Garden Scent, Pruning the Juniper and the Scarecrow's Arms.

The Wintersweet has serendipitously wriggled and wiggled it’s way up the wall and put on a scented display outside the open window of suite 1. Normally grown as a shrub, previous gardeners have strategically turned a blind eye allowing it to chimney it’s way through Wisteria and Honeysuckle, to eventually proffer it’s sweet all spice perfume to the guests of suite 1. It was planted in about 1959 and by 1994 Mrs. Verey wrote how it had scaled the house wall. I’m always envious of January residents of this room as I look up at the house; but before I get this far, upon entering the garden from the lane, I’m arrested by the scent of Mahonia japonica Bealii Group.


Mahonia japonica bealii Group.

A prosaic name that doesn’t convey this shrub’s ability to fill it’s neighbourhood with the softest yet most potent intoxicating Lily of the Valley scent possible. Waxy lime washed sulphur yellow flowers adorn this architectural evergreen. Another scented shrub is the Christmas Box, Sarcoccocca confusa, with tiny and very inconspicuous flowers; but not many parts of the garden are without it's honey perfume, it grows very well in the limey soil of this area and loves the shelter of the old wall, where the scent can linger. 


One job, last week, was the annual styling of the Pfitzer Juniper in Bed 4. I call it styling due to the fact that we don't trim or shape it; but take out the longer growth back to shorter side growth, thereby reducing the overall size and volume of the shrub without it having a disciplined topiarized look about it. I think it's the layering technique that hairdressers talk about; although my head is more glabrous than hirsute! This Juniper has a naturally upswept form and Mrs. Verey took advantage, clearing the basal growth to create a table top, allowing plants such as Snowdrops to grow around it's feet. It also gives a uniquely quirky element of structure to this part of the garden and highlights the need for this slightly more relaxed, unfussy treatment that a good tight clip would never achieve, quintessential Barnsley gardening. 

Before.

After.

In the Potager the scare crow had lost his straw arms and hands, Ralph came to the rescue by bundling together red Dogwood stems, absolute brainwave! Whilst discussing this anatomical rescue, the new mown hay perfume of nearby Sweet Woodruff, bruised by frost could be detected, a really unique scent that not many get to experience; a real treat that always makes me smile.

Scarecrow's new arms.