Heavy falls of snow can decimated many plants because of its weight on branches and foliage.

With their dense foliage, heavy snow can quickly build up, pushing down on conifer branches, opening up gaps to reveal their brown insides. At worst, branches can actually be broken and the hole left will never fill in.

Shrubs can be the worst affected. Deciduous ones with branches and shoots the thickness of a pencil are easily broken. A quick check will reveal any damage. Broken branches should be pruned back to a good, strong-looking stem and in time will fill in.

Evergreen shrubs, like conifers, have the spread of foliage which will provide a ready platform for snow. My own skimmia bush, which, prior to the heavy snowfall was a lovely, full-domed bush, was left with the branches well spayed out, the centre exposed and surrounding stems flattened.

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