It’s been a pretty mild and grey winter (until this week, more on that later) but brightening up a corner of the garden has been this beautiful Cornus Alba, red dogwood. 

  
It’s actually visible from the kitchen window which is important when you don’t particularly want to go outside. This is one of those plants that if I didn’t have already, I’d have planted when we moved in. 

The red stems are very decorative and last for ages in a vase. 

  
They have the additional advantage that bringing them into the warm allows them to start shooting their beautiful bright green leaves early. And even, if you’re lucky, the beautiful white flowers that give them the Latin name Alba. 

  
In other words, it’s a perfect winter plant. 

They need cutting back in Spring to ensure a good sheaf of fresh shoots over the summer for that midwinter show….