A very long, forgettable name for a very unforgettable plant!

Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii ‘Profusion’ (also known by the less tongue twisting name of ’Beauty Berry’) is not for the faint hearted. Although one could be forgiven for thinking that the rather uninteresting green blob that it is for most of the year is nothing special at all. Yes my plant of the month is a boring green blob – but boring green blobs are needed in the garden – to act as a backdrop for other more extrovert plant divas. A green background is a very valuable commodity in the garden…

However that is not the full story – this shy, retiring shrub harbours a secret that becomes abundantly clear as the days get colder and the sun sinks lower. As everything else in the garden fades away, this ulgy duckling of the plant world suddenly turns into a swan and there amongst the falling leaves of this once green blob, hang clusters of metallic purple jewels - so vibrant – so shiny – so bead like that you will want to touch them to make sure they are real.

And although some may question how tasteful this shrub is or isn’t - no one can doubt that it’s truly a show stopper!

So what do you need to know about this plant…

Well firstly although hardy – in winters like the last two it could struggle if exposed so try and find a home for it in a sheltered position in full sun or dappled shade.

It grows big – so room is another point to consider – they grow to around 3 metres tall by 2.5 metres wide and also look great planted in groups so a big area is needed to make a show of these – however saying that – they also look very well on their own as a specimen so this all comes down to the amount of garden you can give over to it.

As for maintenance, just cut back one in five stems to the base every year in early spring.

With bronze leaves in spring, delicate pink flowers sprinkled over the green blob in summer and the most astonishing berries in autumn through to winter,  this really is a hard working shrub for your garden!

 - Jane

Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ – silk tassel bush

Fancy a winter waterfall in your garden?… This beautiful evergreen shrub will amaze you through winter and early spring with its stunning show of silver grey catkins. Like water on the verge of freezing,they cascade down the length of this vigorous specimen, shimmering in the light and creating a stunning effect.

However be warned – although beautiful, this shrub grows big – up to 4 metres tall by the same in width and doesn’t really do a lot the rest of the year apart from making an attractive dark green foil for other plants. So if you have a small garden, this perhaps isn’t the best plant for you. (An alternative if you have acidic soil could be Stachyurus praecox – it is slightly smaller than the Garrya and can be trained as a wall shrub).

It is best to grow your Garrya up against a wall that is protected from cold winds either in full sun or partial shade. This shrub also needs plenty of room around it so you can get the full benefit of its form. It requires little maintenance – just a light trim after flowering if needed and is tolerant of pollution and coastal conditions.

A beautiful choice for your winter garden!

Chimonanthus praecox – Wintersweet

This plant really lives up to its common name bearing cluster upon cluster of waxy yellow blooms with an inner smudge of maroon as though each bloom has been kissed by a mysterious, lipstick laden femme fatale before leaving the most delightfully sweet scent upon each flower  – there to linger all the way through the cold of winter.

A beautiful winter plant to grow up against a warm and sheltered wall in full sun ideally near a path where each flower can give off their scent to be enjoyed. This is an ideal plant to use in flower arranging as they have a long vase life and make the house smell divine! Pick the flowers in bud and they will open in no time in a warm room.

These highly scented flowers are produced on mature wood and it can take a few years before young plants produce any flowers – therefore it is best to not prune the plant until after it has started flowering and only then prune back flowering stems of well trained plants after flowering in the late spring.

Apply a 5-7cm thick mulch of well rotted garden compost or manure to the base of the plant in Spring.