Colourful shrubs make for a colourful Christmas

While usually used for its healing properties, the witch hazel plant can also be grown in the UK during the winter.

In factthe witch hazel, which belongs to the hamamelidaceae group, is ideal for putting some colour back into the garden, according to the Daily Mail.

The golden-yellow flowering Hamemelis mollis is especially recommended as a "well-behaved" and "well-proportioned" shrub that will help gardeners see a bit of colour in their garden other than in the greenhouse over the winter.

To complement it, gardeners can also try the Hamelis virginiana – a robust shrub that is thought by some to be the best flowering shrub in existence.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), tough shrubs like this are ideal as they require very little pruning.

They make a great winter warmer when looking out on Christmas day and would more than make up for any lack of snow – which so often makes the outdoor world seem so pretty.