Sarcococca ruscifolia

After my existential crisis re the bare state of my winter garden a few weeks ago, I have accepted the fact that my garden is always going to be relatively grim at this time of year. My thoughts have now been turning to some compact evergreen shrubs that I can add in to improve the situation a little next winter. The sort of plant I am interested in is one that holds its shape all year round, rather than looking wan or ratty in the colder months like many of my warm-climate summer- and autumn-flowering shrubs do! It's a balancing act because such faithful workhorses don't have the pizazz and excitement of the warm-climate ones that quickly regrow each spring after being cut back hard in late winter, or the exuberance and drama of the herbaceous plants such as Dahlia and Canna as they emerge in spring and build up impressive and long-flowering clumps.

I already have some of these small evergreen shrubs in the garden, so I am thinking of adding more of these to the sparsest winter areas. Most of them need very little attention and just gradually mature over time to become a gratifying presence - and some even have the bonus of flowers! I do love camellias and have quite a few of the tall shrubby ones adding their gorgeous blooms to the garden but now I am hankering after the compact hybrid one known as 'Baby Bear' (ht 1 m), which has single, light pink blooms in winter and could fill a gap delightfully in part shade. There are also some low-growing Camellia sasanqua from the 'Paradise' range, such as 'Paradise Little Liane' (ht 1.2-1.5 m, white flowers), which will grow in sun or part shade and bloom in autumn.

Daphne odora

Daphne odora

Evergreen Daphne odora (ht 1m) opens its exquisite posies of waxy pale pink or white flowers from rosy buds all along its evergreen stems in winter in Sydney. It is best in part shade, in a very well-drained position. I grew it for many years till mine finally succumbed to root rot, but I feel it's time to get another one to fill a gap as well as to provide winter blooms - a win-win choice like 'Baby Bear'!

Rhaphiolepis x delacourii Springtime

Rhaphiolepis x delacourii Springtime

Shrubby Rhaphiolepis indica (sometimes known as Indian hawthorn) has glossy evergreen leaves and panicles of pink or white, lightly scented, star-shaped flowers in early spring, followed by dark-coloured berries. Compact cultivars of the shrub include' Cosmic White' (ht 1.5-2 m), 'Cosmic Pink' (large pink blooms, ht 80 cm) and 'Snow Maiden' (white flowers, ht 1 m). There are also various other species and crosses, including Rhaphiolepis x delacouri 'Springtime' (1-1.5 m), a neat cultivar with pale pink star-shaped flowers. Rhaphiolepis grows easily in a sunny position (though can also tolerate part-shade, where its habit will be more open and the flowering less profuse) and is not troubled by any pests or diseases.

Ruscus hypoglossum

Ruscus hypoglossum

Sarcococca ruscifolia (pictured at the start of the blog) is compact evergreen shrub that grows only to about 1 m in height and width, spreading slowly by suckers but never to the point of being invasive. It has tiny, white, scented flowers in winter. It will grow in shade: heavy, part or dappled, and even nasty dry shade. Its shiny, pointed leaves are very reminiscent of the tough, shade-tolerant foliage shrub Ruscus hypoglossum (ht 45 cm), sometimes known as the insect plant, because of its strange flowers on its 'leaves' - actually stems - which do look just like little bugs, and indeed the species name of this Sarcococca references this connection. I like growing the two plants side by side in a difficult shaded position as they just seem to look so right together and are about the same height. Both can grow to wide, low-maintenance forms. Neither plant needs any attention at all, but I do try to keep them well mulched and provide some water in hard times.

Massed dwarf Nandina in the Japanese Garden, Auburn Botanic Gardens

Massed dwarf Nandina in the Japanese Garden, Auburn Botanic Gardens

I used to be snooty about Nandina domestica 'Nana' (ht 45 cm, dwarf sacred bamboo), but nowadays I can appreciate its many assets. It is a tough plant, which can put up with very hot, dry situations as well as part-shaded spots. It forms a neat round shape to about 45 cm in height with vaguely bamboo-like foliage, although it is no relation to the real bamboo. The best feature to my mind is that these leaves take on pretty red, orange and even purple tints in autumn, and because it doesn't lose its leaves, these remain decorative all through winter. The foliage colour is developed best when the plants are grown in a hot, dry spot. In spring, it has very attractive lime-green new growth. There are some interesting cultivars available these days, including 'Lemon Lime' (ht 70-90 cm), which has bright-yellow new leaves fading to lime green as they age.

Westringea fruticosa

Westringea fruticosa

Amongst native shrubs, compact cultivars of coastal rosemary, Westringea fruticosa are good candidates for a permanent presence. The basic species has tiny grey-green leaves and small white flowers from spring to autumn. The grey-leaved cultivar 'Grey Box' grows 30-45 cm tall and as wide. Frost and drought tolerant, Westringea can grow in sun or light shade, and it can be clipped one to three times a year for a formal shape, or else left unpruned for a looser look. There are some low-growing lilly pillys around these days too, which could provide useful permanent greenery, such as Syzygium australe 'Tiny Trev', growing to 75 cm, with attractive shiny green leaves.

I plan to use some of these as single specimens in my garden but most of them can also be used as effective low hedges or massed as a sort of tall groundcover under trees. I would love to hear of other plant suggestions!