This is one of those ‘stop you in your tracks’ plants. It has tiny white flowers on shiny, dark evergreen leaves and the perfume those flowers produce in winter is absolutely fantastic. It must be one of the best plants for scent that there is and to have that in winter is a big plus. Fully hardy, it likes humus rich, moist well drained soil and is very shade tolerant. Plant near a door or window. Put a sprig of it in the hall and perfume the house!

Dark green slender pointed evergreen leaves and off-white flowers sometimes followed by black berries. The scent from the rather insignificant flowers is very strong and sweet and has to be experienced to be believed.

An evergreen shrub which is fully hardy, this has soft silvery leaves which mature to dark green. It has masses of bright yellow flowers and is a favourite with flower arrangers. Grow in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. £5.50 2l pot

This quite rare shrub has waxy white flowers with a yellow centre. Its leaves are large and glossy though they can vary quite considerably in size. It's very, very important that this deciduous shrub is grown in a warm garden and sheltered from cold winds. It's moderately hardy but cold wind and late frost is the enemy to young plants in spring. So plant it in a warm, sunny spot where other trees and shrubs can give it a bit of protection, in moist, well-drained soil. However, avoid planting it near things that attract aphids and protect from slugs. It will take dappled shade, too.

A small tree with very attractive white flowers, which was planted here 60 years ago by Hyams, hence the query over its name. Whichever Staphylea it should be properly called, it is a most lovely tree and it's half hardy. Lime green coloured leaves in early spring followed by pendulous white flowers in May/June. Fragrant. Half hardy. This is a most unusual plant. £12.50 3l. pot

Highly scented dwarf lilac with pink/red single flowered blooms in spring. Sometimes flowers again in autumn. Grows to around 4'. Likes full sun and a humus rich, well-drained soil. Prune to shape after flowering. Hardy. 2l pot

Best known as the Chusan palm, this handsome tree is hardy in the south west of England and is a strong architectural statement in the garden. Sold approx. 1' tall. 2l pot

This unusual shrub is evergreen and is sometimes called the Chilean guava. The strawberry-flavoured berries, which are edible, can be made into jam. It is long flowering with small, hanging, pink or sometimes white, flowers followed later in the year by the reddish-purple berries. It's said that the fruit was a favourite with Queen Victoria. 2l pot Hardy.

A very beautiful shrub which grows to about 12'. This has horizontally spreading branches which arrange themselves in natural tiers with white flower heads arranged in two parallel rows along the upperside of the spreading branches. Full sun or partial shade. Hardy. 2l pot

An unusual and very lovely aromatic shrub with palmate leaves, this has spires of lilac coloured flowers in summer, starting in July. Known as the Chaste Plant, it is widely sold as a herbal remedy and it's said that monks chewed the berries to suppress libido but we're not promoting it for anything other than its very attractive appearance! It's variously reported to grow slowly and to be a quick off the mark 'doer', which rapidly turns into a small tree, so.........! It's hardy to -5 at least and in our opinion has to be a most attractive addition to any garden as it's also attractive to butterflies. Needs moist but well drained soil, sun and shelter from cold winds. 2l pot (not available until March)

Goodness knows why this isn't grown more widely because it flowers for around two months every spring/summer with us. Its flowers age from cream to pink to red, giving various colours of flowers at any one time and grows to about 8' H&S. It deserves a place in any garden that has space for it. Sun or a little shade in most soils. Keep moist but well drained, salt and pollution tolerant. If pruning, do it immediately after flowering. 3l pot

This is a very pretty little shrub growing to just over 4' height & spread. It needs a sunny, well-drained spot and while we wouldn't describe it as bone hardy, it will take -6C or thereabouts for short periods. It also looks pretty grown in a container when it can then be moved into a greenhouse for winter in colder areas. It's known as Australian Rosemary but it is NOT edible. 2l pot