The north face

Gardeners should consider all areas of their little demesne, says Charlie Wilkins, but especially the cold north side which can surprise with specimen planting.

I AM often asked for suggestions on what to plant against a north-facing wall, something that will be colourful and of interest for a long time.

Beginners to gardening are the first to ask for such a recommendation. They feel that the usual flowers put forward for such positions (varieties of clematis, winter jasmine, even climbing roses) have a short season of bloom and they really want a long-distance runner with good interest. I sometimes suggest ivy, but usually fail to convince, for many consider this wall-plant to be boring, uninteresting and utterly dreary. Then again, I oft-times suggest a Morello cherry, worth having for its abundant white flowers and appealing fruit in season. White flowers have always been in high fashion for if nothing else the colour will prolong the evenings. When it is almost dark, and the red and blue flowers along with all green foliage has sunk into the shadows, one can still walk around the garden enjoying ghostly, glimmering pools of white. Or you can sit indoors by an open window and look out on a scene which fades ever more slowly because these agreeable blooms keep the diminishing light alive. They have other qualities, too. They cool down colour schemes (which might be garish) and many seem to be highly scented.