Better Than Chanel

As a by-product of the severe dose of man-flu I enjoyed over the Christmas period, my normally reliable sense of smell deserted me completely. Aside from the positives of being immune to Ripley the dog’s personal habits, being unable to enjoy nature’s more pleasant olfactory pleasures was a real problem, particularly as one of my all-time favourite scented shrubs is just coming into its prime - Daphne bholua ‘Jaqueline Postill’... more simply known as Jaqueline to her friends!

Considering her inauspicious beginnings in the clearance section amongst various other garden centre scrag ends, my own Jaqueline has blossomed in an Eliza Doolittle-esque manner, from a scrawny undernourished twiglet into a handsome small shrub. She’s still a spotty youth in real terms; once fully grown she should double in size to approximately 2m but, like all Daphnes, she doesn’t do anything quickly which is why they aren’t cheap to buy. 

If you see one, though, snap it up and give it a prime position in decent soil, remembering that this a Himalayan plant used to open woodland – so, no hot dry spots.

Save those sun-drenched positions
for my other spring favourite – Coronilla
glauca. Although not quite possessing the same
X factor or refinement as Jaqueline, it’s certainly a toss-up as to which has the most beguiling fragrance – a fresh citrusy fragrance from the Coronilla against the rich, sweet perfume of Jaqueline. Personally, I’d like the luxury of blending the two flavours together, as I’m sure I could conjure up something that Lush. com would be proud of!

A plant native to the Mediterranean hillsides, Coronilla will thrive in any well drained sunny spot. Put it in the shade and you will consign it to a slow death. Mine is up against the house wall next to the front door where you can really appreciate its delicious nosegay and the bright and cheerful pea shaped flowers as you go into the house.

For chocoholics, there is one other spring flowering plant that you should definitely try – Akebia quinata. This is a perfectly hardy, semi-evergreen twiner which has beautifully marked 5-lobed leaves. Its crowning glory is the display of fantastic deep maroon flowers which festoon the plant at this time of the year, exuding what can only be described as pure eau de chocolate, a phenomenal scent which will have you craving for a fix of Dairy Milk! Again, don’t just plonk this one in the shade – give it a sunny spot and room to grow as it can get quite large.

There’s something special about plants that arouse our senses at the end of the winter and the three stars featured here are but the tip of the iceberg. There are many hundreds of amazingly scented spring flowering plants which are often overlooked because they don’t have the blousiness of the more obvious performers of the summer such as roses and jasmines. But, for an early kick-start to the season, can I suggest considering allowing some of these beauties into your garden – you might just find the elixir you need!