In the winter garden, after the leaves fall, shoots of some shrubs appear in the foreground. While not as visible as the bright flowers, it is hard to miss the red, yellow-green, or almost black tones of the bark.They fill the garden with unusual, mysterious structures, making them stand out from other shrubs.Distinct colorful signs enliven gray flowerbeds, and even the green background of winter-hardy conifers adds charm to them.
White dogwood Cornus alba is an exceptionally picturesque shrub. The 'Kesselringii' variety has a very dark bark, while 'Sibirica' and 'Spaethii' are distinguished by bright red tones. Quite a rare form is 'Sibirica Variegata', which is decorated not only with colorful bark, but also with motley green and white leaves.The variety 'Argenteomarginata' wears a similarly colorful spring-summer robe, in the cold season, it draws attention with the showy purple bark of its shoots.
It is worth knowing that even severe frosts do not damage attractive shrubs.White dogwood comes from very cold regions of northern Russia and Siberia, and came to Europe in the mid-18th century, brought to London's Chelsea Physic Garden.Soon after the botanical garden in Frankfurt received one specimen of a shrub, which he gave the beginning of the cultivation of many attractive varieties.
Later, gardeners became interested in other species of the shrub. For example, the creeping dogwood Cornus sericea became the ancestor of the beautiful garden form "Flaviramea" with green-yellow bark, which satisfies our winter longing for fresh green in shades of algae.
Other species catch the eye on natural sites. During the winter walk, we will surely notice one-year-old dark red shoots of the native Cornus sanguinea dogwood, which are excellent material for wreath bases.Dogwood is a fast-growing shrub with extremely hardwood that was once used to make bows and handles for various tools.
In the garden, these natural dogwoods fit perfectly into mixed hedges, and the forms with variegated leaves are perfect for soloists.In May, delicate flowers gathered in small inflorescences develop on the shrubs.
From August, white or black fruits appear, and in the fall there is a spectacle of fiery colors of the leaves. Shrubs do well in sunny and semi-shaded places.Even the alkaline reaction of the substrate does not bother them, provided that it is permeable. Beautiful shrubs decorate the garden all year round. We have to wait a little longer for the next season, now we should be content with the colors of the shoots exposed in the fall.
