On 06/02/2014 17:06, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote:
On 06/02/2014 14:46, sacha wrote:

Maybe some of the fastigiate Cornus might meet the bill. But if you
can do without the spring flowers, and get them at a time of the year
when not much else will be in flower, then Eucryphia x nymansensis
‘Nymansay’ or E. cordifolia might be worth consideration.

Could be a bit chilly for Eucryphia?

I believe that they may well be a lot hardier than often thought, in
particular Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~gdk/sta.../septpom02.htm

I am not sure if the original plant is still at Nymans, but there are a
number of fairly large Eucryphias there. They must have survived some
cold winters, and, as far as I remember, they are not in the walled
garden. True, Sussex isn't Cambridgeshire, but it can get cold. I
guess that Nick could always take a stroll over to the Cambridge Botanic
Gardens to see if there is anything growing there which takes his fancy.

Thanks for the reminder! I tend to not go that often, since they
started regarding people like me as an easy income stream, which
made popping over for a quick half-hour every now and then an
expensive proposition. But it would be a good time of a good year
to check up on hardy, early-flowering shrubs!

I went to CBG in August 2012. It was stiflingly hot that day, and IIRC
it was the hottest day of the year! The tropical houses were a real
treat...

You are quite right, with this very mild winter a lot of the
earlier-flowering spring shrubs may well decide to bloom weeks earlier.
Of course, you'll have to hope that there aren't any severe frosts
that damage the buds, especially if they are just opening.

By the way, just something else for consideration - Styrax.

--

Jeff