Once there was a nymph called Daphne… actually the rest of the story about why she was turned into a sweetly scented bush is far too lascivious a story for a family website.
But while other ancient Greek nymphs have faded into history, Daphne still blooms in our winter gardens — and her perfume is as glorious as ever, or even more so, because gardeners have bred more beautifully flowered and ever more sweetly scented varieties of daphne.
Daphne blooms in winter to late spring, on small bushes usually about a metre high, sometimes naturally rounded, other times a bit lanky and spreading, depending on the variety.
The most common form are creamy with a hint of pink, but there are pure white forms, as well as one with variegated leaves and white flowers, and at least two more strongly scented varieties as well as one with creamy yellow flowers and another with deeper pink blooms.
All daphne varieties need a cool, semi-shaded spot — the colder your climate, the less shade they need.
They also need perfect drainage, so a slope with dappled sunshine overhead is perfect, as daphne needs cool roots too.
When looking after daphne, remember that she was once a nymph — nymphs do not like to be pruned, given fertiliser or to be overwatered. A good mulch every couple of years is the most she’ll need.
Our daphne bushes are over 30 years old now and have never been fed or pruned or watered except by the rain. But they are all growing either on a slope, or on sandy, well-drained soil.
Theoretically daphne won’t survive heavy frost, but as long as she’s sheltered by other shrubs she can usually be grown even in the coldest Australian gardens.
Daphnes also do extremely well in pots, but make sure that they are in a shady spot that still gets rained on and avoid especially afternoon sun or the glare from sunny walls.
Of course, daphne in pots will be rather more dependent on supplementary water than those planted in the open ground.
Daphne’s roots need to be kept cool, so only plant her in very large pots, otherwise they may bake — and never plant them in a black (or other dark, heat-absorbing colour) pot no matter how classy you think the effect may be — a yellowing or dying plant never looks classy no matter how attractive the glaze on the pot.
Picking daphne
Daphne isn’t a show-off flower, like roses. You pick a posy of daphne, rather than a long-stemmed bunch. Place your posy on your desk or the kitchen table or anywhere you’ll get tantalising whiffs of her perfume all day long.
Problems
If your daphne is in the right spot then it’ll grow and bloom for decades with no or little care at all. But if the leaves hang down limply after flowering you have a problem. In past years this might have been a daphne virus, with mottling of leaves too, but new plants should be virus free.
Instead, your daphne may have been overwatered, either by you or the rain. If it’s the rain, then you need to plant another daphne bush where it will get better drainage, or even in a pot.
If the leaves hang down and are light green, it may need a little feeding. Give it iron chelates, according to the directions on the packet, and a spray of seaweed-based foliage fertiliser. Don’t give her ordinary fertiliser, as that may damage roots that may already have been damaged by too much water.
Daphne can also get scale — tiny little scale-like black or brown dots on or under the leaves or on the stems. Use an oil-based spray, again according to the directions on the packet and, again, make sure you spray the underside of the leaves as well as the top. The oil sprays will suffocate the pests, instead of poisoning them, so are one of the safest sprays to use in the garden
But mostly daphne is a winter glory simply to be enjoyed. Winter gardens are never dull with daphne — and the multitude of flowers means you will always have a sprig to sniff.
