Winter walks at RHS Gardens

Gardens do not rest in the winter, and nor do gardeners. There is so much to gain from visiting a garden in the winter, not just for exercise in the colder, darker months, but also to gain valuable inspiration. Expert planting combinations created by horticulturists have been nurtured all year to provide spectacular displays right through the winter months.

RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire

The Winter Walk at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

One of the highlights at Harlow Carr is the Winter Walk, which begins near the entrance to the garden. This pays homage to plants that bring colour and texture to the winter garden.The vibrant stems of Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow), in colours ranging from bright yellow through to black, stand out against feathery conifers and clipped yew hedging, while the ghostly trunks of Betula utilis punctuate the borders and make great specimen trees all year round.

Many of the flowering shrubs along the Winter Walk are strongly scented, and their intoxicating fragrances often catch visitors’ attention before they notice the flowers. Sarcococca is one of the first plants to flower, with sweetly scented, delicate white blooms among dense evergreen foliage. Viburnum also offers delightful fragrance, while daphnes provide a succession of scents from Christmas to April.

From mid-February, Cyclamen coum and Eranthis (winter aconite) light up the walk at ground level, while November-flowering Galanthus elwesii ‘Mrs Macnamara’ is one of the earliest spring bulbs.

Other areas to visit: Alpine House, Woodland, Sandstone Rock Garden and Heather Beds.

RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex

Each year the team create amazing woven structures at RHS Garden Hyde Hall

The Winter Garden at Hyde Hall is filled with trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants and

These are fleshy, rounded, underground storage organs, usually sold and planted while dormant. Examples include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, onions and garlic. The term is often used to cover other underground storage organs, including corms, tubers and rhizomes.

RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey

Colourful winter stems on the Winter Walk at RHS Garden Wisley

The Wisley Winter Walk in Seven Acres offers a fantastic assortment of plants chosen for their winter colour, shape, structure and scent. Wrap up warm and follow the hard-surfaced pathways to discover what makes these winter gardens extra special.

Snakebark maples such as Acer davidii VIPER (‘Mindavi’) and Acer × conspicuum ‘Phoenix’ have intriguing ‘skin’, which contrasts with the glossy, rich red, flaky

Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants.

RHS Garden Rosemoor, North Devon

Striking colour from trees, shrubs and underplanting at RHS Garden Rosemoor

The Winter Garden at Rosemoor is having an exciting makeover, with the former model gardens being incorporated into the area, doubling its size. The existing planting will also be having a revamp but the area remains open throughout and continues to be a real crowd-pleaser, with its sparkling, white-barked birch trees, winter stems and scented shrubs.

• Read more about the new design and how you can help support this exciting development >

Equally stunning in winter is the Foliage Garden, which is packed with inspiration for making your gardens look fabulous all year round. The planting in this area is an exciting, visually vibrant mix of evergreen and

Deciduous refers to plants (mainly trees and shrubs) that lose their leaves seasonally, usually during autumn. This is a natural process triggered by the season's shorter days and lower temperatures and allows plants to conserve energy during the winter months.

RHS Garden Bridgewater, Salford

Head for warmth in the Paradise Garden glasshouses at RHS Garden Bridgewater

The Worsley Welcome Garden at Bridgewater has a tapestry of planting that continues to stand majestically through the frostiest of receptions. Large swathes of grasses and tough

Perennials are any plant living for at least three years. The term is also commonly used for herbaceous perennials which grow for many years (To compare: annual = one year, biennial = two years).

• There are also over 200 Partner Gardens to visit around the UK, and further afield. Search for your nearest garden >