Native foliage can enliven the garden in winter, says Gillian Vine.
In the coldest months, trees and shrubs with two-toned or coloured foliage can brighten up the garden and lift the gardener's spirits.
Although golden conifers such as Swane's Golden and variegated holly have long been popular, some natives also fit the bill very well.
Many of these are not what you would find in the bush, although some - usually labelled ''selected forms'' - have been found in the wild and introduced via nurseries.
For example, a variant of the common Pittosporum tenuifolium was found by a Palmerston North horticultural company and its golden-centred leaves made Gold Star an obvious name for marketing it.
P. tenuifolium has numerous cultivated varieties, many with cream or white leaf markings.
They are usually fast-growing and taller ones can be used for hedging, grown as small trees or clipped to rounded shapes in the garden, while smaller varieties are good in shrubberies or even pots. An old favourite, especially with floral artists, is Irene Paterson.
The white leaves have green flecks, while the similarly coloured leaves of P. ralphii Variegata are a somewhat stronger green with distinct pale edges.
In winter, the warmer tones of P. tenuifolium Tandara Gold, Reflections or Tasman Ruffles may be more appealing than the cooler green/white pittosporums. Golden Ball is suitable for containers, while at the other end of the scale, variegated tarata or lemonwood (P. eugenioides Variegatum) is a small tree, reaching about 6m in cultivation. Some of the strongest native cream/green contrasts are seen in broadleaf varieties.
Griselinia littoralis Dairy Cream, Dixon's Cream and Variegata are all well coloured and, although often advertised for hedging, all griselinias tend to become very wide over time, so really are better in a shrubbery.
With about 100 species, hebes range from coastal to alpine plants and the development of hundreds of hybrids, notably the Wiri series developed in Auckland since 1982, has widened the choice in both flower and foliage colour.
Hebe speciosa Variegata (sometimes sold as Tricolor) is the most distinctive but Hebe decumbens has an attractive purple edge to the leaves; H. francisana Waireka has green centres edged in cream and silver; and the foliage of Flame deepens to purple in winter.
Coprosma repens is one of 45 species in New Zealand. It has shiny leaves that glow in even the weakest sunlight, hence the common name mirror plant.
Apart from the likes of Yvonne and Midnight, which have chocolate-coloured leaves, many newer varieties put the emphasis on light and bright, plus have the added value of most intense colour in winter.
Among the most attractive are Beatson's Gold, Green and Gold, Lemon and Lime, and groundcover Kiwi Gold. Multi-coloured Painters Palette has pink, green and red on each leaf; Pink Splendour is similar but heavier on pink; Inferno is pinkish-red, green and pink; while Royale has bright red leaves.
Some of the other coprosma species have golden stems and can be added to the winter garden to good effect. Check their hardiness before buying, as some - Mangatangi, for example - cannot withstand heavy frosts.
To brighten up the vegetable garden in winter, grow horopito or pepper tree (Pseudowintera colorata) nearby, using the excuse that its peppery leaves can be added to various dishes, including venison. Red Leopard is a popular cultivar that will grow in shade but the best colour is seen in bushes grown in full sun.
From the same family as the lancewoods comes Pseudopanax lessonii Gold Splash, with splendid foliage, and Cyril Wilson, which has yellow ribs. The drawback of the latter is that young plants can be killed by frost.
Of taller trees, there are variegated forms of pohutukawa, Hoheria populnea and karaka, while golden totara (Podocarpus totara Aurea) can be used for hedging, topiaried or just given space to reach its full potential.
With so many trees and shrubs available, natives are a way of adding visual warmth to the garden in winter.
