Welcome to Brixton Flower Club’s weekly flower spotting! Each month we will choose one road or area in Brixton, provide you with a weekly post on something beautiful that we spot and tell you a bit more about it. Thank you to all the local gardeners who work so hard to add some colour and nature to Brixton’s streets.
Location: Brixton Water Lane
Week 1: Skimmia Japonica ‘Magic Marlot’
Common Name: Skimmia
Over the winter everything can start to look a bit bleak and grey. If you need an injection of colour, then Skimmia is a great option because it looks wonderful all year. Skimmia is loved by gardeners because it is so low-maintenance, evergreen and can even cope in shade. These dark pink buds last all winter before flowering into small white scented flowers in the spring. Skimmia can cheer up a dark corner all year round and will nobly put up with a fair amount of neglect.
The ‘Magic Marlot’ variety’s leaves have yellow edging adding further colour and brightness to your garden’s grey spots, but most varieties of skimmia are dark green and red. You can grow these from seed, but I would recommend purchasing a small plant as the seeds can be a bit hit and miss.
Skimmia is an excellent pollinator and so is brilliant for adding to the overall health of a garden. The plant has a strong aroma when crushed – try crushing a leaf in your hands!
Brixton Flower Club is run by Jennifer Woodcock, a local florist specialising in weddings. Visit www.brixtonflowerclub.com for more details.
