A place to learn, share and inspire others to create a haven for you and for wildlife.
Sign In or Register to join the conversation
Just thought i'd give you all a recommendation for a great early flowering plant for bees, prompted by walking past it in the Lodge gardens this afternoon! Shrubby honeysuckle, Latin name Lonicera fragrantissima, is a spreading shrub that flowers in late winter/early spring (i.e. now!) that has a really sweet scent and is really attractive to bees when there are few other flowers available.
Anyone else had any experience with this plant?
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Unknown said: Hi Ian I have this honeysuckle in my garden, it has been in flower since the 2nd week in december, It is now at its best, its packed with flowers, & now we have a little bit of sun to warm things up it smells fabulous today,it seems the warmer it gets the stronger the smell, its such a delicate sweet smell, the shrub has a few leaves now,after the flowers have gone the leaves come out, the sparrows love the shrub, they congregate in it & last year i had a pair nest in it Its great to have a bit of colour & scent in the garden this time of year. Sorry to waffle on, but i love this shrub Val
Hi Ian
I have this honeysuckle in my garden, it has been in flower since the 2nd week in december,
It is now at its best, its packed with flowers, & now we have a little bit of sun to warm things up
it smells fabulous today,it seems the warmer it gets the stronger the smell, its such a delicate sweet smell,
the shrub has a few leaves now,after the flowers have gone the leaves come out, the sparrows love the shrub, they congregate in it & last year i had a pair nest in it
Its great to have a bit of colour & scent in the garden this time of year.
Sorry to waffle on, but i love this shrub
Val
Hi Val saw that you love your honeysuckle so I wonder if you could give me a few tips as the honeysuckle I have never seems to do much at all except look like a sparse unkempt mess no matter how I try.
If only I could be free as the birds the places I could visit would be out of this world
Hi Polly
i'm glad you like this honeysuckle too,
mine usually flowers from early december right through till mid march,
mine is part of my dense shrubbery at the bottom of the garden, ideal for the birds to nest & roost in.
my shrub is about 6' high & 6' wide, i keep it like that by pruning the ends of the branches off, don't cut too much off because it flowers on new wood,
every few years i find its getting thin inside, so i cut some of the older branches back ,you may have a hole in the shrub but next year it will fill in,
i do this when the birds have fledged, august is best.
hope this helps