Winter Wonders

Winter is the unsung season but truth be told, it’s a colourful time with albeit more subtle, gentle harmonies but lashings of fragrance.

When planning your garden, leave room for some of winter’s best performers. Don’t plant one, go for groups of three or more for impact and visibility. Mass plant bulbs such as early daffodils, jonquils or snow drops against a backdrop of evergreens. Winter has some of the best perfumed plants too, from daphne to luculia, osmanthus to wintersweet. Here are a few tried and true choices.

Daphne

There are many species most suited to cooler climates but Daphne odorais the one most often seen in warm temperate gardens. Native to China and Japan, they are essentially a woodland plant thriving where they get morning sun.There are two colour forms, pink and white. The white ‘Alba’ is slightly lemon-toned while Daphne Perfume Princess White is a clear white. Try them as a hedge to about one metre with spacing about 50-60cm apart. Don’t overwater as wet feet can cause root rot.

Pick flowers for small vases to maintain shape. The new hybrid ‘Eternal Fragrance’ is said to be more tolerant of high temperatures but I’ve found the species is itself quite resilient.

Luculia

Of all the species of luculia, the most common is Luculia gratissima from the Himalayas. The highly perfumed pink to white flowers are prolific in the depth of winter but luculia’s reputation as a tricky customer means position is paramount. It can suddenly turn tail and die. Firstly, it does not like frost so cold regions are out and secondly, it loves organic, humus-rich soil and good drainage.

After flowering, leaf drop in winter can look a bit ratty. Pruning is crucial: it's important not to cut into bare wood. Give it an early prune to a pair of leaves after flowering then follow up to the newer leaf axils that form lower down in spring to restore a denser shape.

Red-stemmed dogwood

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ deserves to be better known but for cooler climates only. A few species produce coloured stems from white and yellow to red, but the trick is to hold off heavy pruning until about three years old. Then, late winter cut to about 7-10cm. New growth is upright and dense, producing a brilliant winter display. Again, don’t just plant one, dedicate a spot for a group for maximum impact and combine with ‘Paperwhite’ jonquils, snowdrops, snowflake or Cyclamen coum. Other species for coppicing include C. stolonifera and C. sanguinea.

Lily of the valley

Here’s another gem from East Asia. Lily of the valley (Pieris japonica) likes humus-rich acidic soil and dappled shade in cool to mild climates. It’s a good match with daphne, azaleas and rhododendrons with perhaps an underplanting of polyanthus or primula. Pieris can be either a 2-3m bush such as ‘Christmas Cheer’ or a dwarf shrub (‘Cavatine’ or ‘Sarabande’). The pendulous panicles of flowers range from white to pink, and plants do well in containers. Don’t allow them to dry out in summer and feed with an azalea/camellia food in spring.

Poinsettia

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a shrub from tropical Mexico. These days, we mostly see potted plants grown in temperature-controlled greenhouses for Christmas sale. They come in a burgeoning range of colours - bi-coloured, yellow and even orange. After flowering, they can be planted into a larger pot or into the garden. The dwarf forms also make a good hedge along sunny pathways.

The tall old-fashioned shrubs are rarely sold in nurseries and that’s a shame because they are stunning winter bloomers. Some of the best displays I’ve encountered have mixed the pink, cream and red varieties together. In warmer areas, ask the owner of an older garden for a cutting – they are easy to strike. Soil needs are minimal but full sun is essential with protection from cold wind in temperate, frost-free zones. Prune heavily after flowering and tip prune in January to encourage side branching and more flowers.