Sensory Overload From The Winter Flowering Shrubs

Top Terrace, Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)

The bright colours from the summer flowering perennials and annuals have long gone and the colourful winter berries have all been eaten by the hungry wildlife but now, rather than a visual sensory overload it is the sensory receptors in the nose that are being spoilt by the sweet scent coming from the many winter flowering shrubs in the gardens.

Winter Flowering Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)

The Highly Scented Flowers Of Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)

The scent that drifts across the top terrace path of the quad is coming from the very fragrant winter flowering honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, this delicious sweet scent coming from its many creamy white flowers.

View Across The Quad To The Top Terrace

 

Winter Border, 5th May 2010

Another highly scented shrub in the gardens is Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill', the intense fragrant coming from the clusters of soft pink flowers that adorn its evergreen stems. Located in the bottom border of the quad and in the winter border by the path to the Linbury building, the scent actually stops people in their tracks who just have to lean in to the flowers and take a deep breath, inhaling its glorious scent!
The highly scented winter border was created in 2010, see blog entry 5th May 2010 'Three Borders In One Day', and, as can be seen from the photographs, has matured well. With the Daphne, which are now 6-7 feet tall, is Sweet Box (Sarcococca confusa), another evergreen shrub which has many small, sweet scented, white flowers along its stems, it is this combination of the two shrubs together that is creating a sensory overload on the nose in this area of the gardens.
 

5 Years On, Winter Border 5th February 2014

9 Years Later, Winter Border 2018

Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'

 Sweet Box (Sarcococca confusa)

The scent from the Sarcococca doesn't just stop at the end of the winter border it continues all along the path to the Linbury building. Nine years ago, 10th February 2009, the planting in the Linbury building borders was changed, the dead bamboo were dug out and replaced with Sarcococca and, as can be seen by the following photographs, has created a lighter entrance to the building, not too mention, a highly scented winter pathway. 

10th February 2009 In Front Of The Linbury Building

Digging Out The Bamboo 10th February 2009 In Front Of Linbury Building

9 Years Later, Front Of The Linbury Building, Sweet Box (Sarcococca confusa)