Having a garden brings year-round pleasures – even in the depths of winter there is something to lift the spirits. Apart from walking the dog, digging leeks or filling the log basket, there’s not an awful lot to lure us out from the cosy comforts of indoors; but some of my favourite flower fragrances belong to plants whose blooms open on the shortest days of the year.
We’re advised to site these near paths and doorways for easy access; yet glimpses of pale pink viburnum blossom, winter honeysuckle and spidery witch hazel draw me to every corner of our plot. Rambling from one to another, inhaling perfume and cutting stems for indoors – it’s the perfect antidote to winter.
Weeks of fragrance
To be sure of pollination when few insects are about, the flowering periods of these plants tend to be long, and individual blooms last well. Deciduous Viburnum farreri and its offspring V. x bodnantense are fine examples, opening blooms from their flower clusters during mild spells from autumn to spring.
The olfactory feast starts with lily of the valley-scented mahonias; midwinter brings the head-turning perfumes of Christmas box, and a mild January encourages buds of Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ to pop open, joined by an abundance of blossom from witch hazels. Wintersweet, edgeworthia and the fuzzy yellow blooms of the box leaf Azara (A. microphylla) appear during February, paving the way for spring.
Most winter scents waft from shrubby plants, and – true to their woodland origins – the majority share a love of humus-rich, well-drained soil and shelter from late frosts, cold winds and harsh sun. Add plenty of leaf mould or well-rotted garden compost to lighter soils; on heavier ones, consider growing In slightly raised beds to protect roots from winter waterlogging.
Denne historien er fra November 14, 2020-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
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Denne historien er fra November 14, 2020-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters