A very happy new year to you all. I hope 2026 brings you and yours health, happiness and good gardening weather! As with the England cricket team I am ever hopeful but not always rewarded in the way I would like, as last year’s weather and recent sporting events in Australia amply demonstrated! However, just in time some better news from Down Under and some nice, dry and sunny weather here! A good sign for 2026? Let’s hope so.
In my January 2021 blog I 2023was looking for any welcome signs that the garden was coming back to life which included early flowering bulbs, Hellebores and winter flowering shrubs especially the Mahonia, Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) and Christmas Box (Sarcococca) in our front garden. Also, in this blog I looked at a few ideas to provide interest in the winter garden including hedges, sculptures, colourful stems, seed heads and winter flowers plus there was a section as usual on jobs for the month. In addition, in January 2021 I wrote the first of two blogs on ‘Creating Garden Ponds’ which can still be found under ‘Gardening Tips’. In 2022 I started off with a plea for us all to look after arguably the greatest asset in any garden- the soil- which was followed by a description of the January garden at Aberglasney. In 2023 I highlighted two early flowering bulbs/tubers Galanthus (Snowdrop) and Eranthis (Winter Aconite), a shrub with colourful winter stems, Cornus and some winter flowering shrubs and a small tree including Sarcococca (Christmas Box), Lonicera fragrantissima and purpusii, Cornus mas, Chimonanthus praecox (Wintersweet) and Prunus x subhirtella (Winter flowering Cherry). This blog also contained a section, the first of twelve over the whole year, on plants which are good for one of our best friends in the garden- bees! In 2024 I opened with a section on the joys of a gardening year to come, both the reassurance of the cyclical nature of gardening and the anticipation of the differences that a new weather year will bring. I went on to look in detail at the use of Ivy in the garden as a follow-up to the December 2023 blog and ended with a section on making our gardens more weather resistant. Finally last year in 2025 I referred to an article by Val Bourne in the Daily Telegraph, November 2023, in which she recommended some excellent winter plants which included two hollies, a willow, Daphne, Witch Hazel and Cornus.
I think by now you are all aware that in these days of challenges to biodiversity I am always keen to encourage gardeners to garden with wildlife in mind. You will also have gleaned over the years of these blogs that I love my trees, both real sized and in bonsai form. So, you will not be surprised to see that I am going to start off the new year with a reference to an article from the RHS’s magazine ‘The Garden’ from November 2025- ‘Trees for Bees’- by Claire Nibblet a wildlife gardener based in Oxfordshire. The next two months are a good planting time (as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged) for trees both in containers and bare-root form (as it is also for shrubs, of course) and such trees can add a ‘high-rise’ dimension to bee-friendly planting and help these vital pollinators thrive. As gardeners we, of course, also benefit from their blossom, structural interest, fruit and, in many cases, autumn colour. From potted specimens to forest giants flowering trees can help to fill hungry gaps when little else is in flower and also pack a real punch in terms of nectar and pollen per square metre. As bee ecologist, Professor Dave Goulson, writes ‘we tend to think that the best bee habitats are flowery meadows but in fact the area of meadow that would fit under the canopy of a lime tree in flower would support far, far fewer bees!’ The UK has around 270 bee species both the social honeybees and bumblebees and around 250 solitary bees. Many are threatened by habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use and trees can definitely help to make a difference. So, if you are thinking about planting a tree or trees in the new year here are some suggestions from four experts, including Dave Goulson. His choices are firstly, Malus domestica, which includes any apple for fruit as well as crab apples, which are all very attractive to bees. For a large space he also suggests Tilia cordata, the small-leaved lime, which produces an extraordinary amount of nectar and which flowers in mid-June to July coinciding with the period of peak activity for social bee colonies. His third choice is Salix caprea, the Goat Willow, which flowers in March when a lot of bees are coming out of hibernation and are in real need of a good energy boost. He writes that if you only have room for one tree, male forms are best such as Salix caprea ‘Kilmarnock’ as they produce both nectar and pollen whereas females only produce nectar. Phil Stevenson, a professor of plant chemistry leads cutting-edge research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He starts his choices with Arbutus unedo, the Strawberry Tree, which is evergreen and flowers from September to November. Although there aren’t many bees around at this time it is particularly important for bumblebees as it is one of the few sources of nectar available before they hibernate. It is also a mediterranean species, tolerant of drought and heat so is well-adapted to our changing climate. His second is another willow, Salix cinerea (the Grey Willow) which supports several rare bee species which rely on its pollen as a food source. He writes that ‘people often think that wind-pollinated trees such as this are of no value to bees, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. They may not produce nectar but they do produce vast amounts of pollen in order to increase the chances of some of it reaching a flower of the same species’. His third suggestion is another lime, Tilia tomentosa (the Silver Lime), which produces masses of both nectar and pollen and also flowers into the summer when a lot of other trees begin to fade after what is usually described as the ‘May Flush’. It has also been identified that its nectar contains chemicals that are biologically active against the bee parasite, Crithidia bombi, so that when bumblebees feed on this they consume a natural medicine! Josie Stuart is an RHS entomologist and begins her suggestions with Prunus avium (the Wild Cherry) which because it blooms early in the year provides pollen and nectar for bees emerging from winter-dormancy. Research has shown that a single tree with a 25cm (10”) trunk diameter can carry up to 200,000 flowers producing about 170 gms of nectar per 24-hour period! Other Prunus species are also good for bees as our own Prunus ‘The Bride’ testifies in spring when it is literally humming with bees for several weeks. Her second suggestion is perhaps not an obvious choice for a flowering tree but it is actually a very efficient producer of both nectar and pollen- Acer platanoides, the Norway Maple. One study found that these trees yield up to ten times more pollen than Prunus species or annual or perennial urban meadows, so it really is a valuable tree for bees despite its seemingly rather insignificant flowers. In spring it has yellow, scented flowers and in autumn its leaves turn orange-red and gold. Her third choice is Pyrus communis, the Common Pear, which, like the apple, has lovely spring blossom which attracts a range of insects including honeybees and bumblebees. Finally, we come to the bee keeper and plant biologist, Barry Meatyard, whose first choice is a tree which is new to me, Tetradium daniellii (the bee-bee tree!). It eventually gets to about 15m (50ft) with a domed canopy and flowers conspicuously in July. Clusters of small white flowers are followed by bunches of pinkish-red fruits, a sure sign that pollinators have been at work. It is a magnet for honeybees, many types of bumblebee, solitary bees and hoverflies. His second choice in contrast is a very well-known tree, Crataegus monogyna, the Common Hawthorn. This flowers in May, earlier than his first choice, and benefits a cross-section of species including his own honeybees, many species of bumblebee, some that are quite rare, and some solitary bees. In addition, it has autumn berries for the birds so has double the value for wildlife. His third choice is Prunus domestica, the Common Plum, and especially the cultivar he has in his own garden, ‘Warwickshire Drooper’. This flowers in spring before the hawthorn and helps to give the succession of flowers which bee keepers aim for.
Just looking back at the twelve choices it is clear that between them, apples, pears, plums and cherries plus limes for larger gardens are ‘top’ trees when it comes to bees!
Over the winter ‘The Garden’ is running a series of articles by James Armitage profiling certain plants and their histories. In the December issue I was very pleased to see that the subject was a plant that I have mentioned several times in the last few months and one that in many ways is delightfully Christmassy- Mahonia x media ‘Charity’. In modern times the festive inflorescences of ‘Charity’ with their fragrant, lemon-yellow flowers are a familiar feature in many winter gardens. It sits well in woodland gardens or mixed with other shrubs with its upright habit and structure and holly-like, evergreen leaves. In really cold periods its leaves sometimes respond by taking on spectacular red and purple tones and following the flowers come waxy, blue berries.
In some ways though the history of the plant is even more interesting and is down in part to plain old good luck but also, as is true of many of our best garden plants, to the visionary, eternally optimistic horticultural alchemists who can spend years making various crosses, raising seedlings, selecting this one and rejecting that one, all in the pursuit of plant perfection! This story begins in Northern Ireland at the now closed Slieve Donard Nursery in County Down. It was established in 1904 by a rose grower named William Slinger who was succeeded by his son, Leslie, in 1946, the first hero in our story. The nursery soon gained a reputation for the innovative breeding of several genera and became a natural destination for plant enthusiasts visiting the area. In the early 1950’s, the second hero, John Russell of Richmond Nurseries in Sussex was one of these visitors and he spotted amongst all of the stock a large batch of young seedlings of Mahonia lomariifolia and he bought 100 of them to take back to Sussex. Meanwhile the third hero of our story, (Sir) Eric Savill, born of a family of estate agents and himself a chartered surveyor, had by his mid-thirties become involved in the management of the Windsor Crown Estate. In 1931 King George V endorsed Savill’s plan to turn 35 acres of oak woodland on the fringes of Windsor Great Park into a woodland garden. Savill worked on this along with his Head Gardener, Hope Findlay, our fourth hero!, and together they shaped and planted the area that is now known as the Savill Garden through the 1930’s and 40’s. Savill continued to oversee the development of the garden until his retirement in 1970, having been knighted for his efforts in 1955. It was in the early 1950’s that ‘luck’, our fifth hero, came into play. One day Savill and Findlay made the short journey from Windsor in Berkshire just across the border into Sussex to visit the nursery of John Russell who had been growing on his Mahonia seedlings for about two years. When they chanced upon the seedlings Savill and Findlay picked out three which seemed to be a little different. The charitable Russell (can you see now where this is going?) gave them the three seedlings free of charge which were then planted in the Saville garden back at Windsor. In 1957 the first flowers appeared and it became clear that at least one of the plants was a hybrid between Mahonia lomariifolia and M. japonica. Curiously, Leslie Slinger had tried to make this cross at his Slieve Donard nursery but without success. However, clearly a pollinator, presumably a bee, our sixth hero?, had done the work for him. So, a bee did the breeding but Savill and Findlay recognised the potential of the plant. They named it ‘Charity’ for obvious reasons and it became an instant success. Over the years further selections of what is now known as Mahonia x media have been given cultivar names including one which Leslie Slinger found amongst the remainder of his seedlings which he named ‘Winter Sun’- another superb plant with purplish new growth and a compact habit. To end the story, enter another horticultural ‘big-hitter’, Christopher Brickell. He had started with the RHS as an Assistant Botanist in 1955 and in 1985 became its first Director General. In an illustrious career he was also the founder of the conservation charity ‘Plant Heritage’ and will probably be best known to most gardeners as the editor of the RHS A-Z Encyclopaedia of Garden Plants. It was also he, in 1979, who provided the botanical name Mahonia x media for all hybrids between M. japonica and M. lomariifolia. So, between them, plant breeders, botanical experts and a busy bee created one of our best known and best loved winter shrubs and I for one will never look at Mahonia ‘Charity’ in quite the same way again!
To end this first blog of the new year I will refer to another article from the December 2025 issue of ‘The Garden’ in which the author considered twenty-five trends and talking points that defined 2025. From this long list I have picked out those that I found to be the most interesting. Evidently 2025 was a better year for butterflies, at least certainly much better than the previous year, thanks to the warm, dry spring and summer. However, not all species recorded increases and we gardeners can help in the future by using grey water to keep flowering plants hydrated in a dry period and growing caterpillar food plants- nettles, holly, ivy, cuckoo flower and long grass- to give egg-laying opportunities for as many butterflies as possible. During 2025, ‘composting’ became one of the most talked about topics across RHS members which is a sign that more and more people are not only making their homemade composts and leaf mould but also using them not just as mulch and soil improvers but also in mixes with garden soil (30% compost to 70% soil is a recommended mix) to make their own potting compost. Another great trend in my view came in a report from the RHS which suggested that 80% of gardeners reported that they were no longer using pesticides and weedkillers, thus protecting our soils, waterways and wildlife at every rung of the food chain. As a former geography teacher I was also intrigued by a section which highlighted the shift from the traditional North/South divide in the UK based on temperatures to the newer West/East divide based on rainfall. The dividing line is roughly from the south coast around Lyme Bay, through the mouth of the River Severn to Teeside in the North East. To the east of this line the highest temperatures of over 30 Celsius and lower rainfall totals are certainly impacting gardens in that zone in contrast to areas in the west which are more affected by, at times, too much rainfall providing gardeners there with a different problem. This has meant that gardeners have had to become smarter about water- storing rainfall for use in drier periods and also improving drainage and choosing different plants for those areas and times with an excess of rainfall. 2025 was a good year for the ‘heat lovers’- Canna, Cleome. Cosmos, Diascia, Helichrysum, Nemesia, Nicotiana, Tithonia and Zinnia but not so good for Dahlia, Fuchsia and Nasturtium, for example, that didn’t come into their own until the cooler, showery autumn weather arrived. With more weather extremes expected selecting the right plants for the right places will become ever more important- lightly shaded areas for plants which are not keen on the unrelenting glare of the sun and reserving such open areas for the real sun lovers with their fiery colours. Last year for many was also a good year for Roses which prefer hotter, drier weather than the UK usually has. They root deeply and UK droughts seldom do them any real harm. Last year they also flowered early so the first flush largely escaped the heat damage and although the life of the later flowers may have been shortened by hot spells, on the whole repeat-flowering roses continued to produce flowers over a long period. Hydrangeas, on the other hand, being woodland plants and preferring some shade did less well. Even ours this far west suffered some heat-shrivelled flowers and were not at their best. One trend which the RHS gleaned from its annual members survey was that more and more of us are retaining prunings, clippings, trimmings and dead wood for use in the garden through ‘clip and drop’ and ‘dead hedges’ helping to support soil health as well as a range of invertebrates and fungi. Talking about invertebrates, Aphids seem to have a wonderful 2025 beginning with the warm weather in April and I’m sure that all of were rather worried about what was to come, particularly as they were affecting plants such as Buddleja which they are not normally attracted to. This all peaked in June when the RHS were flooded with reports of aphid infestations but then, as often happens, the plague just fizzled out and life in the beds and borders returned to normal and, in the vast majority of cases, without the use of chemical sprays. As the climate changes we may well see more aphids and other pests in the future but if 2025 has taught us anything it is that holding our nerve and having the patience to rely on all the aphid predators from ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies and blue tits and not to rely on chemicals is the gardener’s best weapon!
Well, that is all for this month but I will be back in February with some more thoughts and ideas that you might like to try in your own gardens.
Until then, keep well and enjoy your January gardens and making plans for the year ahead.
Keith.