Surprising though it may sound, I have only recently found the confidence to remove, replace and relocate plants in my own garden. It takes a magnum effort to overcome my reluctance to take out a plant which someone else has planted. They must have wanted it to be there for a reason... But plants do have a habit of growing, and, depending on the nature of the plant, may eventually outgrow their space. And different people have different plant preferences; it's my garden now, so it has to work for me.
Sarcococca confusa
Last autumn, I came to the conclusion that my particularly vigorous St. John's Wort (Hypericum) was far too big for its spot and starting to obstruct the path. I took it out and replaced it with a smaller and slower growing Pyracantha, relocated from a constraining container on the decking. This revealed not one, but two Sarcococca confusa, doing their best to keep their end up in the face of the rampant Hypericum.
Sarcococca, sometimes called sweet box or Christmas box, is an evergreen shrub with small, bright green shiny ovate leaves. Sarcococca comes into its own over the cold dark winter months, with tiny, highly perfumed flowers, followed by glossy black berries. This shrub needs to be as close to the door as possible, so you get a good whiff of it every time you go in and out. I replanted one of mine in the walled planter outside the front door, and the other at the end of the border at the back, nearest the cellar door. And by golly - you don't half notice them! The smell hits you first, before you see it. This is perfect, given that it is usually dark when we are going in and out, at this time of year.
Sarcococca confusa - sweet box
Lonicera fragrantissima
This is winter-flowering honeysuckle and is really important for winter pollinators. I only have one client with Lonicera fragrantissima, but it is also ideally located outside the back door to ensure that the garden can be enjoyed in the winter, without having to venture too far away from the house.
It can grow up to more than two metres high over the space of five to ten years though, so is worth pruning annually, as soon as it has finished flowering. This makes sure it doesn't get too tall or congested, and to encourage the development of strong new shoots during the growing season, to bear next year's flowers.
Lonicera fragrantissima - winter-flowering honeysuckle
Hamamelis mollis
Chinese witch hazels have distinctive, spidery-looking flowers, that bloom in late winter or early spring, before coming into leaf. There are a number of cultivars particularly noted for their strong scent. Look out for Hamamelis mollis 'Goldcrest', 'Brevipetala' or even Hamamelis x intermedia 'Vesna'. The leaves also provide striking autumn colour, as an added bonus.
Witch hazels are relatively low-maintenance plants, that do best on slightly acidic soil, in sun or partial shade. They don't tend to need much pruning but any light pruning should be done in the spring, after they have finished flowering.
Chinese witch hazel