In all departments that is – whether its visitors numbers to the World Garden or the weather & subsequent plant performances. The upbeat turn of meteorological events is being defiantly displayed by the best ever show of sunny yellow winter aconites followed swiftly by the delicate snowdrops. I have never seen a show like this before – in fact Dad reckons the best flowering performance since the bulbs were planted by my Late Granny Lady Zoe Hart Dyke, some 60 years ago. Perhaps the recent cold snap enhanced their flower power! Who knows? Hey what with all of this “global warming” in a few years time snowdrops will be invading the UK properly!!

Clearing the brambles & saplings around the snowdrops a couple of years back thus increasing light and air movement & making sure we NEVER mow the area till the leaves have completely turned brown – thus the goodness returning to the bulb, may also have been factors in their change of fortunes.

Snowdrop with the, I think romantic Latin name - that slides deliciously off my sandpapery tongue - of Galanthus nivalis are such a well loved British Native Plant. Or are they? Well loved of course but native? This might come as a bit of a shock to some of you bloggers that Snowdrops are now officially NOT native to South East England including of course Kentish soil. In fact the only region in the UK that snowdrops MAY be native to is parts of the South West & Wales. But nobody seems to be sure. They have been linked with the Romans who may have introduced them. Natively they do however grow on mainland Europe: Whether a native or not snowdrops have knocked my horticultural socks way off-line this year.
In addition bloggers – I only recently laid my brain cells on the fact that not all types of snowdrop flower in winter – Galanthus reginae-olgae subsp. reginae-olgae flowers in September & October!

Ho Hum bloggers back to tidying up the World Garden for me. With only 8 weeks till we open I’d bet get cracking.

Tom The Plant Nut. X

This is otherwise, in Latin, known by the strange name of Sarcococca and will keep your chilled Rudolph endowed red nose happy with its naughty tickling sensuous scent.

Sarcococca from the Box family (Buxaceae) are commonly referred to as Christmas Boxes & contain 14 evergreen species native to East & SE Asia – From Afghanistan to China and to the Philippines. Two hardy, shrubby species are readily available in the UK in the form of Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna and Sarcococca confusa. The former spreads by easily propagated suckers & grows to 5ft with a spread of at least 6ft, showing off slender, narrow leaves. The latter is smaller and denser in habit displaying dashingly glowingly glossy deep-green foliage. The leaves are so glossy in fact it’s like you’ve rubbed turtle wax on this “Sweet Box” instead of your car bonnet!

Both these plants are severely horticulturally endowed with enviable “flower arrangers’” foliage, spherical black berries and of course their most desirable asset; massively fragrant tiny white-pink flowers. Currently at Lullingstone blasting wafts of delicious scent are being deliciously flung throughout the garden, into the Polytunnels and occasionally into nearby St Botolph’s Church!!! At this time of year here at Lullingstone nothing bar the lonesome perfume laden solitary Daphne odora ‘Aureo-marginata’ can rival these nose blasting legends!!

But it’s even more of a mystery to me as to why these corkers are so underrated because these slow growing diamonds will happily grow on any fertile soil, even on solid chalk, whilst tolerating pretty dense shade or full sun provided there is some moisture backed up by good drainage - Heck try the challenging foot of a North-facing wall where they’ll romp away! Another bonus of these versatile scented stunners is there also fabulously easy in containers.

Furthermore, propagation is pretty straightforward: semi-ripe cuttings in summer or by seed in autumn & of course potted up Sarcococca ‘clump’ divisions or removed suckers are most desirable because they’ll establish the quickest!

Go on dear bloggers make your scent susceptible nasal hairs stand erect to attention – try a Spanking Sarcococca!

Especially as these flowers are on bare twigs and branches with the base of each flower displaying a glisteningly naughty red-coppery centre. It’s a weird eerie sight. I tell you what World Garden supporters – To amble around the garden and smell this delightful endowed small shrub really begins to banish those severely wintry thoughts – Such a release of joy!

“Witch Hazels” grow well in pots as well as in the open ground but dislike chalk and waterlogged sites – a neutral to acid soil is ideal. Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Orange Beauty’ – endowed with wacky orange petals - that look like your frazzled outward pointing hair after sticking your fingers in a live electrical socket!!! This variety is sublimely surreal when in full floriferous mode. Moreover the colder and crispier it becomes as Jack wields his cold hand – the more concentrated the spicy odour becomes. Simply fabulous and out of this world endowed flowers plant filled bloggers - A spooky mid-winter miracle.

Another great plant for winter interest is the Salix – or Pussy Willow family. We often take for granted Willows – assuming a lot of them to be aggressive water searching weeds – I certainly do. But there are loads of Willows with ornamental winter hues – firstly the miniature Salix lanata – the “Woolly Willow” from the mountains of Scotland – which is suitable for the alpine garden!! Secondly a miniature tree requiring a bit more space than Salix lanata and a real character with its pendulous silver leaves in summer is Salix acutifolia ‘Pendulifolia’. Fondling the softly furry stumpy caterpillar catkins of these two humdingers is quite a winter wonderland high!

Then there’s the small matter of the Dogwood Family – right now you can’t but help be impressed by Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ – I’m convinced that Granny used to put her warm fluffy slippers on, don the dressing gown in the middle of the wintry night and spray paint the stems a dazzlingly orangey - yellow glistening firework coloration. I’m also convinced that because of the cold December we’ve just experienced – ‘Midwinter Fire’ is fierier than ever!

Bloggers I’ve gotta go - I’m smouldering at the seams at the thought of all of these winter celebrities. Adios!

The Green Man.