the Ō taki Mail

Favourites of winter

Let’s have a shout-out for a band of reliable cold-weather stalwarts: the intrepid annuals that bravely splash their bright blooms into our chilly, grey (usually wet) days.

Pansies are an all-time winner. Despite advances, such as improved heat tolerance, they perform better in cooler months. They hate persistent, heavy rain, particularly the large flowered types, so a sheltered spot is best.

My favourites are violas – they have a special charm, with their smaller blooms, and they’re less prone to bending rain-battered heads. They also tend to have a neater and more compact growth habit.

Snapdragons ( Antirrhinum majus ) are an old-fashioned, cottage-garden type plant. Today they come in a wide selection of plant sizes and flower forms – tall types are ideal for sheltered borders, and great for picking. Dwarf varieties are great for instant colour, like ‘Tahiti’ which produces masses of short, dense spikes of flowers in numerous colours on a bushy 30cm tall plant. These look good mass planted, especially with pansies and spring bulbs.

For a medium height snapdragon ‘La Bella’ is an outstanding series, producing a profuse display of showy, fragrant spikes on dark green foliage. The plants reach about 55cm high, and the bright-coloured blooms are great for picking.

Fairy primroses (Primula malacoides) are delicate-looking annuals with tiny, single flowers above pale-green foliage, much like a miniature floral bouquet – maybe that’s why butterflies love them. They prefer moist, humus-rich soil, and look lovely growing in a rock garden or container.

BY VIVIENNE BAILEY viv.bailey@xtra.co.nz

Pot marigolds ( Calendula officinalis ) are easily grown annuals that produce bright-coloured flowers at a time when warm hues are particularly welcome. Different varieties vary in vigour, and in the colour and form of the bloom they produce (try adding petals to bread, biscuits and pikelet batter for a delicious orange hue). Dwarf varieties are useful for containers, and at the front of gardens. Taller types are less disease prone however and are useful as cut flowers – abundant self-sown seedlings will be a blessing – or perhaps a curse.

New variations of ever popular sweet-smelling alyssum ( Lobelia maritime ) continue to emerge. There’s a wide range of growth habits and an ever increasing selection of flower colours. ‘Easter Bonnet’ has a light, honey fragrance, and produces a mat-forming, clump of foliage, with hairy, lance-shaped leaves. Blooms are coloured lavender, violet and deep shades of rose and pink. Softening rock gardens and pathways, they can be sown in strips under fruit trees in orchards, and look pretty planted with pansies, sweet William and parsley in containers.

‘Snow Crystals’ is a vigorous, older alyssum, with a delicious scent. The dazzling, pure white flowers are produced on neat mounds – perfect as edging or ground cover. For more blooms keep the plant trimmed back. And don’t overlook the wide range of jewel-coloured polyanthus – a couple planted near the front door, either in a pot, or in the garden, provide a bright, welcoming note on chilling days – a great ‘cheer me up.’

Cold weather herbs

Basil and other heat-loving herbs die down over winter, but there are plenty of other herbs ready to harvest.

Hardy oregano (Origanun vulgare) loves full sun and good drainage and is a go to for pizzas, and spaghetti and tomato dishes (just remember the intensity of your herb will not be as strong in winter).

Plant oregano in raised beds or dig in plenty of horticultural grit and organic matter. Keep fertilisers to a minimum and trim plants after flowering to stop them getting straggly.

Drought- and frost-resistant, sage (Salvia officinalis) grows best in full sun and well-drained, limey soil (add lime to your soil if necessary).

The lower half of the plant stops producing leaves after a few years if pruning is neglected. To prevent this, trim the tops of the plant each spring to encourage bushy growth all over (when harvesting, snip off whole sprigs to promote development of further shoots).

Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris ) is one of my favourite herbs (for flavour, fragrance and flower). Like sage and oregano, it likes a sunny spot in free-draining soil – add horticultural grit or pumice to improve drainage if required. The plant has low fertiliser needs and is drought- and cold-hardy.

Rosemary is a stalwart for winter’s lamb roasts. In the garden the plant’s biggest threat is wet feet, so position your plants in light, sandy, free-draining soil in full sun. Plants are frost-hardy, but soggy soil in frosty locations is bad news. Prune plants by one-third in late winter or early spring to keep from going straggly. With the soup-and-stew season upon us, it’s time to savour chervil, a great herb for winter use, and one which deserves to be grown more widely. Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) enhances all basic winter standbys, such as casseroles, soups and stews, as well as some of our favourite cheese and egg dishes – it makes a great substitute for parsley in scrambled eggs.

Chervil is a winter annual, which grows to a height of 25–38cm, and is best sown in autumn as the weather starts to cool down. The long, thin black seeds resemble small arrows, and are best sown directly into the patch where they’re to grow. They can also be sown into trays, covered lightly with potting mix and seedlings pricked out two to three weeks later.

The herb has pretty, ferny-green leaves with dainty, white flowers, and likes a sunny spot with well-drained, light soil (although leaves will retain more flavour if grown in light shade). Foliage turns pink and white if growing conditions are too hot, and it will quickly run to seed. Although hardy, some protection (such as a cloche) may be needed during very cold spells.

As with parsley, harvest the young leaves for the best flavour. The tiny, delicate flowers, which taste of sweet aniseed, can also be eaten – try them as a garnish on salads and soups.