Delightful daphne
For those of you who have a
Daphne odora in the garden, you’ll already have had a couple of months of divine fragrance from the plant. When friends visit, their heads are constantly searching for the rich, citrusy, jasmine fragrance they can detect. When they finally spot the burgundy-rimmed, light pink flower clusters, they can’t help but smile at the evergreen plant. Normally only flowering between January and March, they give welcome interest during the colder months, but sadly it’s just about over. However, ‘Eternal Fragrance’ ( Daphne transatlantica) comes into its own now. Fragrant from April until October, this variety is superb in a container on a patio. They just need moist, free-draining soil. If grown in a container, make sure the pot doesn’t get too hot in the summer. And the fragrant flower clusters make great displays in a small vase.