The Garden in Winter [Paperback]

Rosemary Verey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2002

This is a practical and inspirational guide to creating a garden that looks and feels good throughout the year, even when the frost bites and plants are enveloped in a mantle of snow. The great plantswoman Rosemary Verey shows how to use space, the patterns created by paths and walls, the shapes of shrubs, the shadows of evergreens and the silhouettes of trunks and twisted branches to make elegant pictures for the months when the garden is stripped of summer foliage and billowing flowers. She also introduces us to a world of brilliant winter colours - the delicate pinks and greens of hellebores, the rich crimson of holly and cotoneaster berries and the bright yellow of aconites and crocus.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers have come to expect great things from Verey ( The Englishwoman's Garden ; The American Woman's Garden ), and her new offering won't disappoint. "If our gardens are to be more than graves commemorating summer's beauty, we must start by using our eyes," she urges. Working with the express purpose of getting gardeners to look at "each tree or shrub as one thread in a twelve-month tapestry," Verey persuasively describes paths, vistas, corners and even planters that will bring winter's "extraordinary intensity" of color, its "architectural form," its characteristic clarity of pattern and its pungent scents to fruition in a season that most gardeners forget or despair of. Since she has consulted gardeners in this country, the author's British orientation is not limiting; her directory of 150 plants for winter gardens is zoned for our climates. Some species and hybrids are American natives, and many figure in her handsome full-color photographs. Verey's book is a delightful one to read by the fire or take along on a ramble through one's own backyard.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Stripped of summer foliage & flowers, the secret of the successful winter garden lies in its structure & basic design. The noted English plantswoman demonstrates how to create an elegant framework for visual interest even when the garden is enveloped by a mantle of snow. She suggests plants desirable for berries, bark, persistent foliage, or early flowering. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln (October 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0711220204
• ISBN-13: 978-0711220201
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,138,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lo, a rose er'e blooming....., October 21, 2001

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Garden in Winter (Paperback)

A number of years ago, I made my first trip to Europe during the off season--the colder months. The days are shorter, but the museums are less crowded, you can usually find a reasonable air fare, and the Europeans have returned to their cafes and pubs giving them an ambiance missing when too many tourists are about.

I enjoy photography, and I particularly like shooting architecture and gardens. I've taken plenty of shots when the foliage and flowers were in full bloom, but until I made my first trip to Amsterdam one December, I had never realized churches, cathedrals, and fine old houses and gardens have an entirely different look in winter. One can see and photograph the structures of buildings and the "bones" of gardens when foliage dies back. "Bones" of course are the underlying design of the garden beds, plus trellises, porticos, arbors, paths and pots. Not only can one see more of the archtecture of the garden in the middle of winter, but the well constucted garden is not dead. I came to understand what the European Christmas carol, "Lo, a rose er'e blooming" was about after a visit to a garden in the middle of winter--the Christmas rose is a type of Hellebore, and Hellebores can bloom all winter long.

But Hellebores are not the only interesting plant. As Rosemary Veery says in her book, THE GARDEN IN WINTER, some plants such as the Rosa chinensis, Viola, Bergenia, Anemone, and Cyclomen, bloom intermittenly throughout the winter, and there are "characteristic" winter-bloomers such as many types of bulbs, Camellias, Arbutus, and Buddleja.

Veery says beauty in the winter garden is not restricted to flowers. Plenty of trees, bushes, and grasses provide color, form, and texture thoughout the winter winter months, and some of them are stunning in a snowfall. Depending on your growing zone you may have Holly, Viburnum, Nandina, Pyracantha, and Barberry covered with berries for the birds. Many trees have beutiful bark that shows best in winter including Crepe Myrtle, Sycamore, Birches, and Red-Twig Dogwood (Cornus alba 'Siberica'). Other trees have interesting shapes that can only be appreciated when the foliage is spent, such as Harry Lauder's Walking Stick. And, there are grasses in every size, shape and texture, and ground covers that stay green or red or brown throughout the growing seasons.

Veery is one of the premiere gardeners in England, and although you may find some of her suggestions beyond your pocketbook or the space you have available (box topiary anyone??) you will find many interesting ideas and wonderful photographs that are sure to inspire you to begin thinking about gardening all year round. You might also be inspired to visit some of the gardens Veery pictures in her book, or other gardens closer to home in winter. My favorite is garden is Sissinghurst, one of the most beautiful sights around in the middle of winter or anytime of year.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, May 19, 2001

By 

Susan Taylor (Northumberland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Garden in Winter (Paperback)

Most gardeners put away their tools and forget about their gardens until Spring, especially those of us who live in snowy winter locations! But Rosemary Verey brilliantly shows that there's no reason to ignore winter as a flowering season. This book proves that every garden should have a winter corner to enjoy by showing us that there are so many treasures to brighten up the dreariest season. Beauty can be found in any weather! This book is also a lovely reminder of gardening in the UK.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite garden books: The Garden in Winter, December 21, 2006

By 

avid gardener (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Garden in Winter (Hardcover)

I bought this book in 1989 shortly after it was first published. I still read it and find it fresh and inspiring even now, 17 years later.