For more ideas for adding vivid drama against gray skies, see our Garden Design 101 guides, especially Red Twig Dogwood 101 and Shrubs 101. Above: Pollarded cornus around the lake at Wisley.Īfter pollarded shrubs are returned to stubby trunks in March or April, they soon will be disguised by summer perennials and grasses.Ī colorful winter landscape is every garden’s birthright. Older specimens, like those growing around the lake at Wisley (as seen below), may have a single trunk that thickens over the years. After young plants have been left alone for their first two or three years, they can be pollarded by cutting back the main branches to two or three feet above the ground. Plant red twig dogwood en masse to draw the eye (past the molehills) toward a horizon of color.Īnother option for pruning a dogwood, that is often seen with willow, is pollarding. A Horizon of Color Above: A distant fire. Growing them around a pond has the advantage of allowing them to be seen easily, with their reflection an added bonus.Ībove: Layer after layer of drama, texture and color, in Surrey. Shrubby dogwoods are so tolerant of wet that they make good bog plants. Dogwood ‘Bud’s Yellow’ Above: Dogwood ‘Bud’s Yellow’. This kind of outrageous color is rarely seen in winter, and it is a sign that the Cornus sericea shown here has been kept sufficiently moist throughout the year, with plenty of light. Above: You can edge a path with colorful mix-and-match cultivars to great effect. If you prune in late March or early April, new growth will be more clearly visible and you will not be faced with cutting back the stems in their prime. Reduce it (almost) to the base, ideally just above the first two buds. When it comes to pruning for color, you can coppice red stem dogwood in the same way as ghost bramble. With more hauteur than the warmer Cornus sanguinea, it is a dramatic partner for Rubus cockburnianus. Dogwood ‘Sibirica Ruby’ Above: Cornus alba ‘Sibirica Ruby’ is another vivid, solid red. Alternatively, if they are in good heart and good color, enjoy them for a bit longer.Ĥ. If you are renovating an old garden, approach outgrown blobs of shrubby dogwood, willow, or ghost bramble with a pair of loppers-this month. ![]() To forestall fading, you can take one of two approaches: Cut back the shrub to the ground every two to three years, or remove one quarter of a shrub’s stems every year (to avoid sacrificing its springtime flowers). Prune with Impunity Above: A red twig dogwood’s color loses luster over the years. One of the most astonishing reds is Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’, the Bloodtwig Dogwood which displays a palette of red with orange, on the same plant. ![]() It’s easy to appear this accomplished if you choose tried-and-tested performers in the Cornus family. People who plant for winter color are usually keen gardeners, and therefore optimists. Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ flaming away at the Royal Horticultural Society’s headquarters at Wisley. Dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’ Above: Burning bushes. Read on for our checklist of must-have cultivars (and see our guide to Red Twig Dogwood: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design for more tips for coaxing many seasons of brilliant color from your shrubs): When we visited the Royal Horticultural Society’s garden at Wisley in Surrey, we found three of our favorite colorful varieties of red twig dogwood, looking their best in winter. It could be that the shrubs are preparing for the next six months: in autumn and winter, they begin their extraordinary payback, with moody foliage followed by flaming stems. In summertime red twig dogwoods can look like space fillers, adding nothing but a bit of structure and not very interesting flowers. Icon - Check Mark A check mark for checkbox buttons. Icon - Twitter Twitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Pinterest Pinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - Instagram Instagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Facebook Facebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Email Used to indicate an emai action. Icon - Search Used to indicate a search action. Icon - Zoom In Used to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - Zoom Out Used to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Location Pin Used to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Dropdown Arrow Used to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Close Used to indicate a close action. Icon - Down Chevron Used to indicate a dropdown. ![]() Icon - Message The icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - External Link An icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - Arrow Right An icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Landscape Ideas: Blazing Color with Red Twig Dogwood, 5 Ways - Gardenista Icon - Arrow Left An icon we use to indicate a rightwards action.
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