Sweet Box

Today's the day ....................... to keep on giving

This highly fragrant shrub, Sarcococca or sweet box, has been in flower in the front garden for months.  It's near where the bird feeders are - and every time I go to fill them up, just for a moment, the heady scent from these small white flowers, makes you forget that it is winter.  

Of course, this perfume is not there just to dispel the winter blues.  It will attract the few foraging insects that are around at this time of year to come and pollinate. It is odd to think of pollinating insects in winter, but they are present and in a mild winter, even some bees will stay out.  And there's another additional benefit that the sweet box keeps up its sleeve  - because after the flowers come the big black berries (see extra) that the birds will enjoy.  Often, because the flowers keep coming over a long period of time, there are flowers and berries together on the same bush.

It's a shrub that just keeps on giving ........................!