Return to the Garden

The fragrance of Chimonanthus praecox provides the atmosphere of Montrose in January. Faintly present in the morning, an enveloping perfume on sunny afternoons, it is a scent that immediately becomes part of who you are. Commonly called wintersweet, it sweetens the winter for anyone wise enough to plant it. The specific epithet, praecox, describes its precocious blooms that always seem to open before you expect them.

After the hustle and delay of holiday time, the Chimonanthus praecox 'Luteus' along the driveway welcomes us back into quiet January. The smell is gentle, but spiced. It is something that you cannot remember ever not knowing. And when it returns to the garden, it is hard to believe that it won't always be with us. 

That is the nature of winter in our garden. We are continually awed by miracles that appear in the places where we always look for them. The graceful, white crescendo of Helleborus niger builds and builds. Precious snowdrops appear at the bases of large trees throughout the woods.  Narcissus romieuxii braves the cold in its pale yellow petticoats and its sister, Narcissus bulbocodium, won't be far behind. Crocuses in many colors confound our memories as we search our notes for their botanical names. And several times a day we kneel to examine a newly perfect jewel of Cyclamen coum.

The gardeners of Montrose take holidays, get sick, travel far to support suffering loved ones, and then they return. The plants of Montrose also return in their own time and encourage our efforts in the garden.