Image by Anne Tanne
The woman who planned my childhood garden was one of the best designers I ever encountered. There are too many clever things she did to list here, but one of my favourites was the Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ that she planted by the gate. Every morning in winter as I left for school, I would stop and smell the incredible pinky-white flowers borne on bare branches. And every evening when we arrived home, the sweet shrub would be there waiting for us. Yes, the woman who planned my childhood garden was very clever to think of stationing such an extraordinary shrub to greet everyone who came and went from that garden.
This is a very well-behaved shrub. It never becomes unmanageable, and is happy in all soils, including chalk. Very nice indeed.
Vital stats:
Location:
Rich soil. Dig in plenty of well-rotted manure before planting
Light:
Full sun.
When to plant:
Autumn
What can I expect from this plant?
Height: 10ft
Spread: 4ft
Flowers: December – April
