Top 100 plants: Winter

1 Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis'
Perfectly formed, frilled pale pink blossom sprinkle through dark, bare tracery of branches for weeks of subtle flower from November until February. Easy to grow (7.5m/25ft).

2 Sarcococca confusa
Dark green, glossy foliage that looks handsome all year, with fragrant ivory flowers followed by black berries. Elegant and perfect for containers. Likes moisture (1.5m/5ft).

3 Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica
Dark, ferny foliage highlights a profusion of pendent, pale cream bells spotted in maroon. A saviour for early bees. Do not prune! South-facing wall (3m/10ft).

4 Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'
Scented clusters of waxy pink flowers and lavish foliage. Flowers in January. Good soil, warm position (3m/10ft).

5 Eranthis hyemalis
The winter aconite only opens its bright yellow globes in warm sunshine. Perfect under a tree or on a grassy bank (6cm/2in).

6 Helleborus x ericsmithii
Silver-washed, serrated foliage and white saucers on strong stems begin in midwinter before fading to rose pink. Part shade (30cm/12in).

7 Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost'
A charcoal study with striking, silk-textured, white bark and slate-black twigs. Good yellow leaves in autumn. Easy (18m/60ft).

8 Mahonia x media 'Winter Sun'
Radiating crowns of lemon yellow flower spikes above handsome, spiny foliage. The fragrant flowers light up shade and lift a November day (4m/13ft).

9 Ilex aquifolium 'Alaska'
A spiny holly with smaller olive-green leaves. Ideal for clipping into tight shapes, or for cloud-cut hedges. Forms a conical bush if left. Good drainage (3m-7.5m/10ft-25ft).

10 Galanthus 'S. Arnott'
Tall, elegant snowdrop with pearl-drop flowers. Loves a sunny bank and spreads well, but slow to establish at first (28cm/11in).

11 Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'
February needs this dramatic Japanese apricot with its dark branches clothed with almond-scented, madder-pink flowers. Accommodating (3m/10ft).


Eranthis hyemalis
12 Lonicera x purpusii 'Winter Beauty'
The most floriferous winter honeysuckle of all, with fragrant, creamy white flowers. Accommodating, flowers when young (2m x 2m/6.5ft x 6.5ft).

13 Iris unguicularis 'Mary Barnard'
An Algerian iris that starts in November and climaxes in a March extravaganza of violet-blue. South-facing wall (40cm/16in).

14 Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
A flickering bonfire of orange, pink and shot-silk twigs. Plant en masse where winter sun falls and thin the shoots lightly. Never cut back hard. Accommodating (1.5m/5ft).

15 Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Blue Spire'
Russian sage produces a winter skeleton of silver-white stems that rise up vertically from the ground. Good soil and a sunny position (1m/3ft).

16 Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'
The essential box for winter structure. Clip into tight shapes or low hedges in June. Repeat in September if needed. Good drainage (60cm-100cm/2ft-3ft).

17 Narcissus 'Cedric Morris'
Sun-loving, tiny daffodil that flowers by Christmas. Yellow flowers washed in green. Sun or woodland (20cm-30cm/8in-12in).

18 Euphorbia x martini
Velvety rosettes of weather-resistant, sage green foliage topped by spikes of lime flowers, each warmed by a tomato-red eye. Woodland (40cm/16in).

19 Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin'
Light up winter with this compact mound of evergreen leaves topped by startling ruby-red new shoots (2.4m/8ft).


Galanthus 'S. Arnott'
20 Jasminum nudiflorum
Winter jasmine peppers its stems with acid-yellow flowers from November. Easy to train if cut back hard after flowering. Accommodating (4m/13ft).

21 Hamamelis x intermedia 'Pallida'
Spidery flowers by early January; the sulphur-yellow ribbons are scented and stand out well. Deep soil (3m x 4m/10ft x 13ft).

22 Skimmia x confusa 'Kew Green'
Compact mound of evergreen foliage supporting conical heads of ivory-white buds. Shade-tolerant (1.5m/5ft).

23 Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'
Ground-hugging black, grass-like plant that flatters snowdrops or pale crocus. Add drama to containers by pairing with red cyclamen. Hot spot (8cm/5in).

24 Cotoneaster 'Hybridus Pendulus'
The weeping branches of this small, semi-evergreen tree are laden with berries that birds ignore. Good drainage (3m/10ft).

25 Azara microphylla
Chilean wall shrub with inconspicuous yellow flowers that pack a fragrant vanilla punch on a mild day. Sunny wall (5m/16ft).

Reader offer: Winter shrubs

Photinia 'Red Robin', £24.95; Skimmia 'Kew Green', £24.95; Lonicera 'Winter Beauty' £19.95; all three £44.85.

Call 0870 950 5926, quoting TL454 or send cheques to Telegraph Garden to Dept TL454, Rookery Farm, Joys Bank, Holbeach St Johns, Spalding, PE12 8SG.

Go for exotic flowers this V-Day

Rose may rule the roost on Valentine's Day, but if you want to make a statement this time or drop a romantic hint, pick up something more exotic - may be heliconia or anthurium or even an oriental lily


New Delhi: Cymbidium orchid, heliconia, hydrangea, anthurium, bird of paradise, oriental and Asiatic lilies are some of the choicest tropical varieties one can splurge on to pamper the beloved Feb 14.

"Valentine's Day is a very special occasion for love birds. Those who want to make it more special prefer exotic flowers over clichéd roses," Pawan Gadia, vice-president of the Ferns 'N' Petals Group and department head of e-commerce and retail, told IANS.

While the one-foot-long cymbidium stem that comes from Thailand costs Rs.1,500, hydrangea costs Rs.400, heliconia Rs.350 and oriental lily Rs.200, while Asiatic lilies, anthurium and bird of paradise are priced Rs.100 each.

"The urge among youngsters to be trendy, make a mark and even reflect their personality through the choice of flowers and gifts is also a reason that prompts youngsters to shell out extra bucks on these flowers for their love interests," he added.

However, the choice of colour remains restricted to red that signifies love and romance.

"Other than roses there is a high demand for flowers coming from overseas but in the red colour only. Red carnations are a hot favourite among those doing some last-minute shopping," said Sushma Arora, owner of Bunny Florists.

Shedding light on another facet, the president of Birju Phool Mandi, Birju Bhai Pradhan, quipped: "Actually those who love secretly and wish to express it indirectly give flowers other than roses to their love interest on this day."

Agreeing, Sriti Mishra, a call centre employee, said: "I am planning to drop a romantic hint to the person I am interested in by presenting him with some exotic flower on Valentine's Day. A rose would invariably be understood as a direct proposal."

Gadia also said the country's flower market estimates no less than Rs.4 billion. And exotic flowers account for about 25 percent of it.

"Compared to other special occasions like Mother's Day, the sale of flowers on V-Day is just double," he pointed out.

"Today's youth is well-travelled and has much knowledge about tropical flowers. Also, with more disposable income at their end and increasing fashion consciousness, the trend of gifting exotic flowers has a great future ahead," concluded Gadia.

Source: IANS

DU to celebrate its 50th year of 'Flower Show' on Feb 22

New Delhi: Delhi University (DU) will celebrate the 50th year of the inception of its annual Flower Show on February 22 later this month. The show, started in 1958, is expected to draw around four to five thousand visitors this year, a university official said.

The event will be organised in the lawns of the Social Science building in front of Daulat Ram College.

"This time we will add some flavour to the event. We will be organizing a painting competition on February 15 to spread awareness on environmental issues and inculcate love for flowers, trees and greenery," University Garden Committee Secretary, Mr. Rajesh Tandon said.

The show has invited school and college students from the city to participate in the event. The event includes a biology quiz, cut flower, pot flower and Rangoli competition among a total of 63 competitions.

"The event will be a 'mini-fair' kind. Even street plays will be staged on the occasion by college students and some professionals," he added. Lt Governor of Delhi Tejender Khann will be the chief guest.

The Delhi University has the great tradition of maintaining greenery in and around it's campus. The University's two campuses - the North Campus and the South Campus, are well decorated with parks and gardens. The famous parks of DU are Mughal Garden, Jawahar Vatika and the Platinum Jubilee Park. The DU hostels have also well maintained gardens.

It is worth noting that DU has a Conservatory of around 250 species of rare and medicinal plants. To look after the gardens and parks in the campus, a total of about 150 gardeners have been appointed.

Garden gifts for your Valentine

Stuck for what to get your loved one on St Valentine's Day? Elspeth Thompson has some gift ideas that won't wilt

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and garage forecourts up and down the country will be doing a brisk trade in tired daffs or jet-lagged lilies flown halfway round the world and marked up to double the price.

But it doesn't take much time and imagination to come up with a real romantic gesture - and one that will last longer than a few days.

When you think of all the waste associated with Valentine's Day - the throwaway cards, the yards of cellophane, not to mention the air miles clocked up by roses guaranteed to droop before they open - how much better to give a living plant as a present.

Potted plants are so much more suggestive of permanent affection than a bunch of flowers, and on a purely pragmatic level, they give much better value for money.

You could choose a houseplant - jasmine, stephanotis and gardenias are fragrant and glamorous, or a passionflower vine, perhaps wound round a support in the shape of a heart, would speak for itself.

Or how about something which can be planted out in the garden in a few weeks' time?

If it has to be red roses - and they are, after all, the classic "I love you" flower - you can't get better than an entire bush of them that promises years of pleasure and passion ahead.

Look through the catalogues of Peter Beales (www.classicroses.co.uk; 01953 454707) or David Austin (www.davidaustinroses.com; 01902 376300) for inspiration, from the dark velvety tones of 'Empereur du Maroc' and the neat modern climber 'Guinee' to the scarlet, single-flowered species Rosa moyesii or sweet, spicy-scented 'Souvenir du Docteur Jamain', beloved of Vita Sackville-West.

Some have names as beautiful and romantic as their flowers - check out fiery, floriferous 'Intrigue' or, if pink is preferable to red, coral-pink 'Belle Amour' or pink-tinged 'Cuisse de Nymph'.

The only problem with giving a rose bush at this time of year is that unless, like the bushes in our special free offer (see panel), they have been specially forced into bloom for Valentine's Day, the plants are unlikely to be at their most attractive.

In fact, most are likely to resemble a bundle of thorny twigs in a pot. If your Valentine has a sense of humour, you could always tie a few fake plastic or paper flowers on to the bare branches with ribbon or, to be on the safe side, present a single stunning deep black-red 'Baccarat' cut rose alongside.

But roses are not the only flower of romance. According to my well-worn copy of Flower Lore (published 1880), myrtle has been a symbol of "glory and happiness in love" since Roman times.

Sacred, along with roses, to Aphrodite, goddess of love, it was often used in wedding rituals - a tradition revived by the Victorians.Indeed, the fluffy white flowers of myrtle figured large in Queen Victoria's own wedding bouquet, and many of the myrtle plants in our public and private gardens are directly descended from a tree that a gardener at Osborne House raised from a cutting.

With its neat glossy evergreen leaves and clusters of fragrant flowers followed by purple berries, Myrtis communis is a plant with quiet good taste. Though often sold as a small shrub, it can eventually grow into a tree up to 5 metres tall, if planted in a mild spot sheltered from cold winds. A small tree or bush, prettily wrapped and with a card explaining the symbolism, would make a great gift for male and female Valentines alike.

A potted camellia (signifying "Burning Love"), winter honeysuckle ("Devotion"), violas ("Let's Take a Chance on Happiness") or an orchid ("You have cast a spell over me") would also be most suitable, and each can be found in bloom at the moment. For more on the forgotten language of flowers, see the box above right.

If you do have to fall back on buying or sending cut flowers for Valentine's Day, might I remind you that beautiful scented 'Paperwhite' narcissi, grown in the famously mild climate of the Scilly Isles, are an environmentally sound alternative to exotics flown in from Kenya and Colombia?

From October to Easter, a box of 50 stems, picked at dawn, shipped by noon and sent by first class post, costs just £16.50 (including p&p) from www.scillyflowers.co.uk (08453451691, with last Valentine's orders by noon on Feb 12).

Wiggly Wigglers, famed for their wormeries and compost-makers, now do locally grown flowers by post and their enormous informal bouquets cost from £35 including p&p (www.wigglywigglers.co.uk, 01981 500391, last orders Feb 12).

Their early spring bunches also include British-grown daffodils and narcissi - just don't let on to the recipient that their Victorian meaning was "You are selfish".

If only the message behind the dreaded yellow carnation ('You have disappointed me') were widely enough known to dissuade anyone from buying a bunch from a service station on Valentine's eve.

Reader offer

Telegraph readers can claim a free 'Sentimental' red rose plant (RRP £14.99) supplied in a 10.5cm for the £4.25 cost of postage. Fill in the form on page 37 of the main paper and include the cheque to cover postage.

Orders to arrive no later than Feb 8 to receive potted rose by Feb 14. Offer closes Feb 25 and is available to UK addresses only, excluding RoI.

The language of flowers

Anemone I expect you
Arum lily Burning love
Bluebell Our love will last
Camellia I am longing for you
Carnation (white) Always remembering
Carnation (red) I carry a torch for you
Carnation (striped) Wish I were with you
Carnation (yellow) You have disappointed me
Daffodil The sun always shines when I am with you
Dahlia You are indifferent
Foxglove I cannot trust you
Heather Good luck
Honeysuckle Devotion
Hyacinth Please forgive me
Lily of the valley You are sweet and pure
Love-in-a-mist Do you love me?
Magnolia Have courage
Marguerite I live in hope
Narcissus You are selfish
Orchid You have cast a spell over me
Passion flower Trust
Peony Bashfulness
Pinks You are bold
Poppy Please wait
Primrose I might love you
Rose (red) I love you
Rose (pink) Please believe me
Rose (white) You are divine
Rose (yellow) Come back soon
Stock Lasting beauty
Sweet pea Gratitude
Viola Let's take a chance on happiness
Wallflower Constancy

Growing Flowers Can Lift Our Moods

(Family Features) - Everyone loves receiving a gift of flowers, and research indicates having flowers around truly can lift the spirits. But did you know that you may get even more pleasure out of growing them because it appears that getting your hands in the soil is good for your mood, too.

Researcher Nancy Etcoff from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital conducted a behavioral study to determine the effect flowers have on people's moods. She studied 54 people between the ages of 25 and 60 for one week. Each person was given a self-reporting questionnaire to determine his or her activities during the day -- whom they were with and what they were doing when they experienced a strong emotion. One-half of the participants had flowers consistently in their home environment, and the control group had no flowers.

The results indicated that flowers in the home influenced moods such as compassion and worry. The participants who had flowers were more compassionate, less negative, more likely to feel happy, and likely to have more enthusiasm and energy at work.

In another study, researchers from Bristol University and University College London found that naturally occurring "friendly" bacteria found in soil may affect the brain in a similar way as antidepressant drugs. Researchers first became interested in Mycobacterium vaccae bacteria after hearing that cancer patients treated with the bacteria reported increased vitality and cognitive function and a decrease in pain. The scientists theorized that Mycobacterium vaccae might stimulate serotonin production. Low levels of serotonin are linked with a number of disorders including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. When they treated mice with Mycobacterium vaccae, the researchers found that it did stimulate the part of the brain that produces serotonin.

Consider these research studies your excuse for spending more time in your flower garden, and give a bouquet to someone you love.

Growing up in the garden

There's something clearly amiss when a parent or two is puttering outside for hours in the glorious sunshine, while the kids are loafing indoors. It can be hard enough to get a kid outside - imagine trying to coax your Wii-addicted tween to help out in the garden. While different tactics work for different ages and personality types, gardening experts say the key is starting small. And a new PBS cable TV show is taking that literally, trying to get the littlest toddlers hooked on growing gardens.

You read that right - a television show is trying to get kids outside. The animated "Fifi and the Flowertots" started airing in mid-January on the children's channel PBS Kids Sprout. Fifi is a little girl-flower who lives in a tiny world. She has friends as tiny as she is, and they like to garden. (That's organic gardening, mind you.) "It's very fresh, very gentle ... a very clean, healthy lifestyle with lots of laughter and some tears," says the show's London-based executive producer, Greg Lynn. "Fifi" will teach young children a few particulars about gardening, although the show isn't fixated exclusively on the subject. Fifi is supposedly an expert gardener, and one of her best friends is "Mo," her compost-powered mower, who helps her tend and harvest her garden. But let's say you can drag your kid away from the TV. What's next? You'd think Julie Stricker's daughter, Edie, 4-1/2, was born with a gardening "gene," but really, Stricker simply has given Edie the freedom to gradually fall in love with the garden. And she has.

Plant profile: Snapdragon

Scientific name: Antirrhinum majus.Growth habit: Upright to rounded annuals growing to 4 feet tall and a foot wide. The leaves are dark green and lancelike and grow to 4 inches long and an inch wide.Light: Grows and flowers best in full sun; tolerates light shade.

Water needs: Prefers a moist soil; grows best if watered weekly during the dry times.Feedings: Apply a general garden fertilizer monthly or use a slow-release fertilizer as instructed on the label.Propagation: Start plants from seed.Ease of culture: Easy.Hardiness: Hardy; tolerates all but severe freezes.Major problems: Nematodes can affect the roots; plant in nematode-free soil. Aphids and chewing insects are also occasional pests that can be controlled with natural sprays as needed.Pruning: Remove flower stalks that have finished opening buds to encourage additional blooms. Also, stake taller varieties to prevent wind damage. Remove from flower beds when the hot, rainy season arrives.Uses: A reliable cool-season annual planted October through April. Taller varieties are best used as solitary plantings or backdrops for lower-growing flowers. Shorter selections can be clustered for mass plantings or used as an edging for beds. Snapdragons make good container additions and are often combined with other annuals. The blooms form along spikes held above the foliage that might be a foot or more in length. Individual flowers might have the traditional dragonhead look or be open-faced and resembling a butterfly. The taller flower spikes often are cut for bouquets.Florida native: No; native to the Mediterranean region.

Helping the honeybee retake its place

HAVE YOU EVER thought about the role honeybees play in our world? Bees pollinate at least 130 fruit, vegetable, nut, ornamental and fiber crops in the United States, and contribute about $15 billion annually through improved crop yields and product quality.
Additionally millions of dollars are generated through the sale of hive products such as honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly and venom. When crops that need pollination fail to get pollinated, they don't produce. This can be easily seen in the vegetable garden when growing pumpkins, squash, or melons. A plant may form a small fruit, but it soon shrivels and falls off the plant if the flower was not pollinated.
There are many different types of bees, but the ones that are kept by beekeepers and have historically served as our best-known pollinators are the honeybees. Though called natives, they are really from Europe. They have existed for centuries in the wild, but with the recent problems, feral bees have basically disappeared.
There are other types of bees that serve as pollinators; solitary mason bees and bumblebees are two, but they are not kept by humans for honey production.
Bees are truly hard workers. They must collect nectar from about 2 million flowers to make 1 pound of honey. The average forager makes about one-twelfth teaspoon of honey in its lifetime, so the next time you add a couple of teaspoons of honey to your tea, consider how many bees worked to make those two teaspoons.
I've received several inquiries in recent months from gardeners concerned about the honeybees' plight. Though gardeners can't help much with problems such as mites or colony collapse disorder, there are still ways to help out. The first is to limit the use of pesticides in the landscape and garden. Bees are day foragers, so they are out and about during the day, visiting flowers and collecting pollen. Be careful not to apply insecticides during the daytime hours--if you must use them at all.
It's a common assumption that insecticides are the only pesticides harmful to bees, but that's not the case. Some fungicides such as Captan are harmful to them--particularly if applied when bees are gathering pollen and nectar. Even 2,4-D is listed as highly toxic, according to Ohio State University, if bees are present during application or one to two days following. 2,4-D is the chemical in a number of popular lawn herbicides used to control broadleaf weeds such as dandelions. The complete listing is available at ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2161.html.