Brighten up your garden with winterberry

Care checklist

• Plant shrubs (including a male for pollination) in full sun to part shade; ‘Winter Red’ tolerates full shade.

• Site where soil remains moist, adding plenty of organic matter (leaf mould, compost) to the planting hole to further retain moisture. Mulch well.

• Winterberries flower on new wood, so prune in spring to enhance and maintain shape, and remove any crossing branches, suckers or dead wood.

• Winterberries have no serious insect pests; diseases such as powdery mildew, tar spot or leaf spots may affect foliage in some seasons. Plant disease-resistant cultivars or control using organic methods.