Winter Beauties

January can be a testing time in the garden but a walk outside is always rewarded with a frosted leaf in the early morning, winter bulbs such as yellow aconites and the much loved snowdrops and Hellebores. Bravely flowering and new shoots appearing. Allium foliage is starting to poke through the soil with the promise of their round flower heads. Amongst them are the emerging young leaves of the tulips. I planted a number in the garden last year and only hope that they will survive the wet and lack of cold weather we have had since November.

Gardening is all about patiently looking forward to the emergence and growth of plants through the year. During grey winter days the anticipation of spring is almost overwhelming but do not miss the beauties of the winter including evergreen foliage such as Leucothoe ’Scarletta’ and Drymis aromatica, Pittosporum tenuifolium ’Tom Thumb’ and emerging leaves of Sorbaria sorbifolia ’Sem’.

Also, enjoy the fragrance of Sarcococca (Winter flowering box); a few sprigs cut for the house can fill a room with it’s sweet scent. Skimmia flowers will also be out very soon, I have put one in a pot by the back door which will soon a total joy. Winter scent seems to give me the most delight of all.