Camellias, Mahonia, Clematis - Spring Marches On...

Camellia 'Noblissima'Camellias are amongst my favorite spring flowering plants. The site of these graceful, large evergreens, branches weighed down with their stunning blooms, is a highlight of garden visits for us over the next couple of months. These glossy leaved shrubs are very hardy given some shelter from cold winter winds, and the fat flower buds, full of the promise of spring, sit on the plants for months from the previous summer until they begin to break into flower. The soil in our garden is not suitable for them but I do grow some of the more compact varieties in big pots and they are always attractive even when they are not in flower. I feed them with Miracid, which is a liquid feed for plants that don’t like limy soil, each time I water them through the summer months and this keeps the leaves glossy and deep green as well as encouraging the plants to make plenty of flower buds.

Mahonia is another beautiful shrub that is flowering now. The stiff branches of jagged, architectural leaves take on reddish hues during the winter months and are crowned with drooping racemes of scented flowers. Once these have faded, fresh green new leaves explode from the branch ends and this is the time that Mahonias are vulnerable to late frosts. I like to keep some fleece handy to throw over mine if it is needed. Luckily the plants put up with gale force winds more easily!

I visited a friend who runs a small nursery a few days back and as we were walking through one of his poly tunnels, a very sweet scent hit me.  I spotted a few plants of Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Digyna’ that were flowering contently in the drier, protected conditions. The pinkish white flowers and long, olive green leaves of this beautiful evergreen make it one of the best plants for dry shade in a garden and like the Mahonia they are loved by bees. He also had a batch of Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ that were beginning to produce clusters of pale pink flowers with the strongest, sweetest of scents! This is a plant that I grew up with as it was a favorite in many of our grandparents’ gardens. It will grow in most soil types but needs full sun and shelter from cold wind directions. Like the Camellias, Daphnes appreciate a good mulch of leaf mold to keep their roots cool.

Our Viburnum tinus has done very well this winter and has been in flower since November. The flat clusters of white flowers appear from greenish white buds for months and I am tempted to plant the variety ‘Gwenllian’ in another part of the garden that is in shade a lot of the time. ‘Gwenllian’ has bright red buds through the winter that open to pinkish white flower clusters. The flowers contrast well with the deep green, wavy leaves and are a favorite with Mrs McGregor for her winter flower arrangements.

Each day as I walk around the garden there is something different to look at and note. The Clematis montana is covered in tiny flower buds just waiting to explode as soon as the weather warms and the double Snowdrops glisten white in the borders. Daffodils are pushing up through the soil everywhere and perennial Lungworts and Lenten Roses are in flower.

Despite the recent weather spring marches on!