Winter Garden - Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt

A couple of years ago I planned a Winter Garden. I knew Cornus abla Sibirica was a good choice so bought a few from different places as I shopped. One variety has been absolutely outstanding this autumn: Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt!

Here's a photo of part of it. I'm afraid I didn't get a good photo of the whole shrub in full glory but I think this gives you a good idea what a fantastic plant it is. I just ordered 15 more to replace some I didn't like so much.

Oh, why did I put it in this section? Because it is so, so easy to propagate. Just cut up the stems into 20cm lengths, cut the bottom, bellow a leaf node flat and the top above a leaf node sloping down away from the bud so you don't forget which way up they go. Plunge them into a trench 15 cm deep or so with sharp sand in the bottom and wait for them to grow. You can do it anytime from no until March. I only bought more because I want to enjoy the crimson stems over the winter. Alternatively you can stool them. Mound up some saw dust or sharp sand around the bottom of each stem and the following winter you can gently scrape away the mound and cut free your rooted new plants.

They have the added bonus of flowers and fruit for the birds if you let them grow into a shrub or hedge. But I'll be cutting them down to 15 cm above ground each spring so as to enjoy the full glory of the stems in winter.

 

I cut my Cornus plants down (to stool them) in the Spring and use them as "pea sticks" in the vegetable patch ... and most of them root!