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Late Winter Fragrance and Flower in the Garden

25 January 2012

While the evenings are still dark and Spring seems a little way off, the Garden is waking up. As you walk around you will be hit by the sweet fragrance and colour of late winter flowers.

Helleborus x hybrida

Helleborus x hybrida growing outside the Welcome Lodge

At our Welcome Lodge this year Sarcococca humilis is full of flower and berries and is combining with Prunus mume ‘Beni-chidori’ to create a heady perfume. Growing at the foot of these shrubs, the Helleborus x hybrida are once again flowering well in a range of colours from white to deep purple.

Aspidistra attenuata is a new addition to the Garden and is planted at the beginning of the pollination display as a representation of plants pollinated by mushroom gnats. If you look down into the base of this plant you will see a small white flower. Mushroom gnats live on and under the surface of the soil and the plant has evolved to flower close to its pollinator.

In the Chinese Herb Garden Cornus officinalis is showing its yellow flowers on bare stems. The fruits of this plant have been used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of inner ear diseases.

Cornus officinalis

Cornus officinalis growing in the Chinese Herb Garden

Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ has flowered well this year and you will smell it before you see it. Positioned towards the rear gates at the end of our phylogeny display the clusters of flowers with a white centre and pink tinged underside, produce a scent that is one of the highlights in the Garden at this time of year.

In the the Tropical Zone of the Glasshouses Victoria 'Longwood Hybrid' has over wintered and is still producing new flowers and leaves. The parents of this hybrid are native to equatorial regions of Brazil and is used to consistent light levels throughout the year, so to get through our dark winter is an achievement.

Also in the Tropical Zone our Theobroma cacao, or Cocoa Tree, has two large cocoa pods which contain the beans that are the main ingredient of chocolate. Certainly a popular plant!

We look forward to seeing you at the Garden.