#mahonia 'Winter Sun'

[sunnytaes]

The Ballad of the Phoenix

❅ Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x Lee Minho x Lee Felix

❅ Genre/themes: angst with a happy ending (eventually), eventual fluff, adventure, fantasy au, royal au, childhood friends to enemies to lovers, Felix is Steve (but not really), arranged marriage (but not really), prince!Hyunjin, prince!Minho, mage!Felix

❅ Warning(s): alcohol mentions, brief description of an animal pelt, Felix (unfortunately) does not appear in this chapter

❅ Chapter word count: 6.7k

❅ Chapter summary: Prince Hyunjin of Mahonia and Prince Minho of Cerasus have been distant for years after once having been close as children. Their parents want them to marry to unify their kingdoms, but both princes adamantly refuse. They agree to give reconnecting a chance, however, though it proves to be difficult when neither is willing to bend.

❅ Note(s): This fic is for the Clownracha fic exchange and it is dedicated to my lovely Lennie, @decaffedthoughts! Lennie, I hope you enjoy it. I made a playlist for the series, which you can find here. Pls listen to it in order :)

Chapter 1: Forget-Me-Not

The afternoon sun seeped in through the tall windows of the castle, squares of light broken up by the shadows of the window panes travelling across the large canvas set up next to the window. Delicate, practised hands were adding small, vaguely flower-shaped dots of orange to the rhododendron bush on the canvas. In front of the canvas sat His Royal Highness, Prince Hwang Hyunjin of Mahonia, the Kingdom of Winter. 

The young prince was sitting in a decidedly un-princelike manner, hunched over his canvas with his paintbrush clutched tightly in his hand, but the determined expression on his face was certainly that of a king’s. His long hair had been tied crudely out of his face with a stray piece of twine, and his princely outer robes had been tossed haphazardly on the large bed, leaving him in only a white undershirt, the paint-splattered sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his everyday pants, the piece of linen he used to protect the fine material from paint long since abandoned on the floor. 

Hyunjin’s painting was interrupted by a firm knock to his door, two raps in quick succession, followed by a third a moment later. Hyunjin only knew one person who knocked in such a unique manner and a smile spread across his face. 

“Come in, Seungmin,” the prince called out, rinsing his brush in the wooden bowl next to his easel before placing it on the cloth next to the bowl to dry. 

Hyunjin’s personal attendant and the closest thing he’s had to a friend all his life poked his head into the prince’s chamber, his fluffy brown hair flopping slightly to the side from the angle, his round golden wire-rimmed glasses also falling slightly askew. Hyunjin could only see his collar and a bit of his left shoulder, but he knew Seungmin was wearing the same garb all of the palace staff wore, a royal blue tunic belted at the waist with a gold braided cord, black trousers, and polished black loafers. Each tunic bore the kingdom’s crest — the Hellebore Mountains with the moon rising behind the peak, surrounded by a wreath of plum blossoms — embroidered on the left side, just above the heart, and Seungmin’s featured a small gold pin of the same crest on the mock neckline of his tunic, indicating that he was a member of the royal family’s personal staff. 

Hyunjin did not need to see the rest of his friend’s uniform in that moment to know that not an inch was out of place, with starch-pressed creases in the trousers and shoes so well-polished one could see their reflection in them. Seungmin was often better dressed than Hyunjin, the latter often having the odd paint stain somewhere on his clothing or hands, despite the amount of care he took to prevent that from happening. 

“Your parents are requesting your presence,” Seungmin said, casting a glance at Hyunjin’s canvas. He hummed appreciatively at the painting, meeting Hyunjin’s eyes as he spoke. “It seemed serious, so you might want to make yourself look… a bit more presentable. But quickly, it also seemed urgent.” 

Hyunjin let out a sigh, picking up a rag to wipe the stray flecks of paint off of his hands. Some of the fresher flecks came off easily, but some only smudged deeper into his skin, and others had long since dried. 

Seungmin took his leave, off to do whatever it was he did when he wasn’t taking care of Hyunjin. Hyunjin honestly didn’t know what he got up to in his spare time, but he did not care so long as Seungmin was there when he needed him, which he always was. Technically, the prince’s attendant or his personal maids were supposed to help him dress, but Seungmin had given up on that very shortly after he took on the role, and Hyunjin had also dismissed his maids from assisting him, as it made him feel like a child being doted on, which he hated. 

The rest of the kingdom thought him to be a spoiled, arrogant prince, but Hyunjin and those closest to him, albeit not that many people, knew that was far from the case. The prince did not care what others thought of him, though. He knew that his subjects called him the Ice Prince because of his cold exterior, but he did not mind. He was warm to those who mattered and polite but succinct with those he was unfamiliar with, and if that made him come across as cold, then so be it. 

Hyunjin dressed himself quickly, praying his parents wouldn’t notice the splash of yellow paint that had made it onto the knee of his trousers, and started to make his way to the east wing of Icehaven Palace, where his parents resided. Hyunjin spent most of his time in the south wing, in a former guest room that he had claimed for his own because of the beautiful view of the garden below his window, and the Hellebore Mountains on the horizon, marking the edge of his kingdom. Though it was customary for a prince to stay in the east wing with the rest of the royal family, Hyunjin found himself forgoing custom more often than not, and even though he occasionally returned to his childhood bedroom in the east wing to watch the sunrise, he had called the room in the south wing home for as long as he could remember. 

Arriving at the east wing, Hyunjin made his way to his parents’ shared room, as that was usually where they were when they summoned him together. He nodded at their personal guard, Mingyu, as the taller man stepped aside to let him in. 

Entering his parents’ chambers, Hyunjin was met with the familiar scent of mulled spices and old wood that he came to associate with the space. His mother was sitting in her favourite chaise lounge by the window, the midnight silk of her dress blending into the indigo velvet of the chair. A chalice was perched delicately in her hand, likely containing her favourite plum wine, a Mahonian signature. Hyunjin’s father stood by her side, staring pensively out the window and looking in Hyunjin’s direction when he entered the room. Like Hyunjin, his father had long hair, but his swept past his shoulders where Hyunjin’s only reached his jaw. The king often wore his hair in a complicated braided knot atop his head, accenting his crown perfectly, but now his hair was loose, flowing past his shoulders as the gold crown rested on the vanity next to the queen’s matching one. 

Hyunjin was unaccustomed to seeing his parents so casually, but he did his best to appear unfazed by the sight. He greeted his parents with the low bow customary for greeting Mahonian royals, with one fist clasped over the heart to signify fealty to the crown. When he straightened his posture, his parents were smiling warily at him, as if they were nervous too. 

“Hyunjin, please sit,” his mother said, gesturing towards one of the armchairs facing the chaise lounge. 

Swallowing his nerves, Hyunjin sat in the one closest to the fire. 

“There’s something we would like to discuss with you,” the king said, his focus solely on Hyunjin now. 

“I only snuck out to get paints once, Seungmin had no idea!” Hyunjin blurted, wringing his hands in his lap. 

His father quirked a bemused eyebrow at him, while his mother appeared to be hiding her smile between her chalice. 

“That is not what we were planning on discussing, but we can address that later.” 

“We have always appreciated your independence, Hyunjin, and we would never force you to do something you didn’t want to do, but there is something we would like you to consider,” his mother said, smiling at him warmly. 

Though both of his parents were looking at him with uncharacteristically fond expressions, Hyunjin could not help but feel the anxiety rising in his chest. 

“What is this about?” he asked. 

“We’ve been talking with the King and Queen of Cerasus, and we were thinking it would be greatly beneficial to both kingdoms if you were to get married to their crown prince, Prince Minho,” the queen said apprehensively, as if she knew what Hyunjin’s reaction would be. 

Predictably, Hyunjin shot out of his chair immediately, causing it to tumble backwards and land with a dull thud on the carpet. “If we were to do what?” he exclaimed, eyes frantically darting between his parents. Surely they had to be joking. 

“We are not trying to force you, Hyunjin, but we would like you to consider it,” his father said calmly, ignoring his son’s burst of frantic energy. 

“It seems a little forceful,” Hyunjin chuckled nervously, reaching his hands up to tangle his fingers in the roots of his hair, loosening his ponytail and causing him to look probably about as frazzled as he felt. 

“You don’t have to commit to anything right now,” Hyunjin’s mother explained gently, resting her chalice on the side table next to her. “We have invited Prince Minho to stay with us at the castle for the summer. All you have to do is get to know him better, and tell us how you feel at the end of the season.” 

“I already know how I feel about him,” Hyunjin grumbled, crossing his arms. “He hates me. Why couldn’t it be Prince Yeosang instead?” 

“Prince Yeosang of Celosia has already expressed his intent to marry a commoner,” his father said with a sigh. “Besides, weren’t you and Minho friends? I seem to remember you two running around the Cherry Blossom Palace wreaking havoc everywhere you went.” “Not anymore,” Hyunjin said with a pout, arms crossed defiantly. He was well aware that he was behaving childishly, but he could not bring it upon himself to care. He would continue to refuse marriage to Prince Minho even if it was the last thing he did. 

His mother gave him a look, and Hyunjin sighed, tossing his arms in the air. “Fine, he can stay here. But I make no promises beyond that.” “That is all we ask of you, son,” his father said, something akin to pride in his eyes. 

Hyunjin was dismissed from his parents’ chambers and left in a huff, not even bothering to greet Mingyu this time, leaving the poor guard with his hand lingering halfway in the air. 

Not a single member of the staff dared to speak to him as he thundered through the halls of the castle, a storm forming on his brow as he made a beeline for Seungmin’s room. 

When Minho’s parents, the king and queen of Cerasus, the Kingdom of Spring, first suggested to him that he marry the Hwang prince, he adamantly refused. He’d known Prince Hyunjin since he was a toddler and Hyunjin was a dumpling-shaped infant, on account of their parents being good friends and their kingdoms being allied. The two princes had been friends as kids, Minho had many fond memories of chasing stray cats together through the gardens of his palace and peering through the telescope in the large conservatory in the Cherry Blossom Palace. 

But as they aged, Hyunjin grew distant, and one year at the annual Harvest Ball held in Celosia, the Kingdom of Autumn, Hyunjin avoided him like the plague, even going so far as to run away when Minho tried to approach him. They were still kids then, especially Hyunjin, who was two years Minho’s junior, and Minho knew he should’ve been the more mature one and tried to talk to the other prince about it, but instead Minho reacted in the way he knew best. If Hyunjin was going to act coldly towards him, Minho would be cold right back. 

Years later, after Hyunjin had continued to act coldly towards the elder prince and Minho delivered sharp remarks any time they were forced to be together, Hyunjin had developed a reputation in his kingdom.The citizens started to refer to him as the Ice Prince, not simply because he was prince of the Kingdom of Winter, but because he acted coldly to everyone he met, staying locked up in the castle and refusing to go out to meet the citizens on holidays as was expected of royalty. 

Minho, on the other hand, though he had grown to act coldly towards Hyunjin as the years went by, had earned the title Angel Prince because of his delicate features and his benevolence towards his people. Prince Minho was often seen in soup kitchens helping the needy and donating toys to local orphanages, and had even purchased an animal shelter with his own money to keep it from shutting down. Whereas Prince Hyunjin was feared by his subjects, Prince Minho was revered. 

Though they had been friends as children, Prince Minho was firmly against marrying the frigid prince and moving to his equally frigid kingdom for even part of the year, and he vocalised as much to his parents, who were disappointed but agreed that they would not force him. But when a courier from Mahonia arrived with a letter addressed to him, Minho briefly reconsidered his stance on the Ice Prince. 

Prince Hyunjin had personally written to him saying that his parents had also tried to talk to him about a marriage between the two of them, and while he was not enthusiastic about the idea of marriage, he had made a promise to his parents that he would try to get to know Prince Minho. 

The letter was an invitation for Minho to come stay with him in Mahonia. Minho was not thrilled at the prospect of staying in the winter kingdom, where he hadn’t been since he was too young to remember; both his and Hyunjin’s parents much preferred spending their time together in the warmer Kingdom of Spring. 

Minho was moved by the letter, regardless, because it would have been easy for Prince Hyunjin to continue to avoid him like he had all these years, and the fact that he hadn’t outright rejected the idea without a word to Minho or his parents was enough for Minho to find himself packing his bags with his warmest clothes in hopes that the Ice Prince he knew had thawed his heart since the last time he had seen him. 

The day of Prince Minho’s arrival at Icehaven Palace, Hyunjin was doing his best not to be found. That is to say, he was hiding in a far corner of the library where he hoped no one would think to look. Hyunjin was not much of a reader himself, but he had gone looking for Seungmin during his days off enough times that the prince was very familiar with the royal library and all of the nooks and crannies that would make perfect hiding spots. 

That’s how he found himself wedged in a bookshelf in the least frequently visited part of the library that had been suspiciously cleared of its lower shelves, leaving an oddly Seungmin-shaped void where the books should be. Hyunjin was not a coward, not at all, but there were many things he would rather do than entertain the Prince of Cerasus for weeks and pretend that there was any chance of the two getting married, and folding himself into a pretzel in a bookshelf that was probably pressing bruises directly into his bones was apparently on that list. 

Hyunjin wasn’t sure how long he was going to hide, but he figured emerging at dusk would be a safe bet as he would only have to interact with Prince Minho at dinner and then would be able to excuse himself to his chambers for the night. Judging by soft light filtering in through the domed skylights built into the library, it was mid-afternoon, and Hyunjin would have to be here for a while longer. 

With a sigh, he reached his hand up to the shelf above him that did, in fact, contain books, and grabbed a book at random. As he pulled it off of the shelf, a plume of dust emerged with it, causing Hyunjin to splutter and cough and hold the offending book at arm’s length. Of course Seungmin would only clean the shelves he would need to create his hiding place. 

Carefully shaking out the book and wiping the cover with his sleeve, Hyunjin began to read. He wasn’t too interested in the ancient methods of agriculture of Mahonia, which, despite being the winter kingdom, were still plentiful, but he was bored enough that it didn’t matter as he soon got engrossed in the text for the sake of having something to do. 

Despite the book likely having been relegated to an unused part of the library for a reason, Hyunjin found himself losing track of time. It wasn’t until a pair of black trousers and spotless black shoes appeared in his periphery that Hyunjin became aware of how much time had passed. As he looked up to meet Seungmin’s eyes, the sky showing through the skylight had darkened significantly, dusk being well underway. 

“Just what exactly do you think you’re doing here?” Seungmin said, in the same bored tone he often adopted when Hyunjin was being too erratic for his liking. “And in my hiding place, no less?” Pouting, Hyunjin dog-eared the page and pretended not to see Seungmin’s responding wince. “Didn’t think anyone would be able to find me.”

His whining tone was met with an eye roll as Seungmin crossed his arms impatiently. “Most people would not think to look for you in the library, because everyone knows how much you hate reading. But I’m not most people. Now get up, you’re due at dinner in half an hour and you’re covered in dust. Not to mention your fiancé has been wandering the castle like a lost soul because you didn’t come to greet him.” “He’s not my fiancé!” Hyunjin protested, groaning as he slowly eased himself out of the cramped bookshelf nook, his joints creaking in protest. Seungmin made no move to help him. 

“Visiting prince who your parents are ‘suggesting’ you marry, same difference,” Seungmin said, looking as if he was holding back a laugh as Hyunjin finally stood to meet his eyes, his face red from the sudden blood rush and his long hair tossed haphazardly in his face. With a fond smile, Seungmin picked a few dust bunnies out of Hyunjin’s long hair like he’d done many times before, adjusting the prince’s hair so it was back in the neat half ponytail he normally kept it in. “Let’s go, Prince Dust Bunny, you should wash up before dinner. Wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on your future husband.” 

“That ship has long since sailed,” Hyunjin grumbled, following Seungmin with heavy footsteps as they made their way out of the library. 

“What’s with the book, by the way?” Seungmin asked as they were almost at the grand doors of the library, only sparing a cursory glance back at Hyunjin, who still had the book cradled in his arms like it was more precious than it probably was. “I’ve never seen you get more than ten pages into a book without giving up, you must have been really keen to avoid this prince.” 

“Thought Yunho might like it,” Hyunjin mumbled reluctantly, having in fact brought the book with him instead of leaving it where he found it because he thought Seungmin’s boyfriend, the palace gardener, would enjoy its contents. Hyunjin knew Yunho hated reading, but he did enjoy hearing Seungmin read to him, something the gardener and the prince shared in common. 

Seungmin’s retort died in his lips as a voice called out further down the hallway, “Prince Minho, we should really return to your chambers and wait to be summoned for dinner.” 

Hyunjin froze, quickly thrusting the book in Seungmin’s direction, leaving the poor attendant to scramble to hold it properly. Approaching from the other end of the hallway at what could only be described as a leisurely stroll, was none other than the very person Hyunjin was trying to avoid, with a very flustered guard, one of Hyunjin’s own, trailing after him hopelessly. 

Hyunjin hadn’t seen Prince Minho in years, but he looked the same, only more handsome, if that was possible. Minho had really grown into his features, much to Hyunjin’s annoyance, and his confident posture seemed to indicate that he knew it. 

The winter prince was still frozen in place when Prince Minho and his escort’s path overlapped with his. Hyunjin was regretting not ducking into the nearest supply closet to hide, because Prince Minho looked even more beautiful up close. Warm brown hair, rosy red lips and chestnut brown eyes that narrowed upon seeing Hyunjin. Hyunjin had once known Minho well enough to know when the guarded expression he used with those he wasn’t close to fell over his features, and he could still see the moment it slipped into place as the Cerisian prince stopped in front of Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin wanted nothing more than to avoid eye contact, so he let his eyes trail from the polished boots Prince Minho wore, to the silken white trousers, to the lavender silk robe and matching overcoat gilded in gold flowers. The garment was typical of Cerisian court attire, but he must have been freezing when he arrived. Hyunjin found he did not care about whether the other prince was cold on his journey or not when they finally met eyes, and the air around them was palpably tense. 

Though equal in rank, it was customary for royals to bow to each other upon greeting as a sign of respect. Neither prince moved to bow, choosing instead to maintain prolonged eye contact. Hyunjin was the first to break, because even though he didn’t want to initiate contact, he knew he should based on the fact that he was the one hosting. 

“Prince Minho,” Hyunjin said with the slightest inclination of his head toward the other royal, nothing close to the customary bow. He couldn’t bring himself to bow before the man who had been unkind to him for years, the other prince didn’t deserve that kind of respect. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Seungmin bristle slightly at his cold tone. It was not one he used often, usually reserved for courtiers who thought their status meant others should bend to their will, and Seungmin was unaccustomed to hearing it. The last time Hyunjin had seen Prince Minho had been long before Seungmin was promoted to be his personal attendant. 

“Prince Hyunjin,” the spring prince replied, equally as frosty, his stare seeming to pierce through Hyunjin’s perfectly crafted cold persona that he adopted around the Cerisian prince, straight into his soul. He looked simultaneously menacing and bored, like he would rather be anywhere else in the four kingdoms. He probably did, Hyunjin knew that Prince Minho had accepted his invitation, but he didn’t know how much of that was the prince’s own will and how much of it was his parents’. 

Suddenly, Prince Minho’s demeanour changed, his shoulders loosened as he blinked owlishly at Hyunjin, his gaze trained on Hyunjin’s hair. 

“Is that… dust in your hair?” he asked, seeming almost amused. 

Hyunjin’s eyes widened marginally, shifting his gaze to Seungmin, who had clearly missed a dust bunny in his tidying of his prince’s hair. Seungmin shrugged apologetically but utterly unhelpfully, leaving Hyunjin to fend for himself. Hyunjin took a look at the high, vaulted ceilings, almost as if begging the gods to help him come up with an answer, and failing that, his gaze trailed to the portraits of his ancestors that were lining the hallway in ten foot increments. Neither the gods nor his ancestors appeared to be on his side, because no answer came. 

Squaring his shoulders, Hyunjin looked directly into Prince Minho’s piercing brown eyes before addressing him. “What’s it to you?” was the only thing that came out of his mouth, a childish response he would’ve expected to have given at the age of eight, not twenty two. 

Frustrated and ashamed and utterly unwilling to let Prince Minho see the flush that was beginning to creep up his neck, Hyunjin surged forward, brushing past Minho with a brisk nod to his guard, Seonghwa. A baffled Seungmin was on his tail the entire time as the abashed prince rapidly made his way back to his chambers to wallow in peace. 

Prince Minho of Cerasus arrived at Icehaven Palace in the middle of a blizzard, after eighteen days of travelling across the continent on horseback. To say he was exhausted would be an understatement. He was unaccustomed to long distance travel, only travelling between cities and towns within his own kingdom, and occasionally to Celosia. But neither Cerasus nor Celosia had weather quite this terrible. Minho had never encountered such weather before, and he now understood why the Mahonian king and queen always made the journey to his kingdom instead of asking him and his parents to visit them here. Minho was quite convinced that if he had to live here for any extended period of time, he’d want to get away whenever he could as well. 

His reception was nice enough, the queen greeted him personally in the expansive main hall of the castle, fussing over his tired appearance and snow-covered form. He was assigned a personal guard, as all of his had returned to his kingdom upon abandoning him in a kingdom he had never been to with people he hardly knew (he definitely wasn’t harbouring a lifelong grudge against each and every one of those guards and their descendants), and a personal attendant for his stay in Icehaven Palace. They both seemed nice enough, and were both around his age which would be nice for a change. Many of the guards in Minho’s palace were in their thirties or older, and while they were interesting to be around, Minho did not have the chance to spend time with many people his age.

The guard was a slim but imposing figure, seeming to tower over Minho and looking like he was taking account of every breath Minho took with his wide but piercing eyes, which was a little unnerving, honestly. He was introduced as Lieutenant Park Seonghwa, one of Prince Hyunjin’s personal guards who had been reassigned to Minho for the duration of his stay. If the lieutenant was upset about this assignment, Minho could not tell. The attendant was introduced as Yang Jeongin, who apparently knew all of the ins and outs of the castle and would be able to secure Minho whatever his heart desired, within reason. Minho was polite to his new companions, as he was raised to do, but he wondered all the while how long it would take for him to evade his new shadows and be able to roam the castle without feeling like he was being kept prisoner. 

In the meantime, Minho would have to make do with the situation he was in, so he politely excused himself from the queen, though she was very insistent that he wait just a few moments longer in case her son decided to show up, but it had been abundantly clear to Minho as soon as he stepped in the castle and was greeted only by the queen and a handful of staff members that Prince Hyunjin was not going to grace them with his presence any time soon. 

After Minho insisted on making his leave, Jeongin led him to the chambers where he would be staying for the month he had to live there as Seonghwa carried the small sack of Minho’s belongings he had brought from home. The chambers were well-decorated and nearly as big as his chambers back home, he could tell it was one of the ones meant for important guests. 

The main room had a small sitting area to the right of the door, in front of a fireplace, which Jeongin had rushed in to light as soon as they arrived. The bed against the left wall was massive, much bigger than the one Minho had at home, because he hated feeling small in such a large bed. It was dressed in indigo silk sheets, with a gold brocade on the comforter and pillows. Minho smiled, recognizing the set as a gift from his parents to the Mahonian king and queen many years ago. Minho’s kingdom was the primary exporter of silk across the continent, so it was a safe bet that most if not all of the silk in the castle had been produced in his kingdom. 

Though the bedding was familiar to him, the room also had more animal hides and pelts than Minho had ever seen gathered in one place before. He supposed it was only logical, as they would need to keep warm somehow in the frigid winter kingdom, but Minho shuddered nonetheless at the sight of a particularly realistic white pelt laying across the back of one of the chairs that must have belonged to an arctic fox at some point. 

Probably interpreting his disquieted shudder as a shiver of cold, Jeongin appeared at Minho’s side, wiping the soot from his hands on a white handkerchief with the blue and gold kingdom crest embroidered on it. 

“Would you like me to draw you a bath, Your Highness?” the attendant asked, reaching to help Minho out of the heavy winter cloak he had purchased specifically for this journey. Minho obliged, letting the sharp-eyed man take the cloak off of his shoulders.

“That would be nice, thank you, Jeongin. And you may call me Minho, I do not require honourifics when we are away from the public eye. The same goes for you,” he said, turning to address Seonghwa, who was in the process of placing Minho’s bag in the armoire that was to the left of the door, parallel to the bed. The lieutenant paused, his brows furrowed and wide eyes full of confusion as he pointed to himself as if to say “Me?” 

Minho let out a laugh at seeing the man’s previously intimidating face shift into such an innocent-looking one. “Yes, you. I estimate we are all about the same age, and I don’t have the luxury of being surrounded by people my age when I am at home. So please, refer to me comfortably.” 

As Seonghwa stood there, still dumbfounded, Jeongin piped up brightly “Alright! Minho it is! How would you like your bath?” 

“So scalding my skin turns concerningly red and I have a reason to miss dinner,” Minho replied with a deadpan look on his face. Minho had come to accept that his humour was doomed to be criminally underappreciated, but to his surprise, Jeongin’s face broke out in a gleeful dimpled smile as he scurried off in the direction of the bathing room that lay beyond the bedroom. 

“You got it, boss!” the young attendant exclaimed, sounding slightly too excited about the prospect of drawing Minho the hottest bath he’d ever been in. A surprised laugh bubbled out of Minho’s chest. He could learn to like it here. 

A long bath that left him smelling so floral it reminded him of home and a short nap later, Minho decided to dress himself and wander the castle a bit before dinner. Jeongin had disappeared from his room before his nap, after unpacking Minho’s bag and steaming all of his clothes free of wrinkles and hanging them up in the armoire, a task he did not have to do but did nonetheless. Minho had a feeling the attendant would insist on doing many more things for him over the course of his stay, even though Minho was used to pretty much being left alone at home. Minho wasn’t sure if all personal attendants were this dedicated, as he had not had one since he had nannies as a child, or if Jeongin was just a special brand of enthusiastic. 

Nonetheless, Minho was able to leave his room with one less shadow than he had entered it with, only Seonghwa, who had been posted outside of his door, following him now as he wandered aimlessly throughout the cavernous halls of the castle. 

The layout was considerably different from Minho’s home, with tall sandstone walls and arched doorways and ceilings, instead of the bamboo walls and ornately painted tiered ceilings Minho was accustomed to. He had expected to be cold in the castle walking around in his Cerisian attire, since the place was made almost entirely of stone, but he actually felt strangely warm. Not uncomfortably so, but enough to make Minho question exactly how the castle was being heated, as the small torches mounted on the walls appeared to be more for lighting than heating. 

Now that he thought about it, Minho remembered feeling warmer as soon as he set foot within the palace boundaries. Granted, it had still been cold, because there was still snow everywhere and Minho apparently had delicate Cerisian sensibilities, but to the best of his memory, he had started to warm up as soon as he entered the palace’s outer boundaries, not its walls. 

Minho’s thoughts were broken as he became aware of two things at once. First, Seonghwa’s presence only a couple of paces behind him, much closer than the trailing distance he’d been maintaining up until now. It appeared Seonghwa had been trying to get his attention, which he would have succeeded in doing, had something, or rather someone, not immediately grabbed Minho’s attention as soon as he spotted them. Second, walking closer to him and looking in any direction other than Minho, which let the older know immediately that he was being avoided, was none other than the Ice Prince, Hwang Hyunjin. 

Given that the other prince had not received him despite personally inviting him, Minho had an inkling that Hyunjin had been actively trying to avoid him, and would likely scurry away immediately upon making contact, as he had often done when they were children. Which was why Minho, despite having initially paused upon spotting Hyunjin, continued his leisurely stroll down the hallway, making sure to keep his eyes on Hyunjin the entire time, so that if the other prince looked in his direction he would be forced to make eye contact. 

When they inevitably did make eye contact, Minho stopped where he stood and schooled his expression into the bored one he used when the ladies who worked at the soup kitchen would try to set him up with their sons and daughters, even though he was secretly delighted at the fact that this eye contact appeared to be making Prince Hyunjin squirm. 

Certain that the Ice Prince would run away at any moment, Minho made no move to bow. He did not want to embarrass himself in front of his new guard or the attendant by Hyunjin’s side when he was left in a perfectly polite ninety degree bow in the direction of the space the younger prince had occupied before fleeing. 

“Prince Minho,” Hyunjin spoke first, startling Minho so much that his careful mask almost slipped. He had not expected the Mahonian prince to speak to him at all, though the level of frostiness in his tone was not surprising in the slightest. 

“Prince Hyunjin,” Minho returned, fighting to match the cold tone with his own that he was quite unaccustomed to using. Hyunjin had changed drastically since the last time Minho had seen him. 

He had frustratingly grown to be what looked to be a couple of inches taller than Minho, but luckily they were not standing close enough that Minho had to look up to him. He was sure he’d die if that happened. His face had lost nearly all of its dumpling-like softness that Minho had once fussed over for hours when they were children, and was now angular in a very flattering way, making him look all the more like the Ice Prince he was said to be. His hair was also much longer than Minho had ever seen it, long enough to be kept in a short ponytail, with only a few wisps falling out, and… “Is that… dust in your hair?” The question slipped out before Minho could stop it, but he found himself unable to regret it once he saw the look of panic flash across Hyunjin’s face. It made him look more real, much more like the Hyunjin he once knew. 

“What’s it to you?” the younger prince blurted, before his eyes widened and he darted past Minho, who could only sigh as he watched him leave. Definitely like the Hyunjin he once knew. 

After the mess he had made of himself in the hallway, Hyunjin did not want to attend dinner, begging Seungmin to say he had a stomachache and would be retiring early. It wasn’t a complete lie, as Hyunjin’s stomach felt as uneasy as it had used to feel on the boat rides they used to take to Cerasus when he was a child. But Seungmin refused to lie for him, and said that he would not bring him food later on if he skipped dinner, knowing quite well that Hyunjin had not eaten all afternoon and was likely starving. 

Seungmin’s persuasion unfortunately worked, so Hyunjin found himself seated across from Minho at the long but mostly empty dinner table, his mother having given up her usual spot next to the king so that the two could sit opposite each other. She seemed quite fond of Minho, asking him many questions about his travels and his life back in Cerasus, but Hyunjin tuned most of it out, focusing only on his dinner. He tried not to eat too much, but he was really starving and ended up being the last one to finish eating, well after everyone else had finished. 

After Minho excused himself abruptly but politely and retired to his chambers with Jeongin and Seonghwa on his heels, Hyunjin’s mother shifted back into her usual chair so she could glare at her son properly. 

“What was that?” she questioned, taking a sip of her plum wine as she stared daggers at her son over the rim of her goblet. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hyunjin mumbled around a large bite of persimmon tart. 

“Manners, Hwang Hyunjin,” his mother snapped, like he was five years old again. Heat rose to Hyunjin’s face as he forced himself to swallow the pastry with a sip of plum wine to wash it down. The sweetness of the wine cancelled out the sweetness of the dessert, leaving his mouth with a bitter taste in it, but Hyunjin couldn’t bring himself to eat or drink anything more now that his parents seemed set on interrogating him. 

“Why do you insist on giving our guest, your guest, the cold shoulder?” his mother questioned. Hyunjin looked to his father for help, but the king seemed very interested in the contents of his wine goblet, swirling it counterclockwise and decidedly avoiding inserting himself in the conversation. 

“He’s mean to me,” Hyunjin grumbled, hating how much he sounded like a petulant child. 

“Have you even spoken to him since he arrived?” the queen retorted. 

“Well-” Hyunjin started, before deciding that the interaction in the hallway did not count as a conversation. “No, but-”

“But what, Hwang Hyunjin?” his mother sighed. Hyunjin remained quiet, because he did not have a way to end that sentence that would not result in his mother scolding him more. He could tell she was starting to get frustrated with him as her nails were tapping rhythmically against the cherry wood table. 

The king chimed in now, placing his hand placatingly on top of his wife’s to stop the tapping. “All we ask is that you try to speak with him, Hyunjin. Perhaps he’s changed since the last time you saw him. Think about how out of his element he must feel here. It needs to be you who reaches out.” Hyunjin knew his father was right, but he hated it. He would rather walk through a blizzard in nothing but his undergarments than be the one to break the years-long tension between him and Prince Minho, but he had made a promise to his parents, after all, and he couldn’t let them down. 

Masterlist.

Taglist: @wooyussy @saltyone101 @burningupp

[notesongardening]

Mahonia ‘winter sun’ for autumn and winter colour

[kwiatyogrodowe]

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Thursday 26 November 2020

This burst of yellow flowers from Mahonia × media 'Winter Sun' was visible from a distance tempting visitors into the Winter Garden of Cambridge Botanic Garden, UK. This evergreen shrub is an interspecific hybrid of Mahonia lomariifolia and Mahonia japonica and has more compact growth than other plants resulting from this cross such as Mahonia × media 'Charity'.

Jill Raggett

[jasonthegardeningguru]

PLANTS TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS MONTH: March 2019

Prunus laurocerasus ‘Etna’ (Cherry Laurel)

An ideal large shrub for most aspects in the garden from sun to shade.

This hardy evergreen is a recent introduction to the laurel family. It has mid-green evergreen leaves which when the growth starts in the spring is bronze/red hence the named ‘Etna’ after the Italian volcano. It will also bear masses of white, scented candle-like flowers in mid to late spring. These will as the plant matures also bear cherry-like bluish fruit turning black to ripe.

It is the versatility of this shrub which should make it a must on every ornamental gardeners to buy list.

It grows to a height and spread of around 2 m. It can be grown as a free standing shrub, used as screen or hedge, grown in a container as patio plant. If you find a specimen with a straight-ish stem it could be trained into a standard or another ideal is why not train it two-dimensionally against a wall or fence as an evergreen wall shrub.

Heuchera ‘Crimson Curls’ (Coral Flower)

Probably one of the best and recent introductions to this popular herbaceous plant.

‘Crimson Curls’ has beetroot red crinkled foliage which is completely evergreen unlike some of the other purple-leaved Heuchera’s.

It grows to a height of 30 cm and a spread of 45 cm. It bears white wispy flowers in the summer months which make a brilliant contrast against the foliage.

Best grown in an open and sunny position for the best leaf colour in any well-drained soil or compost.

Ideally grown against light backgrounds for the best effect from the foliage but also mixed with ornamental grasses like Carex ‘Frosted Curls’ (see pic) or ‘Silver Sceptre’ can contrast well. Another ideal place is to grow the ‘Crimson Curls’ just in a low, dumpy glazed bowl which would give colour throughout the year on even the drabbest patio.  

Pulmonaria saccharata ‘Sissinghurst White’ (Lungwort)

Probably the most eye catching of all spring flowering herbaceous. The Lungwort has attractive, silvery spotted leaves which are covered in minute hairs and have a brilliant texture to them.

This strain has clean and crisp white flowers blooming from mid-late March until late April.

They grow to height of around 30cm by a spread of around the same.

The Pulmonaria family make ideal ground cover plants in shady conditions and also make great companion plants for growing underneath shrubs. Though in the summer if it is dry ensure that they get plenty of water.

Mahonia pinnata (Oregon Grape)

This dense and compact evergreen shrub has delightful bright and rich yellow flowers blooming on a backdrop of dark sea-green, holly-shaped leaves. The blooms appear from late February through till early April.

It grows to a height and spread of 1.2 m. It will grow in sun or shade and can make an attractive container shrub for spring colour.

Viburnum ‘Anne Russell’

This evergreen variety of Viburnum has attractive pink buds which open to white flowers which are richly scented. Its mid-green evergreen foliage can have good contrast on a light background.

It will grow in any well-lit position and in any free-draining soil. It grows to a height of 1.8-2.4 m by a spread of 1.5-1.8 m. It can also makes a great container shrub for those with no room left to place this graceful plant.

Euphorbia ‘Redwing’ (Spurge)

This recent introduction to the Spurge family has a brilliant compact shape ideal for all sorts of uses throughout the garden.

In late winter the flower heads form turning red and then opening to yellow-ish green flowers giving colour into the spring.

The ‘Redwing’ will grow to a height and spread of around 50 cm and will tolerate sun or partial shade. They will grow best in any well drained soil.

If you have an empty pot and can’t think what to place into it and your patio is lacking inspiration and interest at the moment then why not plant a container of this variety.

One final note is be very careful around this plant when trimming and tidying as the Euphorbia family have toxic sap which can cause skin irritation. So when maintaining your plant always use gardening gloves.

Hebe albicans ‘Sweet Kim’ (Veronica)

This variety of this ever-popular dwarf shrub is another recent introduction.

A uniformed growth which is rounded has superb colour 365 days of the year. It has pink, cream and green leaf variegation the pink is more noticeable in the cooler periods of the year.

Ivory white flowers open in the early summer and last through out the summer months and into the early autumn.

It will prefer to grow in a full sun or partial shaded position in any well-drained fertile soil.

An ideal dwarf shrub for providing colour for rockeries, front of your borders or even in a container. It grows to a height and spread of around 60 cm.  

[jardin-cairnhill]

Mahonia « Winter Sun » (at Cairnhill) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYWm6osDzYs/?utm_medium=tumblr

[marybromley]

Brian Minter: The best plants for shaded areas

As planting season begins, one of the most frequently asked question is: “What can I plant in a shady area?”

It’s not an easy question to answer without learning a few more details, such as: How dark is the area in question? Does it get any sun in summer, even for part of the day? If the area gets no direct sun, is it at least getting good light? This is important because approximately 50 per cent of our gardens will probably experience some degree of shade.

Another issue is the cause of the shade. Is it a building or a large tree with an extensive root system, which could potentially compromise the root systems of any new plants? If the shade is caused by trees, are they yours or do they belong to a neighbour? If they are your trees, is it possible to limb or prune them back to allow more light and sun to penetrate?

Soil is another concern.

Often in shaded areas without any sun, the soil remains damp. Few plants like wet feet, so it would be necessary to work in fir or hemlock bark mulch to raise the soil level and to open up and lighten heavier soils. If larger trees with extensive root systems are creating a situation called ‘dry shade’, these areas, too, can be amended to allow new plants to become established.

Shade gardens can be beautiful and restful spots.

It’s really a matter of making the right choices. If you have ever walked in a forest, you know how spectacular Mother Nature’s creativity can be. Native plants should be a part of your garden, especially jewels like vine maples (Acer circinatum), one of my favourite plants.

Along with Japanese green maples (Acer palmatum), they both do well in dappled shade, and they will also tolerate hot sun for part of the day. I particularly like the compact Lion’s Mane maple (Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’) because of its stunning crinkly foliage and unique shape. Weeping forms of Japanese maples, like Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Green Cascade’, are ideal for smaller spaces. Most gardeners prefer red Japanese maples but in shady locations, green leafed varieties perform better, and their fall colours are magnificent.

Combining plants with companions that perform well in similar locations is the key to creating lovely displays. Underplanting vine or green Japanese maples with native plants, such as the large family of Oregon grapes, is a must. Compact, evergreen varieties, like Mahonia nervosa or M. repens, not only flower, but their fall and winter colouring nicely accents the bare branches of deciduous trees.

Many often-overlooked plants, when arranged in groupings, create a beautiful and sometimes fragrant presence in shady spots. For example, ferns, especially the evergreen varieties, used as underplantings, add an attractive, natural-looking touch.

Compact male and female skimmias are a nice addition because of the red berries on the female and in winter the bronze flower buds on the males. Their wonderfully perfumed flowers open in early spring and attract pollinators. From the very compact Sarcococca humilis to the taller S. confusa and S. ruscifolia, no shade garden should be without the winter fragrance of Himalayan sweet box.

The large Fatsia japonica, with its huge maple leaf-like leaves, will add a more tropical look. Their cousins, the Fatshederas, have a more spreading habit. I like to add a little foliage colour with the many varieties of gold leafed Aucuba japonica, particularly A. ‘Gold Dust’ and A. ‘Picturata’ with its large swaths of solid yellow in the leaf.

Most folks think rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias are great shade plants, but in reality, they prefer more light. Variegated Pieris japonicas, especially my favourite variety, P.j. ‘Flaming Silver’ with its white flowers and spectacular new red growth, and mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) with its beautiful flowers that open in June when most other evergreen flowering shrubs are finished, are better flowering plants for shady spots.

Today, as we live closer together, privacy is becoming more of a concern. My go-to plant for this type of situation is Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica). It loves shade, grows quickly and its shiny, deep green leaves are very attractive. As it matures, it produces beautiful bronze buds that open with an amazing perfume. Prunus lusitanica ‘Lolita’ is a more compact form. Most laurels provide fast privacy in difficult, even ‘dry shade’ locations, but for overall appearance Portuguese laurels are the best.

The heavenly bamboo family (Nandinas) is well suited for almost any garden spot. Despite their common name, nandinas are not related to spreading or clumping bamboo, but they have that same wonderful grassy look year-round. Most varieties turn a bright red or burgundy colour in fall and winter. From N. ‘Gulf Stream’, growing 1 metre in height, to N. domestica, stretching up to 2.5 metres tall, they will always be at home in both sunny and shady locations.

If you have an unsightly fence that needs covering, large leafed Persian ivy (Hedera colchica ‘Dentata’) comes in both variegated and rich green varieties. Another jewel, climbing hydrangea (H. petiolaris), with its rich green foliage and stunning white flowers, is truly one of the most beautiful vines. A smaller Japanese version, Schizophragma hydrangeoides comes in both pink and white blossoms.

I can’t list all the great shade-loving trees and shrubs, but I must mention shrub dogwoods for their colourful variegated foliage and beautiful yellow or red winter stems; oak leafed Hydrangea quercifolia, with its stunning flowers and fall colouring; and my favourite hummingbird attractor, the red flowering currants, Ribes sanguineum ‘King Edward VII’ and the native Ribes alpinum.

Next week I will share some of the best new and exciting shade-loving perennials. Stay tuned.

Brian Minter: The best plants for shaded areas published first on https://weedkillerguide.tumblr.com/

[sunbadgerplants]

‘Winter Sun’ Mahonia.

[iplantsman]

#oneadayplant Mahonia x media ‘Charity’. Personally I prefer Mahonia japonica, M. lomariifolia, M. eurybracteata, M. nitens, M. gracilipes and the x media cultivar ‘Winter Sun’ over this, but it is very accessible and that alone is a good thing. It is also a consistently good performer. #mahonia #shrubs #plants #plantsofinstagram #yellow #spiky #spines #evergreen #hardy #shrub (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-Yu4HgslF/?igshid=txl56lnu30go

[coopapiloire]

Le mahonia hybride (Mahonia x media) de la famille des berbéridacées

Décembre est le début de la morte saison et bien rares sont les plantes indigènes qui s’épanouissent encore à cette période un peu triste. Il faut donc chercher dans la flore exotique pour trouver des espèces qui fleurissent au cœur de l’hiver et qui permettent aux butineuses de trouver quelques gouttes de nectar et quelques grains de pollen lors de leurs sorties périodiques mais salutaires.

Certains mahonias asiatiques sont de celles-là et en particulier leur principal hybride qui associe les avantages de ses deux géniteurs, Mahonia japonica et Mahonia lomariifolia.

Il s’agit d’arbustes aux feuilles persistantes, composées de nombreuses folioles coriaces et épineuses qui évoquent un peu les feuilles du houx. Comme la plupart des espèces à floraison hivernale, ils ont opté pour la stratégie de fleurs voyantes et parfumées pour attirer les très rares pollinisateurs. Tous sont à floraison jaune lumineux et à odeur capiteuse.

Étymologie

Le genre Mahonia est dédié à un botaniste horticulteur américain d’origine irlandaise, Bernard Mac Mahon. Le signe x placé devant le nom spécifique indique qu’il s’agit d’un croisement entre deux espèces (hybride interspécifique), notion reprise par le nom media qui signifie intermédiaire.

Il a été obtenu en Angleterre dans les jardins de Windsor en 1955. Il s’agit donc d’une espèce artificielle qui n’existe pas dans la nature.

Le nom spécifique japonica de son premier parent est facile à traduire et il précise son origine géographique. Quant à la dénomination lomariifolia de son deuxième parent, elle signifie à feuilles de lomaria, espèce de fougère au feuillage très découpé. Actuellement, cette fougère appartient au genre Blechnum.

Description

Le mahonia intermédiaire est un arbuste d’environ 1,80 m au port raide et compact. Il pousse dans tous les sols suffisamment frais mais sans excès d’humidité, en plein soleil ou de préférence à mi-ombre dans les régions à été chaud.

Les feuilles composées imparipennées présentent de nombreux rangs de folioles épineuses qui impliquent l’utilisation de gants résistants lorsqu’on veut intervenir de quelque manière que ce soit pour entretenir la plante et notamment lorsqu’on souhaite la tailler après la floraison. A la suite d’un stress hydrique estival ou sous l’action du froid hivernal, ces feuilles virent au rouge intense.

Durant l’été, les pousses de l’année se terminent par un gros bourgeon florifère. Il éclate littéralement au début de l’automne et libère de nombreuses grappes terminales visibles dès le mois d’octobre. Elles s’épanouissent de fin novembre à courant janvier en fonction des conditions météorologiques et exhalent une agréable odeur de muguet. Les espèces types donnent des fruits bleu pruineux comestibles uniquement lorsqu’ils sont cuits. Consommés crus, ils peuvent déclencher des troubles intestinaux car ils contiennent plusieurs alcaloïdes.

Le mahonia hybride a engendré de nombreux cultivars comme ‘Charity’ et ‘Winter Sun’, qui comptent parmi les plus intéressants.

Le saviez-vous ?

Le genre Mahonia englobe des espèces d’origine asiatique à floraison hivernale mais aussi des espèces nord américaines à floraison printanière. Une des plus communes est le mahonia à feuilles de houx (Mahonia aquifolium ) espèce mellifère appelée également vigne de l’Oregon. Faute demieux, les pionniers utilisaient ses nombreux fruits pour préparer une boisson succédanée du vin !

On peut également en faire des gelées qui évoquent celles obtenues avec le cassis. Le genre Mahonia est très proche du genre Berberis (épine-vinette). Il existe d’ailleurs un hybride intergénérique dénommé x Mahoberberis aux caractères intermédiaires.

Index des articles sur les plantes mellifères

Cultiver des plantes mellifères en ville et au jardin Paru en janvier 2016

Qui est Jacques Piquée

Pour contacter Jacques Piquée utiliser le formulaire ci-dessous [contact-form-7 id=”3465″ title=”Jacques Piquee”]

Jacques Piquée : Le mahonia hybride Le mahonia hybride (Mahonia x media) de la famille des berbéridacées Décembre est le début de la morte saison et bien rares sont les plantes indigènes qui s’épanouissent encore à cette période un peu triste.

[brooksideinnabbotsford]

Mahonia x media (Winter Sun) coming into bloom, just in time for winter hummingbirds and late warblers. 😎. #hummingbird #warbler #mtbaker #staycation #boutiquehotel #abbotsford #garden #birding #birdfeeder #winterflowering (at Brookside Inn Boutique Hotel) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ou9XkBsFm/?igshid=1g9llp850sfct

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Thursday 2 November 2017

The Mahonia × media 'Winter Sun' (Oregon grape) has started to flower and later in the autumn and early winter will fill the air with fragrance. This medium-sized evergreen shrub has an upright growth, with long, spiny, pinnate leaves. It is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Mahonia lomariifolia and Mahonia japonica. It can create a striking architectural plant when the lower branches are removed to reveal the stems.

Jill Raggett

[greenfatfingers]

I'm falling in love with this Creeping Mahonia! We have the upright version but wish there is space in #mygarden for this! 😻😻😻 . #Mahonia repens also known as Creeping Mahonia, Creeping Hollygrape, Creeping Oregon Grape, Creeping Barberry, Prostrate Barberry is a creeping Oregon grape evergreen shrub with a low-growing habit forming an attractive and tight ground cover. It's attractive glossy evergreen holly-like foliage takes on purplish hues in winter. In spring it bears bright yellow, fragrant flowers. It’s fantastic for providing groundcover, particularly in shady, woodland gardens. They provide an invaluable source of pollen and nectar for bumblebees and other pollinators. It then bare clusters of dark blue purple, edible berries for birds and wildlife in late summer. A low maintenance, drought tolerant, full sun to part shade lover easily grown in well-drained acidic soils. gardenia.net @gardenersworldmag . #garten #perennial #spring #botanical #tränendesherz #instaflower #foliage #blomster #gardenlife #blossom #greenfatfingers #allthingsbotanical #plantlove #hage #gardening #instagarden #livingwithplants #flower #bloom #jardin #garden #flowers #庭 #plantdesign #gardenphotography #gardeningtips #lovegardening #gardeningtips (at Greenwich Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_1dDalXLH/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1exil2ip8axwv

[kevinscottgardens]

1 through 4 January 2019

For New Year’s Eve, I had Susie (who captured the evening beautifully with this shot) and Richard over for a quiet evening of cocktails, Champaign, risotto and a bit of fireworks on the telly. Happy New Year everyone.

I worked New Year’s Day and recorded all plants with at least one open flower. We have had an unseasonably warm autumn and start to winter; the result was 159 plants in flower:

Abutilon × milleri

Acanthus sennii

Ageratina ligustrina

Agrostemma githago

Alstroemeria aurea

Alstroemeria psittacina

Alyssum montanum 'Berggold'

Amicia zygomeris

Anisodontea capensis

Arabis procurrens

Arbutus canariensis

Arbutus unedo f. rubra

Argyranthemum pinnatifidum subsp. pinnatifidum

Bergenia × schmidtii

Bergenia crassifolia

Bidens aurea

Buddleja officinalis

Calendula officinalis

Camellia sinensis

Cestrum parqui

Cestrum psittacinum

Chimonanthus praecox

Chimonanthus praecox Grandiflorus Group

Chrysanthemum 'Kakinomoto'

Cistus creticus

Clematis cirrhosa 'Wisley Cream'

Cobaea scandens

Colletia hystrix 'Rosea'

Colletia paradoxa

Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina'

Correa backhousiana

Cyclamen coum

Dahlia imperialis

Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'

Dasylirion acrotrichum

Descurainia millefolia

Dianthus deltoides

Dianthus gratianopolitanus

Dichroa febrifuga

Drimys winteri

Echium italicum subsp. bieberstenii

Eomecon chionantha

Eranthis hyemalis

Eriobotrya japonica

Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa

Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve'

Eschscholzia lobbii

Fragaria 'Pink Panda'

Fuchsia 'Hawkshead'

Fuchsia microphylla

Gaillardia aristata

Galanthus 'Armine'

Galanthus 'Art Nouveau'

Galanthus caucasicus

Galanthus cilicicus

Galanthus elwesii

Galanthus elwesii 'Grumpy'

Galanthus elwesii 'Lode Star'

Galanthus elwesii 'Mrs Macnamara'

Galanthus elwesii 'Snowfox'

Galanthus elwesii var. elwesii 'Kite'

Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus Hiemalis Group

Galanthus 'James Backhouse'

Galanthus 'John Gray'

Galanthus 'Lapwing'

Galanthus 'Lavinia'

Galanthus 'Lyn'

Galanthus nivalis

Galanthus nivalis 'Melvillei'

Galanthus plicatus 'Florence Baker'

Galanthus plicatus 'Warham'

Galanthus reginae-olgae 'Blanc de Chine'

Galanthus 'Rose Lloyd'

Geranium macrorrhizum

Geum rivale

Halimium lasianthum 'Sandling'

Hebe salicifolia

Hebe stricta

Helichrysum bracteatum

Helleborus × hybridus

Helleborus × hybridus 'Early Purple'

Helleborus × sternii

Helleborus argutifolius

Helleborus cyclophyllus

Helleborus foetidus

Helleborus foetidus 'Wester Flisk'

Helleborus niger

Hoheria sexstylosa

Hyacinthoides aristidis

Hyacinthoides mauritanica

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Sir Joseph Banks'

Iberis amara

Iberis sempervirens

Iris unguicularis

Iris unguicularis 'Walter Butt'

Jasminum mesnyi

Jasminum nudiflorum

Justicia floribunda

Laurus nobilis

Lavandula dentata var. dentata (Grey Leaved Form)

Lavandula minutolii var. minutolii

Leonurus sibiricus

Leucojum aestivum subsp. aestivum

Lithodora zahnii

Loasa triphylla var. vulcanica

Lobelia erinus

Lonicera elisae

Lonicera standishii

Mahonia japonica

Mahonia napaulensis

Medicago arborea

Narcissus bulbocodium subsp. bulbocodium var. conspicuus

Narcissus dubius

Narcissus romieuxii 'Julia Jane'

Nerine bowdenii 'Mark Fenwick'

Nicotiana rustica

Nicotiana tabacum

Nigella sativa

Petasites fragrans

Polemonium reptans

Polyspora indet.

Primula × pruhonicensis

Primula vulgaris

Prunus × subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea'

Prunus mume

Ricinus communis 'Carmencita'

Rosa × odorata 'Bengal Crimson'

Rosa 'Ausmas' [GRAHAM THOMAS]

Rosa chinensis 'Veridiflora'

Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'

Ruta graveolens

Salvia 'Amistad'

Salvia atrocyanea

Salvia elegans 'Honey Melon'

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Bloom’

Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

Salvia haenkei 'Prawn Chorus'

Salvia involucrata

Salvia involucrata 'Bethellii'

Salvia keerlii

Salvia longistyla

Salvia 'Phyllis' Fancy'

Salvia stachydifolia

Sarcococca confusa

Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna

Sarcococca hookeriana var. hookeriana

Sarcococca hookeriana var. hookeriana 'Ghorepani'

Sarcococca ruscifolia var. ruscifolia

Scabiosa minoana subsp. minoana

Scrophularia lucida

Senna corymbosa

Stylophorum lasiocarpum

Tagetes lemmonii

Viburnum tinus 'Eve Price'

Vinca difformis

Vinca major

Viola odorata 'Czar'

Westringia fruticosa

I finished reviewing all 20,621 accessions and separating our seeds from our plants. I had no idea it would take a week to do this. I’m happy I did it this way; I am more familiar with the data and aware of so many different ways the database has been used over the years.

We made a huge dent in the pile that needed to be shredded and the compost pile has been moved along so we have an empty bay to start filling.

We are working shorter hours now, down to an average of 35 hours per week, in line with the rest of the staff. It is so civilised and European. Because we work 39 hours per week in the summer, we now finish at 15.30 Monday through Thursday and 13.00 on Friday. I’m very happy with these longer weekend. I will be able to take a much earlier train to the continent for weekend jaunts.

Plant of the week

Lamiaceae Rotheca myricoides (Hochst.) Steane & Mabb.

common name(s) - butterfly bush, blue glory bower, blue butterfly bush, butterfly clerodendrum, blue glory bower, blue glorybower, blue cat's whiskers synonym(s) - Clerodendrum dekindtii Gürke; C. d. var. dinteri Thomas; C. myricoides (Hochst.) R.Br. ex Vatke; C. m. var. camporum Gürke; C. m. var. chartaceum Moldenke; C. m. var. grossiserratum Gürke; C. m. var. involutum B.Thomas; C. m. f. lanceolatilobatum R.Fern.; C. m. var. laxum Gürke; C. m. var. microphyllum Gürke; C. m. var. savanorum (De Wild.) B.Thomas; C. neumayeri Vatke; C. savanorum De Wild.; C. schlechteri Gürke; C. sylvaticum (Hochst.) Briq.; C. ugandense Prain; Cyclonema myricoides Hochst.; C. sylvaticum Hochst.; Cyrtostemma myricoides (Hochst.) Kunze; Rotheca myricoides f. lanceolatilobata (R.Fern.) R.Fern.; R. m. subsp. myricoides; Siphonanthus myricoides (Hochst.) Hiern; Spironema myricoides Hochst. conservation rating - none native to - Kenya, Uganda location - glasshouse four, accession _____ leaves - glabrous, elliptic to narrow-obovate, glossy bright green, serrate margins, wedge-shaped bases flowers - showy, five-petaled flowers bloom June to September, showy, curved, outward-arching, purple stamens (resembling butterfly antennae); black, fleshy fruit follows habit - suckering evergreen shrub with a somewhat open habit to 2m tall and 2m wide habitat - in thickets in rocky places, along streams and at the edges of evergreen forest, to 1,700m pests - aphids, whitefly, mealybugs, scale, spider mites disease - leaf spot hardiness - to 1ºC (H2) soil - organically rich, evenly moist, well-drained sun - full sun to part shade propagation - seed, cuttings pruning - prune stems hard to the ground in early spring if compact plant form is desired nomenclature - Lamiaceae - the mint or deadnettle family, gullet, the name in Pliny refers to the gaping mouth of the corolla; Rotheca - Latinisation of the Malayalam ചെറിയ തേക്ക് words cheriga meaning small and thekku meaning teak; myricoides - from the French myriades meaning ten thousand and a Latinization of the Greek –oides meaning to see; resembling Myrica

References, bibliography:

Flora of Zimbabwe [online] https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=149090 [31 Dec 18]

Gledhill, David, (2008) The Names of Plants, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] http://www.iucnredlist.org/search [31 Dec 18]

Missouri Botanical Garden [online] http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a496 [31 Dec 18]

Plant List, The [online] http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-179968 [31 Dec 18]

[kwiatyogrodowe]

[hortascountrysidenotes]

Winter flowering shrubs

The last few days of clear blue skies and sun packing a bit of a punch in the middle of the day, have shown off the winter flowering shrubs to their best.  In general these also have the added bonus of the most amazing scent.

On Sunday I managed almost a whole day in the garden and whilst raking up some hedge clippings was amazed to hear the loud buzzing of the bees on the winter flowering cherry above my head - Prunus subhirtella Autumnalis is looking great this year - it has obviously liked the warmer conditions and therefore without taking a customary bash on its flowers from wintry conditions, has put on a show to be remembered.  The bees were certainly grateful to find some pollen with the temperature having tempted them out even if only for a couple of hours.  This prompted me to tour the garden to alert readers to the huge numbers of delights available in January.

Shade loving Sarcococcas or Christmas box come in 3 different types - the bushy humilis growing to neat clumps about 18″ high, the best sort I believe which is hookeriana var digyna - gently suckers and makes a bush or even loose hedge to about 3′ and finally confusa which grows a little taller and is deeper green but not quite as attractive as hookeriana in its leaf shape and stem colour.  They only require a little sun each day to give off their scent and in that brief spell of sun will be covered with bees if the day temperature is warm enough.

The witch hazel family is growing ever larger courtesy of the intermedia variety and there are several shades of the traditional yellow available and the rather delicious deep dusky reds and oranges.  The intermedia varieties do not tend to grow as large as the old mollis ones so even a small garden can give them house room.  Here we have x intermedia Jelena - photo below.

Viburnums of course are invaluable shrubs at all times and for all events!  But the two for the winter are the deciduous bodnantense with the well know sweet smelling pom pom pink flowers and the very common tinus which makes a good evergreen for backdrops to shrub planting, hedges, screening etc and is pretty happy to grow anywhere.  Viburnums however do not like to dry out.

The class act is definitely Chimonanthus praecox - the wintersweet - not only is the scent just the best, the flowers are quite beautiful and if conditions allow, the following seed heads are quite unusual - usually invisible once the leaves open, sometimes these seed heads survive until the following winter and are like bags hanging from the twigs.  A relatively sunny sheltered aspect is required - but here ours faces North West, gets good sun in the summer from midday to ripen the shoots for flowering and is now getting huge.  The leaves are not particularly exciting, and it has nothing much to merit it in the summer, but from mid December until February it is perfection.  

Others that fit the bill are the Mahonia family with flowers smelling of Lily of the Valley, the Honeysuckles - Lonicera purpusii and fragrantissima both punching a smell out on a warm day from their tiny flowers on bare stems.

Last but not least the Daphne family - best of all is bholua Jacqueline Postil, closely followed a month later by the odoro Aureamarginata. Both like a sheltered spot and benefit from a little iron tonic but are in fact pretty easy so long as you dont need to move them as this spells instant death to this family!

Cutting back and clearing all the border at the moment so as to get mulch on quickly this year - actually remarkably not too wet being on the border and good to see new shoots already poking through. Aconites continue to be a treat. Seeds have all arrived so need to finish cleaning greenhouse inside and then sow the broad beans and sweet peas etc.

HORTA