What’s looking good in the garden?

I have both Sarcococca confusa and the purple stemmed Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Winter Gem’ in the garden (I mentioned them last month). Now the Sarcococca confusa is in full bloom I’m loving the scent as I get out of the car or walk down the drive. The Winter Gem will be out any minute now, it’s right by the path and I’m really looking forward to its scent as I open the front door. The white hellebores, in this case Helleborus ‘Verboom Beauty’ are in full flower in the front garden. I’ve bought a few purple ones to go with them, Helleborus x hybridus ‘Pretty Ellen Purple’, a later flowering variety. Along with the purple and red Harvington Hybrid varieties which are scattered through the back garden.

While out and about it’s been lovely to see the winter scented shrubs adding colour and filling the air. I always enjoy a chance to stop and smell the flowers, to remind myself which are my favourite scents. The pink blooms of Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ seem to be enjoying the warmer weather, the blooms are abundant. Winter flowering honeysuckle and the lemon yellow of Chimonanthus praecox (wintersweet) are a joy to behold too.

I’ve also seen the odd daffodil or two, they clearly think with all the warmer than usual weather that spring has already arrived.

January Advice

• Plant scented shrubs: We are right in the middle of bare root planting season, why not think about successional scented planting. It is possible to do this with just two smaller sized shrubs. Sarcococca confusa flowers from December through to March in winter or train a Lonicera fragrantissima (it flowers from January through to March) against the fence. Followed by Daphne x transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’, which flowers from April through to October. However, if you like the idea of a different scent to mark the start of each season the combinations to choose from are endless (well almost).

• Bring a little of the garden inside: I love inhaling the scent of the winter flowering honeysuckle growing in the garden on a crisp winter’s day. However with all the rain why not snip off a stem or two to bring inside, there is nothing better than have a few stems in a vase in the middle of the kitchen table.

• Hellebore leaves: Just before Christmas I was out in the garden checking the hellebores to see if there were any buds or flowers starting to open. I chopped the leaves off the ones with buds to allow the flowers to be seen and also to get more light. If they haven’t been cut already it is fine to keep cutting them now and keep checking on the later flowering varieties.

• Plan vegetables: If you’ve enjoyed growing vegetables or are thinking about adding a few to the garden this year now is a good time to browse through the catalogues and start buying seeds. Perfect for making plans in the comfort of a warm inviting sofa while the rain is pouring down.

• Prune apple and pear trees: There is still time to prune fruit trees that haven’t already been tidied up, whether like mine which is trying to escape into the neighbour’s garden or there are a few dead or damaged branches that need removing. They will then be ready to enjoy the blossom in spring.

• Summer flowering bulbs: It hasn’t been that long since all the spring flowering bulbs were planted but it is already time to think about the summer. The bulbs, such as Crocosmia and Agapanthus will need planting in spring. Another chance to enjoy perusing the plant catalogues.

What I’m working on

The what I’m working on section will be back next month (I’ll give you a hint, mostly sliding about in mud on site) but while storm Henk is battering the county I thought I’d spend a bit more time adding planning tips to the advice section and talking about trends that will hopefully spark the odd idea or two, in preparation for brighter days ahead.

Trends

At the start of the new year we often think about what changes we’d like to make and the garden is no exception to this rule. Now that the Christmas decorations have been put away and the days are slowly but surely starting to get longer, our gaze often starts wander out of the window. It is a good time to think about what worked well last year and what didn’t work so well. Is the seating area too small to enjoy with friends and family. Is year round colour missing or perhaps there aren’t any scented plants near to paths or around seating and dining areas to enjoy on a long summer’s evening. While planning out any changes it is always interesting to know what the latest trends are and whether any of these are something we might like to incorporate. I mentioned Edimentals (growing vegetables, fruit and herbs that not only taste good but look pretty too) in the December newsletter but here are few other trends that expected to be at the forefront In 2024.

Biophilic Design: This is a way of connecting people and buildings to nature and the natural environment. It has become increasingly considered when planning changes to towns and cities but with the recent weather patterns we need more of it, green (particularly trees) is good for reducing temperatures, but also for our mental and physical well-being. This is not just about planting in the ground but using the verticals (green walls or simply making the most of walls and fences). And encouraging us to green more roofs, a simple way of adding wildflowers for pollinators. In essence it is linking the inside to the outside, a way of bringing more green into our lives. In gardens this can be a simple as adding planting around the house whether in borders or pots to draw our eyes outside. Perhaps a few houseplants to link the inside and out. Using rain gardens in cities not only gives the water somewhere to drain to but can also be used to filter pollutants out of the water before it reaches any water courses. We can create small areas in our own gardens, it can be as simple as feeding drain pipes into planters for the water to drain into.

Outdoor seating areas: This year it is less about formal dining spaces and more about creating relaxed seating with lots of comfy sofas. A space to relax in or enjoy time with friends, surrounded by plenty of greenery and lush planting. If you’re thinking about replacing outdoor furniture in 2024 why not think about sofas and lower tables rather than dining furniture. In smaller spaces, a lower more relaxed chair and table will create a similar effect. Surrounded by plenty of voluminous planting what better way to enjoy the first coffee of the day or a gin and tonic as the sun goes down.