Sniff sniff…. is that the heady sweet smell of Daphne odora? This Chinese native is known for its shiny leaves and its waxy clusters of flowers, both of which smell delicious.

The most commonly planted variety is the one above, var. ‘Aureomarginata’, which as the name would suggest has pale gold stripes on the margins of its leaves. I have one in the front garden and it’s thriving, but in researching this post I have found out that they are very short-lived so I might not have it for much longer. Don’t leave me, Daphne!