Monthly Tips

January - Plant of the Month

Sarcococca - Sweet Box

It happened on Christmas eve this year. I walked up to the front door and a fragrance that I think of as the scent of winter wafted up to me. The Sarcococca was in bloom.

Sarcococca is not a subtle scent - it whacks you upside the head. Every year people come to my door in winter and ask what that incredible fragrance is. I point to the unassuming shrub by the front door with the glossy evergreen leaves. You have to really look before you notice the tiny white flowers dangling from the stems. They are scanty things to pack such a powerful scent.

[Sarcococca]

Even without the fragrance Sarcococca would be a top-notch plant. It is an evergreen shade plant that works wonderfully as a foundation plant for the north side of the house. It only grows to 4'-5' so it won't obscure the windows like the ubiquitous rhodies and camellias do. Add glossy deep green leaves, pest resistance and drought tolerance and you've got a plant that will work in any garden.

Sarcococca comes in several cultivars. My favorite is the hardest to find, S. hookeriana var. hookeriana. Mine is 10+ years old, 4' tall and about 5' wide. It needs little if any pruning. It is a similar size to the more common S. confusa and S. ruscifolia but the leaves of the hookeriana are narrower and my shrubs seem a bit denser. There is a dwarf variety, S. hookeriana var. humilis to 12-18". It is a slow grower so I'd plant it about 12"-18" apart.

Get yourself a Sarcococca and add some fragrance to your winter garden; you won't regret it.

January - Tip of the Month

Garden Show

The NW Flower and Garden Show is coming up at the beginning of February (2/3-2/7). I don't always go but when I do, the highlight for me is not the gardens (many of which aren't practical for real people) or all the shopping opportunities. What I love is all the talks. You can get a lot of gardening information for $16 (advance purchase), not a bad deal. I went to a lecture on tool care one year that was worth the cost of admittance. Below, I've listed a few seminars for each day that I thought looked particularly interesting.

Go to the website for more info and a complete list of seminars.

Take a little time this February and go to the garden show. You can learn a little about gardening and then go buy dahlia bulbs, strange garden ornaments, hot tubs (hard to fit in the car) and esoteric tools you didn't know you needed. What could be better?