Comment

Michelia doltsopa has heavily scented, magnolia-like flowers

By STEVE MAROS Dorset County Council Arboricultural Manager SNOWDROPS and daffodils in late December early January, bluebells and wild garlic already well advanced in woodlands - is there no end to the confused seasons?

Despite the intermittent cold spells, nature is convinced that Spring is here or at least on its way. Even birds have begun mating and nesting. The un-seasonal (or is it?) weather has lured many unsuspecting creatures and plants into emerging from their hibernation.

While sitting outside my local pub with a favourite tipple last Sunday, basking in lovely sunshine, I was surprised to see both a butterfly and a bee passing by and no, it wasn't the effect of too much alcohol!

With spring flowers coming and going so early it begs the question as to what we can put in our gardens to give us something to look at throughout the winter months.

This is where winter flowering shrubs can help. Take Garrya elliptica - an evergreen, bushy, dense shrub with leathery, waxy, dark green leaves which has lovely long grey-green catkins. The catkins are longer on male than female plants and can reach in excess of six inches.

Add to this that they grow quite happily on north facing walls and you can see why they have a lot to recommend them. And like most winter flowering shrubs they have long flowering periods so if the weather is unseasonally mild with occasional cold spells, it doesn't affect them like it does bulbs.

Many winter flowering plants have a good scent and none more so than one of my all time favourites - Chimonanthus praecox (winter sweet).

It is a deciduous shrub with an elegant form. It is frost hardy but needs full sun and a fertile well drained soil. Its upward arching stems carry stiff golden pendulous blooms from December through to February. But its real joy lies in the heavenly scent of its flowers. I often cut a few stems to mix in a vase of flowers and they really perfume the house.

The exceptionally long catkins of the Garrya elliptica

Another winter flowering shrub worth considering is Azara microphylla, an elegant, evergreen shrub that can also make a small tree. The one in my garden is now approximately nine foot tall. It has tiny, glossy, dark green leaves and small clusters of vanilla scented deep yellow flowers. Like many winter flowering plants it doesn't look anything special during the summer months but it certainly comes into its own at this time of year.

Several years ago on a visit to Southern Ireland I came across a beautiful tree called Michelia doltsopa. I was wandering around some gardens in early March and came across it in full flower.

At first I thought it was a magnolia, because that is what it looks like (and it is a relative of), however, closer inspection showed it not to be one. It is evergreen with oval, dark glossy leaves, which have a slightly paler underside. When not in flower it is nothing special but with its strongly scented, magnolia like flowers which are white to pale yellow in the spring, it is stunning.

It originates from Indo-China and is classed as being half-hardy but it can survive short spells of freezing temperature. So a benefit of our milder winters is the ability to grow more plants outside which perhaps 50 years ago we couldn't have attempted.

It isn't just trees and shrubs that provide colour and interest at this time in the garden - there are some herbaceous plants including another one of my favourites, the hellebores.

They are so undemanding and yet never fail to reward with masses of lovely sturdy flowers at this time of year. Those in my garden are bursting through in a variety of shades. All are evergreen, clump-forming perennials. All have divided, deep green leaves and cup-shaped flowers. There are many species and hybrids available, these are some of the more popular ones: Helleborus niger (Christmas rose) has white flowers with golden stamens; Helleborus x sternii has pink tinged, pale green flowers and Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose) has white, pink or purple flowers.

They sometimes have darker spots on the petals. The good thing about hellebores is that they are equally at home in pots or in the ground and I always leave some in pots for winter and plant over them with variegated ivy, cyclamen and winter flowering heathers.

They make a lovely show from December through to March. Until next month - happy gardening!

9:19am Tuesday 4th March 2008

Print

Email this

Comment