THIS deliciously scented shrub is a must for the winter garden, particularly if it's planted near your patio or next to a pathway, where you can appreciate its fragrance as soon as you step outside.
Clusters of white, tubular flowers with prominent yellow anthers cling to bare branches in the depths of winter, followed by red or black berries, but it is insignificant in the warmer months so plant it among shrubs which are more interesting in the summer months.
The winter honeysuckle thrives in fertile, moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade and welcomes a thick mulch of organic matter round the base each spring. Good varieties include L. fragrantissima, Purpusii 'Winter Beauty' and L. x standishii 'Budapest'.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
:: Buy broad beans for sowing under cloches at the beginning of next month.
:: If your seed compost is kept in a cold place, bring it under cover a day or two before use to warm it up.
:: Move pots containing vulnerable plants under cover if severe frosts are forecast.
:: Service your lawnmower while you do not need it.
:: Ensure that fuchsias kept in green leaf in the greenhouse get maximum light and are not becoming leggy.
:: Create new planting areas for heathers, mixing peat substitute, sand and pea grit into heavy clay soils to improve texture.
:: Water hippeastrums planted last month and keep them warm and moist as they grow.
:: Order summer-flowering bulbs and tubers now from reputable suppliers.
:: Replace ties which have rotted around climbing plants and add extra if required.
:: Feed fan-trained peach and nectarine trees with a balanced fertiliser or blood, fish and bone, to encourage new shoots.
