EVEN in this cold month of January there are plants that can liven up more or less any garden to make it a flowery, scented and colourful winter wonderland.

One of the first perennial bulbs to pop up around this time of year is the Galanthus Plicatus, otherwise known as the snowdrop. A carpet of snowdrops, with their dainty, nodding, delicately scented white flowers, look so lovely grown beneath trees and shrubs or naturalised in turf.

Another plant worth having around this time of the year is the Lonicera, or the shrubby honeysuckle, with its wonderfully scented flowers. This shrub grows to a height of 6ft with clusters of small white flowers.

The Sarcococca Hookeriana, the Christmas Box or Sweet Box, is a useful small shrub for a small garden. This is an evergreen shrub with lovely dark green, glossy leaves and clusters of very small honey-scented, pink-tinted white flowers.

If I had to choose, I'd say my favourite winter flowering shrub has to be the Chimonanthus Praecox, Winters Weet, because of its glorious powerful scent. It also has interesting small and waxy-looking yellow flowers and will grow to a height of 12ft.

A winter flowering perennial that I adore, and think is a must for lovely winter flowering interest, is the Helleborus Niger, also known as Christmas rose. This beauty has white saucer-shaped flowers that are sometimes tinged with pink, and it flowers from winter to early spring.

The Helleborus Orientalis, better known as the Lenten rose, comes in a variety of interesting dusky colours and flowers from mid-winter through to spring. And after the Helleborus have finished flowering, they continue to provide evergreen interest for the rest of the year with their architectural leaf form. Helleborus prefer a dapple, shaded site where the soil doesn't dry out too much.

So those shady spots in the garden can really come to life with some winter flowering plants to provide colour interest in the garden over the cold, dark months.

For more hints and tips visit Judy's website at http://www.gardendesigner.co.uk

January 22, 2003 14:30