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Anyone else seeing signs of early Spring?

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  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited January 2023
    I like scent to come to me, not vice-versa.



    I like a free scent on a warm, still, summer's evening.  Today on a cold gusty January day, it came and hit me by surprise.
     
    The name of this plant is written in my gardening notebook, but just isn't coming.  Not especially rare.  I am spreading the original plant more widely by self-collected seed and cuttings.  Easy.


    Camelia "J C Williams".  

    I especially like single flowers.  Following the frosts and winds, there are more flowers lying on the ground.  And lots of buds still to come.




    Cyclamen coum.  

    I have a largish patches waiting to flower.  This one has seeded itself into my even larger patch of snowdrops.   White on white, shortly it will be barely visible.  If I can find it, I will move it to the mixed coum and hederifolia all-white patch in the summer.  




    Primrose.

    Looks a bit slug and weather beaten.  At this time of year we take pleasure from the smallest offerings however imperfect.  
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • I've got something similar to one of these - Sarcococca hookeriana (mine's called Purple Stem). I love it! 

    bédé said:
    I like scent to come to me, not vice-versa.



    I like a free scent on a warm, still, summer's evening.  Today on a cold gusty January day, it came and hit me by surprise.
     
    The name of this plant is written in my gardening notebook, but just isn't coming.  Not especially rare.  I am spreading the original plant more widely by self-collected seed and cuttings.  Easy.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - Sarcococca. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited January 2023
    Yes Sarcococca.  Multiple choice makes it easy.  I think mine is confusa.  I have it for scent, not flower, but "purple stem" and more colourful flowers looks worth squeezing in.

    Confusa might be worth a try as a box replacement.  I trim mine to keep them dense, but otherwise I just let them grow to ca 1.5m.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    @bede, I don’t think it is a good idea to grow C.coum and C.hederefolium together, the C.hed. Is far more rampant and will completely take over.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • I bought a Sarcococca only yesterday at my local garden centre after walking past and thinking "What is that wonderful smell?". I also would like a Daphne for the same reason  :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I can't smell it [sarcococca] at all. I can't smell lots of things though - the Osmanthus is fine if I stick my head right against it. It has buds on it, so another 6 weeks and I should have flowers there.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    Fairygirl said:
    I can't smell it [sarcococca] at all. I can't smell lots of things though - the Osmanthus is fine if I stick my head right against it. It has buds on it, so another 6 weeks and I should have flowers there.  :)



    I am anosmic to freesias.  All I can smell is a sort of cabbagey note.  I inherited this trait from my mother.  So, of course, I sympathise with you.

    Even things one can smell and taste, are they the same as other people rave about?
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited January 2023
    punkdoc said:
    @bede, I don’t think it is a good idea to grow C.coum and C.hederefolium together, the C.hed. Is far more rampant and will completely take over



    Don't be so negative.  Try it.  In my experience there is no problem.  Hederifolium does have bigger leaves, but when they flower at their respective times, I have found no problems.

    What is true, is white coum don't stand competition from snowdrops. I am trying to overcome this.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    I bought a Sarcococca only yesterday at my local garden centre after walking past and thinking "What is that wonderful smell?". I also would like a Daphne for the same reason  :)
    Daphne , I think laureola, grows wild near my daughter on the Chilterns. I have to shove my face in very close to get any scent.  I don't think it would do well on my acid soil.

    I have found Dahne odora variegata to have the best free scent, but I am averse to yellow variegation.  My loss.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
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