The fragile petals of many winter bloomers release exquisite fragrances into the crisp air, writes Jane Powers
The sight of winter cherry blooming on bare branches has to be one of the most exquisite things you're likely to see on a dull January day. The pale-pink, fluttery flowers of Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis' have a vulnerable look as they emerge along the naked twigs, unaccompanied by a single leaf. The lack of protective foliage gives them the quality of a mad and marvellous vision - like someone appearing out on a cold winter day clad only in pyjamas or a light cotton dress.
Actually, there are several such miraculous (and welcome) apparitions at this time of the year, when certain trees and shrubs come into flower while they are still without leaves. Among the viburnums that bloom on bare wood, and that you are likely to find in a garden centre, are V x bodnantense 'Dawn' and V farreri. Both have clusters of tiny flowers smelling strongly of hyacinths, an odour that some noses rejoice in but that is a tiny bit over-cloying for mine (I like it outside, but don't bring flowering stems into the house). The blossoms of 'Dawn' are pink, while those of V farreri (which is one of the parents of the former) start off as rose-flushed buds that open white.
Pink is a pleasing colour for winter petals that are at eye level or above it, because, on the rare days when we have clear skies, the cool pink and blue tones combine to make a crisp and sugary picture. In the absence of any real snow in this country, these clean pastels somehow satisfy the craving for icy brightness that inhabits our winter-bound imaginations.
As it happens, at this time of the year, very few other woody bloomers are pink. Some camellias and heathers fit the description, but all are evergreen, and the presence of leaves negates the exquisite fragility of a flower going it alone in the bleak chill. Most pink-flowered winter daphnes are also evergreen, but some are deciduous. Daphne bholua 'Gurkha' is a form that was originally collected in 1962 at 3,200m in eastern Nepal by Maj Tom Spring-Smyth, a Gurkha officer. And D mezereum, which flowers a little later, in early spring, has pink or purplish flowers. It is a native of the Caucasus, Siberia and Europe, including parts of England, where it is known as paradise plant or mezereon. In Lincolnshire the red berries of "mazeerie" were traditionally ingested as a cure for haemorrhoids - which is both puzzling and horrifying, as the fruits are extremely poisonous. Needless to say, please don't try this at home.
Daphnes are famous for their very strong scent: it is particularly noticeable on a still day, when the tiny trumpets emit a powerful whiff. The two varieties mentioned above are both gorgeous-smelling shrubs, but the most highly perfumed is the evergreen D bholua 'Jacqueline Postill', a seedling of 'Gurkha' selected in 1982 by Alan Postill at Hilliers Nursery in Britain, and named after his wife. It is not quite as hardy as the deciduous kinds, so, if yours is a cold or exposed garden, give it a little bit of shelter. Daphnes have a reputation for being fussy, and sometimes just "up and die" when in full bloom, or go into a slow and inexplicable decline. But their fragrance is so beautiful that gardeners should take the risk and enjoy them while they can.
Many winter-flowerers are blessed with scent: it is their way of advertising to the few-and-far-between bees that they are open for business. Bumblebees are more common than honeybees during the cold months, as the latter have laid up a store of food to keep them going. The hungry insects follow the scent to find the flowers, then unwittingly fertilise them by transferring pollen to stigma. Some months later fruits are formed. These, in turn, act as lures for birds, which eat them and, a few hours afterwards, deposit the seed in a new location, away from the parent plant. Shrubs and trees have it all worked out: they never budge, but they've got the animal kingdom doing all their fetching and carrying.
Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), from China, is another shrub that blossoms odoriferously during these months, with odd, glassy-looking, yellowish flowers, tinged purple-brown at the base. It is slow to produce blossom, so you'll wait several years before you can experience its spicy, violet perfume. It grows to about three metres wide and tall, so it is not suitable for small gardens. The whippy bits can be pruned back after flowering, but it is recommended not to do so before the event, as this might delay its propensity to bloom.
Wintersweet flowers on bare wood, as does another usually-yellow-flowered, and slightly larger shrub: witch hazel (Hamamelis). There are dozens of varieties, but the more readily available kinds include the yellow species
H mollis, the yellow 'Pallida' (which is also one of the finest smelling) and the coppery 'Jelena'. All have ragged, spidery petals, and most have warm autumn leaf colour. Add plenty of organic matter (garden compost, leaf mould, well-rotted manure) to the soil at planting time, and prune if necessary in early spring, after flowering.
Another yellow bloomer is winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), which pops out its canary-coloured stars from arching, dark-green stems. It needs the support of a wall or arch and is a "leaner" rather than a climber. Despite being of the same genus as some powerfully perfumed flowers, it is completely without aroma. But don't be put off by that: this western Chinese native is dead easy to grow and will put up with any amount of ham-fisted hacking at most times of the year. Avoid the variegated form called 'Aureum', though - unless you like the look of a permanently sick plant covered in yellow splotches.
Another winter-interest shrub that is prone to yellowing is skimmia. Its chlorosis, however, is unintentional, and may occur in overly dry conditions or when there is a lack of nutrients. Green can be restored to the leaves by drenching the soil around the roots and mulching with well-rotted manure. Skimmias produces sweet-smelling, frothy heads in February, which are followed by long-lasting, waxy red berries. Most varieties are dioecious: male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, so you need a pair of shrubs to make berries.
S japonica subsp reevesiana, however, is hermaphrodite, and can do the business all by itself.
One of the most curious of winter bloomers is the Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica), from northern Iran. It has no scent and, indeed, no petals. Its flowers consist of bundles of red stamens, and they emerge in January from their brown suede buds like leggy, flushed insects struggling from their cocoons. You wouldn't give such a subtle display a second glance in summer, but at this time of the year each little energetic flower deserves a cheer. jpowers@irish-times.ie