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Living North Gardening Feature

I am now a regular contributor to the Living North magazine, writing a monthly article about the plants for the season.

Gardening Lectures

Vanessa Cook

My latest article “Reflecting in the Garden” is now available on-line: Here is a little taster for you:

“I am writing this in my warm office looking out at a cold bright winter’s day and noticing how important the foliage is in the garden at the moment. The fastigiate golden beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Gold’), walking like soldiers down our avenue, are covered with brown leaves rustling in the wind and the evergreen shrubs come into their own as soon as other plants disappear or lose their leaves.

There are several shrubs that flower in the winter and keep their foliage. One genus I could not live without are the Sarcococcas or Sweet Box. The leaves are glossy and dark green and they flower from December onwards. The flowers have an incredible vanilla scent – I have this beside the path I use every day and when in flower the entire courtyard smells delicious. I would have one of these plants in my garden where ever I lived.”

You can read the rest of the article here

http://www.livingnorth.com/yorkshire/gardening/reflecting-garden