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Fragrance in winter
Daphnes
The allure of Daphne fragrance is so powerful that it is a must have shrub in the garden. There is a mistaken belief that Daphnes only thrive in shady conditions but that is not the case .Daphenes flower more prolifically given full sun but being shallow rooted ,need a lot of constant moisture. That is why they grow well in the shade ,because it is a lot cooler and they don’t dry out as easily. Always keep well mulched and fed. They resent heavy water logged soil and will grow spindly or not at all in such conditions. In heavy soils add gypsum and lots of compost to aid in drainage. Apply a side dressing of trace elements prior to winter to green up the leaves.
It is common for Daphne bushes to bear yellowing leaves with the flowers. Don’t be alarmed as these are the older leaves which will fall only to be renewed with fresh green ones during the warmer weather of spring..
The cold winter we are experiencing have made Daphne buds reluctant to open .Last year they began flowering in May .
While there are several different Daphne species the most popular garden varieties are Daphne odora. This is the Daphne with the very sweetly fragrant flowers, so popular for picking. A few sprigs in a vase will easily fragrance a large room. There are two main odora varieties
Daphne odora rubra is a low spreader with reddish buds opening to deep pink. The flowers are held on shorter stems close to the branches. This Daphne looks nice growing at the edge of embankments or cascading gently over pots. The most popular Daphne by far is Daphne odora leucanthe This makes a tall robust bush with salmon pink buds opening to blush pink .Long flowering stems are a feature of this variety and make it so popular for picking.. There is also a white variant .It has very dark green leaves and grows robustly into a 1m rounded bush.
Hamamellis
Witch Hazels are very distinctive with their oriental branch growth and spidery flowers that cling to the bare branches in winter. The flowers exude a spicy fragrance and are very popular as a cut flower. Just cut the branches and put them in an appropriate vase to make a dramatic and fragrant statement.These shrubs are also noted for their vibrant autumn leaf colouring. Grow Witch Hazels where you can give them space to appreciate their lovely form.They like similar growing conditions as Camellias and Rhododendrons.The following four are my favourites. H. Dianne Large carmine red flowers. Autumn leaves are rich orange red grows 1.8ms ,H. Goldcrest Large rich yellow with burgundy red eye.yellow autumn leaves Grows 3ms, H. Jelena Yellow flowers are suffused with coppery red and burgundy.Scarlet and orange autumn leaves Grows 2.5 ms, H. Pallida Large pale yellow flowers.Yellow autumn leaves. Grows 2.5ms
Wintersweet Chimonanthus praecox
Always a favourite Wintersweet reminds us of our ancestors and older gardens .When the lovely golden leaves of autumn drop they reveal the knobbly brown buds which open to reveal small yellowish flowers. These are not the most exciting to look at but they do exude a heady perfume of violets and spice. Another favourite to pick to bring fragrance indoors. Wintersweet may take up to seven years before they commence blooming and require full sun through the summer months to initiate flower buds. They prefer good soil , not too dry and will tolerate the coldest winters. Expect them to grow around 2.5ms. Only prune if they get out of hand and remember that flower buds are formed on second year wood.
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