Alys Fowler: sarcococca satisfaction

On warmer days, the garden smells damp and a little rotten. It's not unpleasant, but it is hardly enticing and I need a better reward than a cup of tea on my return to get me outside.

Nature's offering is winter-flowering shrubs. Those small blooms have such a heady scent that for a moment you forget it is winter. They've banked their entire business on scent, hence the flowers are often very small and less than pretty. This perfume is not there to knock away our winter blues, but to attract the few foraging insects that are around at this time of year to come and pollinate. It is odd to think of pollinating insects in winter, but they are present: in a mild winter, even some bees will stay out. If you haven't seen any, then it is probably because you have not offered them some seasonal cheer.

My choice is Christmas box, sarcococca species. These are slow-growing, evergreen shrubs with glossy leaves and tiny, highly fragrant white flowers. This genus is an urban gardener's blessing. Sarcococcas do not mind car fumes, dry shade (even under trees) or neglect, are highly wildlife-friendly and can be turned into a low, informal hedge. If you plant in full sun, you will need to ensure the soil remains sufficiently moist, and avoid very harsh, drying winds.

The evergreen, tapered foliage looks good in a vase, and the strange, thin white flowers last long enough to be enjoyed inside. Then come the big berries that the birds enjoy. The most common is Sarcococca confusa, a dense, low-maintenance bush. It is the largest of the clan and can reach 4m-plus in height. It throws out flowers by the dozen, followed by black berries. It's a joy to have near a back door, but if space is limited, S. var. chinesis has red berries and grows to 1m tall, while S. hookeriana var. humilis has blue-black berries and grows to 60cm, making it a suitable hedging for the edges of beds: it is a proper top trump to that entire box around vegetable gardens.

The most desirable of all, however, is S. hookeriana var. digyna 'Purple Stem'. It is upright and compact, with fine foliage, young stems flushed a purple-pink and flowers tinged with the same hue. It's not a particularly fast grower – that's reflected in the price: expect to pay between £8-15 for a two-litre pot – but as long as you water it in well to get it established, it will thrive. I have a fantasy that this beauty will start replacing privet hedges in front gardens. After all, how joyous would it be to walk down a road scented with sweet perfume?