Suspended animation

Deciduous plants go to sleep through winter as their cellular activity goes into almost complete hibernation. They shut down, needing just the dampness of the roots to prevent cell damage, and requiring minimal maintenance during this period of dormancy, as around them the temperature falls and frost forms on their bare branches and stems.

Many deciduous trees, shrubs, hedging, roses, fruit trees and even some perennials are available as bare-root plants, which simply means that there is no soil around the roots when delivered. The system works well for many woody-based plants.

Bare-root plants are available from November to March, and are commonly found through mail order and online stockists. There is a wide variety on offer, with some cultivars that may not be available in garden centres and nurseries, available online as bare-root specimens – so do some hunting. It is