WINTER SHRUBS

Daphne mezeruem 'rubra'

WINTER FRAGRANCE
There are wonderful fragrances around in the plant world at any time of the year. One in particular that evokes memories of summer evenings is the honeysuckle. The smell of their flowers in the evening is very distinctive. Just because we are heading into the dormant season doesn’t mean that we are lacking in outdoor scent either, if you use your nose when out for a walk you will still notice some lovely aromas. To start with autumn itself has a wonderful earthy smell. Individual plants such as the Christmas box (Sarcococca), which can be planted even in the smallest garden, are delightful. There are loads of other plants that will give your nose a bit of pleasure; here are a few more common plants that you should find in the local garden centres now.

Daphne mezereum: This deciduous shrub has bare branches wreathed in sweetly scented, pink or white flowers. The shrub is very hardy and shouldn’t outgrow its site for many years. There are less common types as well; the Daphne ‘Aureo-marginata’ is a variegated evergreen is also a good choice as it thrives on acid soil.

Mahonia Japonica: This plant has other hybrids as well that are equally popular such as ‘Charity’ and ‘Winter sun’ but the original Mahonia still has the most powerful fragrance. The rosettes of holly shaped leaves set off the yellow flowers brilliantly. The smell is similar to the Lilly of the Valley plant and has a very long season of flowering. It can grow big but you can keep it in shape by pruning out the old wood.

Hamamaelis mollis: (Chinese witch hazel) and its hybrid H. japonica will eventually grow into small trees, but will stay as a medium shrub for years. The flower colours vary from yellow to bright orange, depending on the variety you choose. The wispy petals seem unaffected by even the heaviest of frosts and the scent can penetrate from one end of the garden to another as soon as the sun comes out and the day warms up. If they are planted in a sunny spot in rich soil then they will also develop the bonus of bright autumn colour.

Chimonanthus praecox: This plant will thrive on alkaline soil and the flowers have a spicy winter fragrance. It will make a smaller bush than the Witch hazel and will need a sunny site to get the best results.

Viburnum x bodnantense: I saw some very good examples of the ‘dawn’ variety in the garden centre last week. These hardy shrubs do very well around Inishowen. There are other varieties such as ‘Charles Lamont’ or ‘Deben’ that are equally as good. These shrubs seem to do well in any soil and have small, sweetly scented tubular flowers between autumn and spring