This lovely shrub flowers over a long period in winter, its sulphur-yellow flowers appearing before the leaves and emitting the most fantastic scent.
It can reach a massive 4m (12ft) in height and loves a sunny site in well-drained soil. Cut a few shoots for indoor decoration and it will also provide you with the delicious perfume inside.
Wintersweet can be trained against a sunny wall, but it may take a couple of years before the first flowers apper. Good varieties include C. praecox (C. Fragrans), whose yellow, purple-centred flowers appear between December and March.
Another good type is 'Grandiflorus', which has deep yellow, red-centred flowers. You don't have to prune them but if they need tidying up, cut them back immediately after flowering by removing unwanted or damaged branches.
