Sarcococcus confusa (Christmas Box)

Sarcococcus confusa, also called Sweet Box or Christmas Box because of the small but fragrant white flowers produced around this time of year, is an evergreen shrub suitable for container planting as it only grows to a maximum of 6ft tall with a spread of 3ft.
The rather insignificant flowers of this dense evergreen shrub produce a wonderful winter fragrance so plant it near to the house, preferably in a spot sheltered from drying cold winds. The leaves are small, oval and a glossy dark green. The clusters of fragrant white flowers produced in midwinter are followed by small glossy black berries.
A hardy plant which prefers a shaded or semi shaded spot, it likes a moist but well drained, fertile, humus-rich soil but will tolerate atmospheric pollution and a little neglect.
Earlier this year I bought a small specimen which I have planted in a pot and placed against a low wall near to the log store. This should be a good place to appreciate the winter fragrance whilst collecting wood for the fire. 

Spring Lawn Care

Last year's wet summer and the long cold winter have left my lawn looking a bit worse for wear. Spring has arrived late this year so I need to catch up on some essential lawn maintenance. The moss problem which already existed was made worse by long spells of very wet weather. My lawn is old and has a build up of thatch which needs removing with a lawn rake in autumn to improve the surface drainage. This wasn't done last autumn so the moss problem has worsened. Spring is the time to apply a proprietary feed, weed and moss killer. The moss turns black as it dies off and can then be raked out. The lawn feed encourages the grass to thicken up and fill any gaps left by the removal of the moss, with the weed killer discouraging the spread of weeds. If you like to garden organically the moss can still be raked out and an organic lawn food then applied. Weeds can be dug out by hand using a daisy grubber. Use a garden fork to spike the lawn and brush in gritty sand to help improve surface drainage and discourage the growth of moss.
The lawn needs regular cutting to keep it looking good. The first cut of Spring should be with the mower blades set high - about one and a half inches. Once the grass has been cut a few times the blades can be lowered. Aim for a height of about three quarters of an inch for a fine lawn, but as my grass is a bit coarser I find setting the blades at a height of one inch gives the best result. Regular mowing produces a denser, greener, hard wearing lawn. The lawn edges also need attention as they tend to become worn and untidy. Neaten them using the back of a spade or a half moon lawn edger to give a clean sharp edge which can be kept neat with lawn edging shears or a strimmer.
One last note - if you cut the grass shortly after using a lawn weedkiller, only add the cuttings to the compost heap if you are not going to use the compost for at least six months.     

Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Corkscrew Hazel)

Although my garden is only medium sized I have a habit of buying plants as if I had a much larger garden. As a result I have a lot of plants in containers. My two largest containers have been used to grow small trees, a Japanese Maple and a Corkscrew Hazel. While the Japanese Maple appears to be quite happy in its container, the Corkscrew Hazel seemed to be struggling so last October I made the decision to transplant it into the Woodland border at the bottom of the garden. Two dead hawthorn trees had been removed from this border so there was plenty of room for the Hazel to grow.
It is a slow growing tree with a shrubby habit which will eventually reach about 8 feet in height. Hopefully this will make a lovely feature tree for the winter as its stems twist and spiral as they grow, giving it the name of Corkscrew or Twisted Hazel. The sculptural stems are further enhanced by 2 inch long pale yellow catkins which appear in late winter/early spring. Hazels will grow in any well drained soil in sun and partial shade.
Propagation can be done by layering. This involves selecting a healthy side shoot which is one or two years old and bending it down to soil level, keeping the growing tip held upwards. The bent shoot can be secured in position by a U shaped pin or by stones. To encourage rooting an oblique cut should be made in the stem where it contacts the soil. A dusting of hormone rooting powder can be beneficial. The new plant can be severed from the parent plant when a decent root system has formed. This can take a year or two.