November Digital Sampler

WORDS: MELISSA MABBITT. PHOTOS: GAP, ALAMY, SHUTTERSTOCK,
LIVING4MEDIA, FLORA PRESS
EVERYTHING YOU NEED
TO KNOW ABOUT…
Beautyberry
Grow this easy shrub for purple and white PEARLS OF
GLORIOUS COLOUR that last long into winter
Berries become brilliant this month,
covering trees and bushes in colourful,
shining beads that announce the
arrival of winter. Red berries, found
on hollies and cotoneaster bushes, are the
traditional favourite, but if you fancy growing
something more modern and eye-catching,
you can’t do better than a beautyberry. This
gorgeous shrub really lives up to its name,
with bunches of berries hanging along its
bare stems like bright pearls.
They have a deep metallic shine or flat
lacquered glossiness, depending on which
variety you grow. Birds will eat them only
after they’ve exhausted all other supplies,
so they usually last into late winter, much
longer than holly berries. They are brilliant
for creating a striking statement at the back
of a flowerbed when the flowers in front have
died down, especially if your fence is a strong
pale or dark colour that will show up the rich
colour of the berries.
You can also grow them in pots and move
them next to your front door to show off
during autumn when they’re at their best.
They look vibrant when they’re allowed to
branch out of large containers filled with other
smaller but bright autumn plants such as
purple cyclamen and ornamental cabbages.
Beautyberries grow to about 2 metres
tall but only 1.5 metres wide, and this neat,
upright shape makes them one of the easier
shrubs to accommodate in your garden.
The easiest to find is ‘Profusion’. This variety
has the most berries, which are held in thick
clusters like purple pom poms
spaced along its stems every few
centimetres. Their rich plum
colour contrasts with the leaves,
which turn golden and pinkish in
autumn, then drop away to leave
the glowing purple beads.
Add a
touch of
loveliness
3 of the best for bright colour
CALLICARPA JAPONICA
‘LEUCOCARPA’
Shorter than most at 1.5m with large
white berries. £15 burncoose.co.uk
BRIGHT AND
GLEAMING
berries look good
enough to display
in a bowl or jar,
here topped with
hydrangea florets.
CALLICARPA ‘SELECTIE
VAN DEN BROEK’
A variety with deeper purple
berries. £24.99 larchcottage.co.uk
CALLICARPA
KWANGTUNGENSIS
An unusual one with pale pink
berries. £36.99 larchcottage.co.uk
68 MODERN GARDENS NOVEMBER 2017