Today 
When the leaves have all fallen, brightly-coloured dogwood stems bring life to a fading garden. This variety has lime-green bark but you can also find red- and yellow-stemmed options. Snowdrops and lilyturfs set off the vivacity of the cornus's stem colour with a striking monotone contrast.
Plant it:
September
At its best:
November - February
Takes just:
20 minutes
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Position the container where you need winter interest, and place a layer of crocks at the bottom, then three-quarters fill it with compost.
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Plant the dogwood in the centre of the container, to the same depth in the new compost as it was in its previous pot. Then encircle it with snowdrop bulbs, planting them three to four times their depth.
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Spread the lilyturf plants evenly around the pot's edge, placing them so their leaves tumble over the side. Fill the container with compost, to within 5cm of the rim, firming around the plants with your fingers to squeeze out any air pockets. If you plan to keep the plants in the container for longer than six months, use a slow-release granular feed to nourish them.
"Snowdrops are usually best planted while in growth, but there's no problem with planting them as dry bulbs in autumn. "
"To encourage the brightest-coloured dogwood stems, cut all the shoots back to a few buds from the base in late-winter."
