Left to her own devices, nature weaves a glorious winter tapestry, but how little of that artistry is reflected in our own gardens! An unhappy legacy of fairweather gardening.

Fortunately, when it comes to selecting a substantial tree for your garden, all that impulse-buy nonsense goes by the wayside. This is a matter for careful consideration, most of which can fortunately be done from the comfort of your chair should the weather be uncooperative.

In fact, trees really are a superb opportunity to introduce winter interest to the garden, because, let’s face it, those herbaceous borders won’t be much help anyway. So as the fruits (and flowers) of one’s fairweather labours fade, why not consider passing the baton to one of these outdoorsy fellows. Steadfast beacons of winter cheer, every one.