Skimmia shapes up for the winter gardens

Skimmia is a beloved feature of winter, but upkeep is key to its good health, writes Peter Dowdall

Walking through a garden recently I couldn’t help but notice a shrub that should have been coming into its best simply wasn’t. Instead it was looking decidedly dejected. Looking sorry for itself, in human terms it was a bit like myself suffering from a bout of man flu. Like most men, I wouldn’t be one to grumble when feeling a little under the weather; no, much more like me to sit there and suffer in silence. Ahem, well, it is the male way.

The plant I am talking about was skimmia and, in particular, the variety ‘rubella’. Planted several years ago, this specimen was full of rich dark green leaves when it came from the garden centre, but after some time in a soil with a less than ideal pH, it is beginning to show signs of stress. The leaves are no longer that strong verdant colour, more yellow and wan now. The flower buds, too — such a feature of the winter and, dare I say it so early, Christmas time in the garden — should be visible on the tips of all the stems but they’re not. He’s certainly struggling. His poor health is shown up all the more by nearby skimmias which are thriving.