Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn'

Today's the day ......................... for a bit of cross-breeding

Whatever would we do without this wonderfully versatile plant to grace our gardens through the dark winter months when there is very little in the way of blossom to be seen. And if just having flowers wasn't enough - the Bodnant Viburnum also has the most intoxicating perfume.

It's a shrub with an interesting history. It came from two already distinguished parents - Viburnum grandiflorum (the pollen supplier) which is said to have lent its foliage and Viburnum farreri which contributed its fragrance. The cross was originally made by Charles Lamont, the Assistant Curator at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh in 1933. He didn't rate the resulting plants as being any better than their parents, so did not propagate them.

A year later, the same cross was done at Bodnant Gardens, in North Wales and it's from there that the new variety derived its name. 'Dawn' was the first cultivar to be named, 'Deben' was another and, after he died, 'Charles Lamont' was also honoured with a pure white form.

Bet he wished he had paid more attention to it at the time ....................