Late in the year little surprises appear in the garden to stop you in your tracks. These are often out of season flowerings but beauty can also be found in the way plants gracefully fade away at the year’s end. Piet Oudolf reckons that to be a good garden worthy plant, a plant must die beautifully. When you visit any of the gardens designed by him in the winter you can identify with his idea and he is excellent at using such plants.
These little sparkling garden gems were brightly coloured a few weeks back with cerise and metallic blue colouring but they remain beautiful in their new winter colours. It is the shrub called Clerodendrum trichotomum var. fargesii. Ugly name but beautiful plant!


