An A-Z of 2024 in the garden: Dogwoods

Oh yes, I know that the cornus is a plant much maligned – especially the ones with variegated leaves. I’ve addressed this before and remain resolutely a dogwood devotee, a cornus connoisseur, albeit an amateur one. Even if they are often seen in car parks and on roundabouts, they continue to get my vote.

First, let me list this plant’s virtues. It’s tough and hardy, and seems to be disease resistant. If neglected it will grow from shrub to straggly tree, which can still look well in ‘shaggy’ areas. If tended it brings stunning interest all year round. It comes in a range of stem and leaf colours. It produces drifts of delicate creamy/white flower heads, followed by berries in late summer. It’s easy to grow from cuttings. If some of the plants in the Dumfriesshire Garden didn’t do too well in 2024, the dogwoods were as reliable as ever.

Here’s a short video of my favourite group of dogwoods, cornus alba, swaying gently in the breeze. Planted about seven years ago, they comprise an outer circle of the red, sanguinous form with a clump of green stems in the middle. For me, it’s one of the top garden treats of autumn.

Leafless, in winter and spring it also looks beautiful. The key is assiduous pruning before the new growth gets started each year. Here the contrasting green and red stems in the group look fabulous on a bright winter day.

This year, in this same circle, a lovely blow-in raised its head: a dog rose, in amongst the dogwoods.

Elsewhere in the arboretum field, I have a couple more dogwood circles. One, recently planted and grown from cuttings, has green on the outside and red on the inside. Planted by my grandchildren, it should look good in a few years from now. Another is a set of purple-black stemmed plants that circles round a holly oak. Underplanted with snow drops, it looks lovely in February.

Several years back I saw an episode of Gardener’s World in which the idea of juxtaposing green stemmed dogwoods with silver birch was suggested. I decided to have a go, and was not disappointed, as we see here. Note also how the stumps have become substantial masses as they bulk up in response to the yearly pruning.

To conclude this hymn of praise to the dogwood: they also look brilliant in a dead hedge, as you can see here.

The full list of pieces that make up my A-Z in the Dumfriesshire Garden in 2024 can be found here; https://davidgrahamclark.net/a-z-of-the-dumfriesshire-garden-in-2024/