|
Apologies to Clement Moore, but that’s
one of the treats of a winter garden. At
this time of year, there really are such
subtle surprises in the garden, sniffed
but not always seen. One of those
delicious fragrances comes from fragrant
wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox),
a mid-winter charmer with almost
translucent, waxy, pale yellow petals
and red stamens. The flowers aren’t
striking; it is the scent that the plant
is really known for, and on warm
afternoons such as we have recently
experienced, its light perfume gently
permeates the air.
Each year about now a friend
and I discuss whether it is the winter
honeysuckle or the wintersweet we smell.
Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera
fragrantissima) is a shrub about 6
to 8 feet tall and wide. The milder the
weather, the fewer leaves it will shed.
The leaves can hide the flowers, thus
leading to our discussion as to which
shrub we smell. On this plant the
flowers are quite dainty, a two-toned
creamy white and light yellow. To me,
winter honeysuckle has a much stronger
fragrance, and the bees seem to agree.
The most popular shrub for
scent also happens to be the most fickle
(read expensive), but I wouldn’t be
without one. It is the winter daphne (Daphne
odora ‘Aureo-marginata). There are a
few daphnes that do well here, but this
one is distinguished by its dark green
glossy leaves edged in yellow, and tight
pink buds that open to a very fragrant
white. It will grow in sun or shade, but
it insists on good drainage. Try it in a
raised bed or add a lot of soil
amendments to a clay soil. Its
relatively slow growth and small size
make it ideal for a pot.
The winter-blooming Japanese
apricot (Prunus mume) is another
delicious source of scent from January
on, depending on the cultivar. It is a
member of the cherry family, so start
your own cherry blossom festival early
with a white or pink blooming tree that
reaches 8 to 12 feet and exhibits rich,
mahogany colored bark. Different
cultivars smell differently, but they
all remind me of cinnamon-scented
chewing gum.
For a variety of fragrances
and colors, look for the witch hazels (Hamamellis
sp.). In a rainbow of colors ranging
from vivid yellow to copper and red,
these hardy beauties will entice you
closer to observe their fingered petals
and light to pungent scents. If you have
a spot of afternoon shade for a large
shrub/small tree, this plant will really
light up your winter landscape. Choose
your favorite now while they are in
bloom, for the color ranges from subtle
to in-your-face vivid and are hard to
accurately describe. Like all of these
winter bloomers, witch hazel’s flowering
branches make excellent cut flowers.
If your garden can’t hold
all of them, visit the J.C. Raulston
Arboretum at NC State University to
enjoy a full range of colors and scents
that will convince you spring really is
just around the corner. Just leave the
blooms on their plants for others to
sniff! |
