A bare oak tree in front of the Great Glasshouse at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
I have already posted my pictures of the flowers in the Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in winter. As I mentioned before, entry to the Garden of Wales is free in January 2011.
Bare red dogwood (Cornus) stems at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
But on the same day I also took pictures of the cold outdoor gardens themselves and found there was still a lot of colour and texture to be seen…
Yellow lichen at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
A metal waterlily sculpture at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Some green leaves (possibly Arum italicum pictum?) in the herbaceous borders at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana 'Contorta') at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Beech tree at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Garden of Wales in January 2011
Bare winter tree at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
A dragonfly sculpture near the visitor centre at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Outdoor palm trees at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Middleton House, in the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Hoary lichen at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Garden of Wales in January 2011
Dead leaves at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Bare winter tree at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Dead winter leaves at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Winter tree at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Entrance to an old icehouse (used for storing ice before fridges were invented) at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Ice on a waterlily pond at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
The skeletons of Eryngium (I think) at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Red dogwood (Cornus alba 'Sibirica') at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
The visitor centre, shop and restaurant at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
I may be wrong but I think this is Astilbe at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Old fruits and new catkins of alder at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
Ice on a waterlily pond at the Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Squirrelbasket 
Dear Pat – how lovely!! Thank you for sharing your time at the Garden of Wales with us. I especially like nature in winter as there are so many unexpected treasures, such as the gorgeous lichen and the curly hazel. I have some cut branches of curly hazel in a large vase, and love the shapes and the shadows they cast. Could you please tell me – what is the tree or shrub under the lichen? (Common name, please) I see that there are several large buds on it, if I am not mistaken. Their colours and the shape of the branch are quite beautiful. Take care…Marianne
Thanks for that. I have a corkscrew hazel of my own in a big tub in the garden – it used to be by the front door but wasn’t getting any rain there, and does better in a damp position.
As for the unnamed shrub with the pink flowers coming through, I knew exactly what you meant as I was annoyed at myself for not looking at the label at the time. It’s only a guess, but I think it might be a Chaenomeles – not sure it has an English name, but it’s a sort of Japanese flowering quince. I seem to think the flowers and leaves come through at the same time as each other, in the winter. Or it could be a Daphne mezereum. They’re both worth your looking up, anyway…
Sorry I couldn’t give you more common names, but they are rather exotic plants!
Best wishes
xxx
P.S. I meant to say the yellow lichen, sorry not to be more specific. (Third photograph) Thanks, Pat.
I think I may have another idea of what those pink buds were on the picture with the yellow lichen – maybe Viburnum bodnantense?
Thank you, Pat, for this added information! I’ll look those up this afternoon. Cheers, M.