter pollarded tree  thumbnail
winter evergreen privet thumbnail
winter evergreen Garrya elliptica thumbnail
winter skeleton thumbnail
winter bamboo thumbnail
winter evergreen Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Variegatum' thumbnail
winter evergreen jasminum nudiflorum 2 thumbnail
winter interest rosehips thumbnail