SKIMMIA is one of those shrubs that is hardly noticed in summer when so many others parade their finery, but really comes into its own in winter. It has many excellent decorative qualities and in ...

It can be difficult to find a plant that looks good in the garden year-round — especially one that looks festive in December and produces sweet-smelling flowers in the spring. There is, in fact, a ...

Skimmia flowers form long-lasting buds months before they actually open and these too can be very decorative. The colour of the buds varies depending on the variety, some kinds such as the red-budded ...

Skimmia japonica, commonly called skimmia is a shade loving, evergreen plant that has a rounded growth habit. It can grow to 4 feet in height It has attractive clusters of flowers in the spring, but ...

John Manley has spent the vast bulk of his 25 year-plus journalistic career with The Irish News. He has been the paper's Political Correspondent since 2012, having previously worked as a Business ...