My harbinger of spring – Viburnum x burkwoodii

As winter draws to a close, my attention is focused on the swelling flower buds of the Viburnum x burkwoodii which is very deliberately positioned close to my kitchen door.  I know that as soon as these buds burst open and release the (almost overwhelming) fragrance, that winter is well and truly behind us.

I tend to use Viburnums a lot in my garden design projects, a very reliable genus, adding so much interest to a garden in winter and spring.  V. x burkwoodii is a semi-evergreen, which means that is can hold some leaves in winter, although mine does seem to shed.  It can grow to approximately 2.5 m high and has a similar sized spread (if left un-pruned).  The wonderful attribute of this shrub is, that it is very happy to be in a partially shady spot, obviously the sunnier the position, the larger it will grow and more floriferous it will be. 

Late winter flowering shrubs, such as Viburnums are invaluable in the garden and should be positioned somewhere close to a path or the house, so that the delicious scent can be enjoyed easily, especially on a miserable spring day.

There are some other notable cultivars, such as V. x burkwoodii ‘Anne Russell’ which is a slightly more compact variety and is still as beautifully scented.  V. x burkwoodii ‘Mowhawk’ has been bred to have more strongly scented flowers and better autumn colour, but I have yet to try it.  Do add Viburnums to your shrub list, this time next year you will be cheered up by the spectacular scent!