Honeysuckle Plant 'Copper Beauty'

• Scented flowers in winter
• Deciduous shrub
• Good early nectar source for bumblebees
• Low-maintenance

Lonicera 'Fragrantissima' is a deciduous shrub that comes into its own in winter, producing producing small but incredibly scented creamy white flowers on bare branches from mid-winter to early spring, followed by red berries. This low-maintenance shrub is a good early nectar source for bumblebees. It makes a good background for other plants during the rest of the year.

Plant in a sunny, sheltered position near a doorway or path so that the winter fragrance can be appreciated as you pass. It prefers a fertile, humus-rich soil. Water regularly in the first year after planting while the plant is getting established.

Prune established shrubs after flowering, cutting back the flowered shoots to vigorous sideshoots. Cut back one in every three stems to ground level to promote new growth.

Mulch around the base of the plant with compost or well-rotted farmyard manure in spring.

When to plant and what to expect at different times of the year

You can plant hardy shrubs, trees and perennials at any time of the year avoiding the two extremes of heat and cold. During the summer months when it is hot and dry the need for watering becomes crucial to aid successful establishment and in the winter when the soil is frozen the plants will not be in active growth either above or below ground and risk getting cold damage. The same is true on the stage or growth you can expect your plants to be delivered in and this will be directly related to the time of year and the season.

When ordering through the year, here’s a summary of what to expect when receiving your plants:

Spring Months: Plants supplied in spring will be starting to show signs of active growth above and below ground.

Summer Months: Plants supplied in the late summer will be more advanced in size and flower stage

Autumn Months: In the autumn plants will be changing colour, showing signs of leaf colour breakdown and be preparing to shut down for winter.

Winter Months: Plants ordered and supplied during the winter months will be dormant and therefore may not be showing growth above the soil level or consist of bare branches with no leaves or bare roots with no soil.

These are all perfectly normal and natural for these types of plants growing in the northern hemisphere. All will still have a very healthy root system that can be planted when the weather is favourable by keeping the new soil level equal to the pot level and therefore not covering the crown of the plant at all. Planting during the autumn and winter months will allow for early establishment in the season and a bigger and better display throughout the main growing season. For more information on our plant sizes click here.