Magazine - Plants to Give Fragrance to Winter

By Paul Thornton in Training on 6th Dec 2006 14:00

We are as far away from summer as it is possible to be right now, but thankfully there are several plants that just don't care! They just get on with producing flowers anyway, and because the passing pollinating insects are so scarce they emit a stronger scent than many of their summer flowering counterparts, giving gardeners a real winter treat!

C. praecox,	Sarcococca confusa

Of the winter flowering shrubs is the very aptly named "Winter Sweet" (Chimonanthus); this grows into a medium /large shrub which has a strong but pleasing spicy fragrance which can really brighten your day! For the best results, plant Chimonanthus against the shelter of a south or west-facing wall. The most popular is C. praecox, which has an abundance of clear waxy yellow blooms from February to March.

Another favourite is Sarcococca confusa - an evergreen; small, white flowers in January- February; the flowers are small but very fragrant growing between 1 -2 metres depending upon its position.

Daphne odora is another evergreen and has pale purple flowers from January-April; it grows quite slowly eventually reaching to 4 - 5 ft high.
Witch Hazel - Hamamelis is another star of the winter with its fragrant clusters of spidery yellow or orange/red flowers borne all along its naked stems from December - February.

Witch Hazel - Hamamelis	Viburnum x bodnantense,

Mahonia Bealii has a stunning display of bright yellow flowers produced through the winter months. The numerous flowers are borne at the very top of the stems on several long spikes arranged in a star formation, giving the effect of an explosion of colour. Most cultivars and species are very fragrant having an aroma similar to 'Lilly of the Valley'.

Viburnum x bodnantense, is a deciduous shrub, which carries its many pink/white flowers on naked stems during winter. If viewed against a clear blue winter sky or if planted in front of a dark background, against which the flowers can show up, they really do look spectacular.

Read more articles in Training, by Paul Thornton or from December 2006.