THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Winter-f lowering shrubs herald sunnier times just around the corner
Winter has several weeks to run but there are signs of spring everywhere. Snowdrops and aconites are in full swing; we have two crocus varieties blooming, and yesterday, i spotted my first daffodil. All lovely to see. But the sweetest hints of spring come from trees and shrubs.
in our garden, daphnes, Japanese apricot, wintersweet and several other shrubs are already blooming. Witch hazels and the first prunus varieties are also swelling their buds, and something new appears every few days.
Despite their being in flower, this is an excellent time for planting winter shrubs or trees.
So if your garden could do with a little more winter cheer, buy and plant now. that way, you can enjoy the winter show from today and for years to come.
One note of caution, though. Some garden centres stock their shrubs in frost-free or even heated conditions. if these have been softened or are coming into leaf, their hardiness could be compromised. So ask for advice and, if necessary, defer planting until spring.
FINE FRAGRANCE
Winter shrubs or trees may lack the floral clout of April blossom. But in January or February, a little colour goes a long way. Many are fragrant, too, and provide excellent cut material for indoors.
But plant judiciously. A tree which is gorgeous in February, but boring in other seasons could be a poor choice — especially in a small garden.
to avoid that, select plants with secondary assets or yearround interest.
Witch hazels have winter blossom, vivid autumn colour and make shapely trees. the finest include yellow-flowered
Hamamelis x intermedia Arnold Promise, rusty orange Jelena and primrose Pallida. they’re slow-growing and dislike being pruned but eventually can grow 4 metres high and as wide.
Daphnes have outstanding winter beauty and most are fragrant. i love our native
Daphne laureola — a neat little evergreen with fragrant green flowers. it’s low-key but quietly pretty all year.
For bigger spaces, D. bholua has knockout fragrance and flowers freely from January. the variety Jacqueline Postill thrives in my cold garden.
GOING UP THE WALL
the strongest winter fragrances come from wintersweet
Chimonanthus praecox and winter honeysuckle, Lonicera x
purpusii. the former has parchment-coloured blooms with maroon-purple centres. the honeysuckle carries paired white flowers on young wood.
Both are big shrubs — not climbers — but can be trained on a sunny, sheltered wall.
the secret is to train the most conveniently positioned stems into a fan shape, on the wall or fence. remove outward-growing branches and in late spring, cut away stems that have flowered to encourage new shoots.
Camellias can make surprisingly good wall plants. the classiest winter bloomer is
Camellia sasanqua. it’s fully hardy, but the november and December flowers are vulnerable to frost.
But late-winter camellias such as single pink St ewe or Cornish Snow often produce flowers during mild spells from December onwards.
train these on a wall, grow them in a tub or plant them in the most sheltered part of your garden.