Surrey Homes | SH60 | October 2019 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Garden
stems – looking like the ghosts of their former selves.
Grasses come into their own in the autumn and winter.
Gilded by low light, most will continue to look lovely, easily
surviving the worst of the weather, bending and bowing in
the wind, but seldom wrecked or uprooted as other plants
might be. Calamagrostis ‘Carl Foerster’ stands tall like a golden
sentinel all through the winter, Miscanthus keep their feathery
plumes intact for many weeks, while low-growing Stipa
tenuissima will waft gently about at the front of the border.
Lower light levels can also mean that some areas of
the garden are in shade for more, or even all, of the day.
Shadows are longer, the days are shorter and gloomy
corners can feel like they are pressing in on us. There
are some cheery plants that thrive in shade, that will
lift a dull, dark area and bring interest to the darkest
of spaces. Variegated leaves or pale flowers will work
best, providing they can cope with the lack of light.
Light and colour
Playing with light effects is an interesting, rewarding and
ultimately uplifting process. Manipulation of light can
also be used effectively in planting choices to enhance the
natural effects, or even to counteract them. Colours change
dramatically in the light. Pastels and shades
of blue sing out in low light. These colours
also increase the feeling of space and light,
because pale shades recede, so that objects
seem further away. Conversely, stronger,
brighter colours advance and seem closer and
more intimate. Deep colours stand out well
in sunny conditions where lighter colours
would appear washed-out and insipid.
The changing quality of light through the day also affects
how colours look to us. Paler hues – white, pale cream,
mauve and blue – shine out at dawn and dusk, whereas
brighter colours and those at the red end of the spectrum
“Nature doesn’t
‘rail against the
dying of the
light’ in the
way we do”
– pinks, red and oranges – almost disappear in low light
and are at their clearest and strongest in the midday sun.
How plants respond to light
Plants are able to make food and grow using sunlight,
water and carbon dioxide through the process of
photosynthesis, but they have also developed
sophisticated responses to changes in both
light levels and the direction of the light.
Phototropism – or a plant’s ability to move
towards the light – is governed by the triggering
of hormones within the stems and leaves.
These lengthen the cells within the plant
that are furthest away from the sunlight, so if
light hits just on one side of the stem, it will
bend towards it and start loading the cells with chloroplasts
(where photosynthesis occurs). This is why tiny seedlings
that don’t get enough light become etiolated, growing
pale, thin and tall in their search for light. Heliotropism
Top left: Winter sunlight enhances the tracery of bare stems Top right: Bright colours stand up well in strong light Left: Pale,
dainty woodland plants thrive in dappled shade Above: Pale colours sing out in shady borders
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