*| The Scented Qarden fjg 



earlier. Theoretically it likes a rich light soil, but on a 

 heavy soil it grows rampantly. All the attention it needs 

 is to prune back the flowering branches to within one 

 inch of the base in February (when the flowers are over), 

 leaving, of course, those needed to make more branches. 

 On poor soils an application of weak liquid manure when 

 the leaves are out, or mulching in October, is useful. 



Two of the winter-flowering shrubby honeysuckles 

 {Lonicera fragrantissima and L. Standishii) are sweetly 

 scented, but in a small garden one would certainly choose 

 L. fragrantissima. It takes very little space (it grows to 

 about six to eight feet) and spread out against a wall is 

 very attractive. Fresh green leaves abundantly produced 

 in mid-winter are always a joy, and the small golden- 

 stamened cream-coloured flowers give us rich honeysuckle 

 scent in January. The flowers are borne in pairs, but 

 so closely are they set together that they look like a 

 single flower. L. fragrantissima cannot be described as 

 free-flowering, but in the cold of January one is grate- 

 ful for the sweetly-scented flowers, almost concealed by 

 the leaves. L. Standishii takes up too much room where 

 space is limited, for it is a fair-sized bush (about six 

 feet high and quite four feet through). The flowers of 

 L. fragrantissima are well protected by the leaves, but 

 those of L. Standishii are unprotected, and, conse- 

 quently, they soon assume a brown shrivelled appearance 

 unless planted where there is shelter. In a mild January 

 several of the daphnes are in bloom. The best-known one 

 — Daphne mezereum — produces its deliciously fragrant 

 blossoms in colours ranging from pure white to deep 

 purplish pink. It remains in bloom for about two months. 

 But the best of the early-flowering daphnes is D. Japonica 

 18 



