Gardens A Glow

- Catherine Courtenay

DECEMBER’S short days and challenging weather conditions mean that many of us find ourselves closeted indoors, keeping warm and preparing for the festive season. For gardeners, this is the month to down tools, leave the garden to rest and turn to planning for next year.

However, in some of the county’s largest public gardens, teams have been hard at work, transforming the familiar outdoor settings into a completely new experience for visitors.

Once the autumn displays of natural colour changes have passed, it’s time for the magical effects of artificial light. Barely noticable during the day, carefully positioned lights are set up around these gardens and as darkness falls, they are switched on, illuminating trees and plants with a rainbow of colours. It creates a very different picture, but careful siting means the shapes of plants and texture of bark and leaf forms are thrown to the foreground.

If you think gardens are only for daylight hours, then think again, and be prepared to see the familiar in an entirely different light.

SEE HOW THE GARDEN GLOWS.

After the success of its first winter illuminations last year, RHS Garden Rosemoor has worked on extending the trail for 2017 to include more parts of the garden.