Winter flowering plants are gems. Any that rely on insect pollination will be scented to attract the few active insects that there are at this time of year. Most are less showy than their summer flowering relatives; look for the Winter Flowering Cherry, Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis' a lovely small tree that flowers intermittently through winter and has a final flourish in March. Underplant with snowdrops, winter aconites and early flowering narcissus to give the complete winter and early spring picture.

Large shrubs such as Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ produce fragrant pink flowers on bare stems that can be cut and brought into the house. This can be a large shrub but if kept cut back, after flowering of course, will fit into smaller gardens.

Perfect planting partners for winter flowering Viburnum include other winter-flowering shrubs, or berrying plants and evergreens that can provide the perfect backdrop to the Viburnum’s blooms on bare branches.

As a bonus, Viburnums in general are happy to grow on local clay soils, will grow well in full sun or partial shade. Very limited maintenance required beyond a tidy-up after flowering to trim back any untidy shoots, and once in a while thin out some of the old wood.

Daphne odora is an evergreen shrub flowering from December to March will thrive in partial shade and has a scent that will hit you a mile off. Hellebores are easy to grow and create interest at this time of year. Their flowers are often hidden beneath their foliage, little beauties to be discovered. The garden centres are nurseries are full of winter flowering hellebores, H.niger and H. orientalis as well as a mass of new hybrids with a range of colours to enjoy. Most like a humus-rich soil and a little shade for the summer sun. They are usually happy to grow under deciduous trees and shrubs making the most of the spring light before the new canopy develops.