I tend not to plant so-called 'hardy shrubs' here and had never ever considered buying a Mahonia for this garden. Then I saw a 70cms high Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' and was immediately struck by its elegant foliage and clear light yellow flowers. My local G/C had them on sale last year (for rather less than the prices charged by Crocus etc) and I simply could not ignore. It flowered throughout the winter and is a wonderful variety. I love its sea-green, soft, spineless leaves that do an excellent job mimicking the S. American 'Parlour palms' (Chamaedorea sp.) and for here at least, it seems hardy.

Bless her, I suspect Carol was so enthusiastic about it that she forgot to check up on cold tolerance. In many areas, it does need shelter and will suffer in a frost hollow. However, it is compact enough to be grown in a reasonable sized container that can be moved against a warm, sheltered wall in winter. It's one of those plants that you need to place carefully in order to ensure its survival. I think it is well worth the effort.