Here are my favourites:
Daphne Perfume Princess and Perfume Princess White: There is an old saying that goes “every home must have a daphne and a lemon tree”. These two remain some of the top plant gifts for house-warming presents.
Daphne Perfume Princess is a recent release bred by well-known Taranaki plant breeder and nurseryman Mark Jury. It is a cross between the traditionally grown pink daphne Odora leucanthe and Daphne bholua. Perfume Princess boasts the largest flower size of all the daphnes, as well as the longest flowering period, being both the first and last to bloom.
Daphnes are grown for the noseful of scent that any passersby derive from this outstanding plant.
Wintersweet: A delicious name for a delicious plant. Chimonanthus praecox, commonly known as wintersweet, produces deliciously sweet-scented flowers during the middle of winter each year. The cold air of June and July seems to bring out the fragrance more strongly on this deciduous shrub. The plant has waxy yellow flowers with dainty purple markings. The flowers run along the bare branches, which are leafless during the winter months. The plant comes out with fresh green leaves in spring that turn yellow in the autumn before dropping. It is well placed at the back of a garden where it provides backbone and structure with its green backdrop during the summer months. Smaller-growing shrub varieties, such as hydrangea, callistemon or hebe, planted in front can provide colour and interest during the summer months.
Left to its own devices, wintersweet will form a shrub 2.5-3m high by 2m wide. However, its size can be contained with a pruning in late winter/early spring each year before it comes into leaf.
Wintersweet originates from China where it was domesticated during the Song dynasty (960-1279). It is a relatively tough and versatile plant, hardy to cold and grows well in sun or part-shade.
A highly recommended plant for offering some winter joy on a dreary day.
Osmanthus Pearly Gates: Its fragrant attributes and pearly white mass of flowers are exceptional. The name Osmanthus comes from the words “osme”, which is odour, and “anthus” for flowers. Osmanthus Pearly Gates is part of a family of about 30 species, ranging from shrubs to trees, originating from China. Pearly Gates produces a mass of sweetly scented, tubular white flowers along the stems. The pearly white flowers contrast spectacularly with the deep-green foliage. They flower for a decent period from about early June, in the middle of winter when the garden can otherwise be rather drab, and carry through well into August. Flowers appear on the older wood from the previous season and before, so young plants from the garden centre are nowhere near as spectacular as those that have been in the garden for a couple of years.
A versatile plant, Pearly Gates can be grown in full sun or part-shade situations and will handle a wide range of soil types. Pearly Gates responds well to clipping, which should be done every two years after flowering. This will encourage a densely branched plant with a nice leaf arrangement. It is excellent for shaping and can be grown as a hedge.
Some other brilliant winter-flowering plants:
Ericas: Many varieties in the family of ericas flower through the cooler autumn and winter months. The flowers of many varieties are loaded with nectar, making them attractive to bees and birds.
Ericas are commonly referred to as “heaths” or “heathers”, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, but also by some New Zealanders. Ericas are renowned for their ability to endure hot sun and poor soil, making them ideal for the sandy areas of Whanganui. They will grow in any well-drained soil and will handle full sun or a part-shade situation. They prefer an acidic soil, so use acid fertiliser to feed them as you would camellias, rhododendrons and daphnes.
Proteas: Proteas are recognised around the world. Proteas produce a long-lasting flower display and are an excellent cut flower. Proteas are sometimes referred to as “sugar flowers” because of the high nectar levels the flowers can produce. Thus they are highly attractive to birdlife such as tūī, bringing them into the garden. The flowers of proteas are produced during the winter months and are among some of the larger in regular home garden cultivated plants.
Leucadendrons: Leucadendrons generally grow 1-2.5m in height and width. The flowers look like they are an extension of the stem with a kind of cone, sitting below the leaf-type bracts, that is not seen unless the plant is viewed close up. As the cold of winter sets in, the flowers become more obvious with the leaves intensifying in colour to put on a real show. The colours vary from creamy yellows to orange-yellow to intense reds. One of the most well-known and widely grown leucadendron varieties is Safari Sunset. It has boldly coloured red bracts and is a strong plant, excellent for cut-flower production and as a garden specimen.
Miniature cyclamen: One of the most prolific flowering plants is the bold, bright, colourful cyclamen. They are popular colour plants to grow during the winter months. They start throwing flower buds as the weather cools in March and continue in mass profusion into September. As a result of selective breeding, a range of cyclamen is available. In addition to the bold, bright single colours of red, violet, white and many shades of pink, there are some with frilled flowers, butterfly double-type flowers as well as variation in leaf marbling (colour).
Do you have a gap in your garden? Choose one of these to bring some colour, joy and even fragrance into your garden during the winter months.
For more gardening information, go to www.springvalegardencentre.co.nz
