Sarcoccoca Confusa: lovely deep green shrub for deep shade. Extremely fragrant blooms in mid-winter. Great for cuts! 4 x 3 $3. I couldn't resist buying this one bush. It was only $3, and it will only need a very small hole which I can dig myself. I had it sitting on my table and enjoyed the beauty of its scent all day long.
I spent half of this past weekend in the Carolina First Convention Center at the Greater Greenville Master Gardeners Symposium. I was there with my botanical prints and paintings as one of 15 vendors, but I think I enjoyed myself as much as the participants in the symposium did!
When we walked into the vendor room on Friday afternoon for the first time, I was stunned by the beautiful spring fragrance in the air. There were flowering plants everywhere as most vendors were selling plants. The room smelled like HEAVEN!
I did not expect to leave the show feeling so refreshed, but it truly was inspiring to be with so many beautiful plants and bushes in the middle of winter. It was all I could do to restrain myself from buying at least 1/2 dozen bushes. Only two things stopped me. 1.) our van was already full, and 2.) our dirt is such hard clay that Tim has to dig all the holes for me now. (I didn’t think that after spending his weekend helping me with my show that he should have to take on another gardening project, since that’s not really something he enjoys.)
Here’s some photos of what I saw. I hope it will help to tide you over until spring arrives at your home. If you live in the North and are just dying for winter to end, why not plan a trip to your nearest indoor Botanical Garden? I think you’ll find it most inspiring as I did (and I was just in an enclosed convention hall!)
It was so invigorating to be around so many live plants.
I can't wait to go and visit Motlow Creek Gardens nursery in Campobello, SC. They've ordered a few bushes for me--I didn't want to buy the last ones in they had in stock since I was just a vendor. One of the two owners (who are twin sisters by the way) actually bought three of my small flowers-in-bottles giclee prints... she has such good taste! 🙂 http://www.motlowcreekgardens.com
An arrangement by B. B. Barns located in South Asheville, NC. http://www.bbbarns.com/
A Camelia bush in bloom. These bloom during the winter in my town. I planted three of these in our yard this past fall. Hopefully they'll make it through this unusually cold winter and bloom next year.
This is one of the bushes responsible for the beautiful fragrance I enjoyed all weekend. I think it's called a paper bush. I ordered one of these!
This is a smaller version of the same plant, shown by itself. It has a very architectural feel to the branches in winter when the leaves are gone. If you live in zone 7 and enjoy a fragrant garden, this bush is one you NEED to have in your yard. It blooms in February and March.
