Then plant Corsican hellebore for evergreen foliage, and volunteer to help map an orchard
Plant this I’m a sucker for a green flower in winter, so Corsican hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius) is high on my list of favourites. Its leathery evergreen foliage is the perfect foil for its bell-like blooms from January to March. Needs fertile soil in partial shade to thrive: height and spread 80cm x 80cm.
Mulch this Less hardy border flower favourites such as arum lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) and agapanthus benefit from a blanket of mulch to protect them from winter wet and cold. Add a thick layer of a dry mulch such as bark chips, dead bracken or straw to a depth of about 20cm. Make a note in your 2019 calendar to pull it away from the growing points of the plant come spring.
Try this If you’ve stumbled across an old orchard while out on a walk, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species needs you. It is seeking volunteers to locate and survey traditional orchards for its study into these valuable wildlife havens: download its Orchard Mapper at is.gd/orchards.