This AGM winning camellia is a renowned and cherished hybrid within the camellia world, and its prominence is owed to a range of striking characteristics.

This delightful plant puts on its show after the winter-flowering shrubs have finished and before most spring ones have started into flower. Ready to come into full bloom with a couple of warm days, Corylopsis pauciflora is an eye-catching little shrub at the steps going down to the Water Garden.

In 2008 the Royal Horticultural Society published ‘Opportunities for Gardeners’, a list of semi-hardy plants which it predicted would become more successful in the UK as the climate became warmer. One of these was Acacia dealbata, the silver wattle or mimosa, and here in the Mediterranean Climate Garden we have a lovely specimen with masses of clustered yellow flowers covered in stamens.

Only a few of the 500 different Australian wattle trees are hardy enough to survive in the UK. The most commonly seen is Acacia dealbata, the mimosa used by florists. Rather more tender, A. baileyana is considered suitable for milder areas only. However, this beautiful little tree grows happily at the entrance to the Dorothy Fox Education Centre.

Many botanical treasures may be found in the Glass Pavilions, including the spectacular cacti collection in the West Ridge and Furrow walkway. One of the most impressive cacti seen is a very large Echinopsis.

C. mas is one of the Cornaceae (dogwood) family). It produces dainty sprays of up to 25 four-petalled flowers in little yellow puffs, all along its leafless twigs.

As March comes in like a lion, it is hard to believe that in a couple of weeks Ribes sanguineum 'White Icicle' should be covered in pendulous racemes of pure white flowers, long lasting and noticeably earlier than the species.