10 award-winning (AGM) scented plants for winter
A surprising range of plants not only flower in winter but bring the whole garden alive with their scent, especially on days when the sun peeps through
Early-flowering plants help turn winter in the garden from bleak emptiness into being a pleasure to step outside and look around. Some can also add a whole new layer of enjoyment to the winter garden with fragrance.
We’ve picked ten, seasonal RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) winners for their colour and fragrance. It pays to give them all a cosy, sheltered situation to bring out the best of their scent.
The richest in colour of the winter irises, the strongly primrose scented, rich violet blue flowers of Iris unguicularis ‘Mary Barnard’ open from November to February among slender evergreen foliage. There is a lively, gold-centred white flash on three of the petals. Best in well-drained soil at the foot of a sunny wall. Tidy up the leaves before flowering and protect from slugs. Height to 30cm (1ft). Hardiness rating H5.
Crocus sieberi ‘Bowles’s White’. Isn’t this a treasure? Pure white flowers shading to gold in the throat with the vivid contrast of orange-red anthers. “The best white and orange spring crocus I know,” said the great plantsman EA Bowles who raised it. Flowers from January, and best grown in a pot of gritty
Skimmia × confusa ‘Kew Green’ has exceptionally large cone-shaped clusters of flowers which are green at first then mature to cream. They open over a long season in late winter and spring with the modestly sized evergreen plants producing a surprisingly powerful scent – but unlike many other skimmias it bears no fruits. Very presentable, aromatic foliage. Happy in shade. Height to 1m (3ft). Hardiness rating H5.
An essential winter evergreen, sweet box (Sarcococca confusa) has neat glossy foliage on upright growth. These smart little leaves almost hide the small creamy flowers which line the stems – but their exceptional fragrance gives them away. Performing as soon as the sun peeps out on even the iciest days, it thrives in sun or partial shade and most soils. Black berries follow the flowers. Height to 90cm (3ft). Hardiness rating H5.
From early December even into April, Lonicera × purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’, a prolific winter bush honeysuckle opens its creamy flowers on bare stems. An adaptable and tolerant plant for sun or a little shade, its out-of-flower look is unremarkable but it makes a good host for a summer-flowering Viticella clematis. The fragrance of its winter flowers however, is exceptional, and it makes a valuable addition to winter bouquets. Height to 1.8m (6ft). Hardiness rating H6.
The large, black-eyed, upward facing white flowers of Ipheion ‘Alberto Castillo’ feature an appealing grey stripe through the back of each petal and have a strong honey scent. Good in pots or in a sunny site for late winter and spring, and also good for cutting. The greyish foliage smells of garlic when crushed. Height to 18cm (7in). Hardiness rating H5.
Surprisingly, perhaps, many witch hazels provide us with little or no scent – so depriving us of one of winter’s special pleasures. However, the rich yellow-orange flowers of Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Vesna’, redder at the base of the petals, feature an unusually strong scent from December through to March – not to mention fiery autumn leaf colour. Its rather upright habit suits small gardens. Height to 3m (10ft). Hardiness rating H5.
A few snowdrops are noted for their special fragrance, and the honey scent of Galanthus ‘Magnet’ is at its most noticeable as the outer petals rise to the horizontal on sunny days. A most elegant snowdrop, the large flowers have an inverted green ‘V’ on the inner petals, hang on distinctive long, arching stems and tremble in the slightest breeze. Height to 20cm (8in). Hardiness rating H5.
Chimonanthus praecox ‘Luteus’. Trained against a south or west facing wall, where the sun-ripened shoots will bloom most prolifically, the sweet scent of the clusters of unmarked yellow flowers wafts around the garden in late winter. The foliage is aromatic, too. Prune immediately after flowering for the best show and the most concentrated perfume. Appreciates well-drained soil, and is happy on chalk. Height to 2.4m (8ft). Hardiness rating H5.
My pick of a trio of AGM varieties of the wonderful Viburnum bodnantense (the others are Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’ and Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’) is Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Deben’. Its pink