Gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh has urged gardeners to think beyond summer and create a year-round spectacle using topiary and evergreens. Drawing inspiration from the late Christopher Lloyd's Great Dixter in Sussex, Titchmarsh highlights how structural elements like yew hedges and clipped shapes provide interest when flowers fade.
Speaking in his latest column, Titchmarsh notes that many people neglect their gardens in winter, settling for browned-off borders and bare twigs. He advocates for a framework of evergreens, such as box edgings or topiary spheres, which can transform a lawn or patio. 'A trio of clipped evergreen topiary can make an area of lawn instantly more interesting,' he writes.
Practical tips include cutting a peephole through a hedge for views, adding potted topiary to patios, or creating a small knot garden with low clipped evergreens. Titchmarsh recommends planting box in April when the soil warms, but notes that many effects can be achieved immediately with existing plants.
For those starting from scratch, he suggests planning on squared paper, creating a journey through the garden with meandering paths and hidden features. Even tiny gardens can be enhanced with a classical container or statue. 'Don't write off your patch in winter,' Titchmarsh concludes. 'Think about structure and you'll discover your inner secret garden.'
