Peter Dowdall: What to do in the garden this February 

Mahonia bealei, commonly known as leatherleaf mahonia or Berberis bealei or Beale's barberry, is an evergreen shrub with large, leathery leaves. File picture

At thie time of year, the garden reveals which plants are doing the real work. Colour is scarce, flowers are fleeting, and what’s left standing has to earn its place. The plants that matter now are the ones that give shape, shelter and continuity when most of the garden is still asleep.

Evergreen shrubs are usually the first thing you notice, because without them, a garden can feel a bit empty in winter. An evergreen daphne is a good example of a plant that works at this time of year. It’s never really a show off, and for much of the year it sits politely in the background, but in winter it earns its place several times over. The foliage holds the shape of the garden together, particularly in smaller spaces, and then the flowers arrive at exactly the moment they’re needed.