In previous years, it has bloomed in January. But because of an unusually cold winter it has just flowered.
You don't have to search the garden to know when they have bloomed, even if they are hidden away in some remote part of your garden: your nose will lead you straight to this deciduous shrub.
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Not every plant has it all, and winter honeysuckle doesn't get high marks for shape or form. Its stiff branches grow at weird angles. The photos below show mine today, before the leaves have emerged and the tree leaves cleaned away from the base.
Even after it leafs out, the winter honeysuckle is not a handsome plant. But now that I've told you all the negatives, I'll tell you why it's so great having one, or several.
You cannot believe how fragrant they are! It's difficult to describe, different from wild honeysuckle, not as sweet, but richer and fuller.
To go outdoors and be greeted by this lovely scent will make your day!
I have three plants, strategically planted around the property so that I'm never out of range of the smell when they are in bloom. I started with one plant, but sprouts came up and I dug them up and transplanted two. I gave away a few as well.
Once I rake away the leaves, I'm going to see if there any new babies that have formed. I long for a row of this plant along the fence line at the back of the house.
Now please excuse me while I go get high on the scent of winter honeysuckle!
My last house had a Jasmine outside the kitchen window,whatever the weather in late January the window was flung wide to drink in one of the first scents of the year...thank you for reminding me of what I am missing ;)
ReplyDeleteLike the irregularly angles, perfection in a garden is totally not for me!
Hope you manage to spend some time in your garden over the w/e.
To have fragrant plants just outside the window is heavenly. I hope you find something to plant that is very fragrant. Love jasmine. I have one but not sure at this point that it survived the winter. Time will tell. I did a bit of cleanup late Saturday but it's raining Sunday morning.
DeleteYour gardening knowledge impresses me so much! I'll have to see if I can find someone who has Winter Honeysuckle around here. It sounds delightful!
ReplyDeleteI don't feel all that knowledgeable on gardening at all. I've just dug in my heels all these years and pressed on. It's mostly trial and error. I did take the master gardeners class and learned a lot.
Deletehearing about this plant makes me wish i had room for it. maybe i could sneak one into the common area beds? ;)
ReplyDeleteYou'll be glad you did! I rarely see them offered for sale in local nurseries. Have seen them in the mail order catalogues. Best to find a friend who has one and look for a sprout.
DeleteI like the looks of your bush ( es ). If they have fragrance, even better.
ReplyDeleteIt will take ages until we have anything blooming here in the north.
Fragrance in a plant is important to me. I'm always on the lookout for them. If they also are white,then I'm sold! This plant is great because it blooms so early, usually long before anything else.
DeleteI gather from some gardening books I've seen that some people choose their plants for the fragrance. Bill prefers shrubbery to flowers, but I've always wanted the colour that flowers brings. Lately I've become quite sentimental about white flowers though, and about roses and lavender. I've yet to find the larger iris bulbs I want. Your honeysuckle does sound devine though. I once planted some alyssum in the border of my front flower garden that turned out to be quite fragrant, people used to comment on it when they came to my front door. I don't think my sense of smell is very good as I rarely noticed it.
ReplyDeleteSo many of the shrubberies also have flowers as well, which makes them winners in my book. Love white flowers too. My sense of smell seems to be quite good, fortunately. Sweet alyssum is such a sweet little annual but for some reason doesn't do well for me.
DeleteHaven't smelled mine yet but going right now to check on it. Agree with you on appearance but the fragrance makes up for the looks. I pruned mine so drastically last year it may not bloom.
ReplyDeleteEven if it doesn't bloom this year I'll bet it will be prettier and more vigorous next year. That one by our back door is the very first plant planted when we moved in our house. Pam R gave it to me.
DeleteI think what I have creeping is Jasmine.. it looks very similar..and gives a nice smell, but its yellow. I am not well up on names of plants.. i am slowly learning.
ReplyDeleteThe nursery that i go to,is not getting much custom, and her flower show..is less and less. so i will have to try another one.
must have a honeysuckle..
Nice post Sanda.
Happy sunday
valxxxx