The Fragrant Garden
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bethie's world | Posted:
Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:36 pm
Well, I thought since we are all living and breathing gardening right now I would just take my camera and go for a meander in my yard. I am hot and heavy into scent gardening here. The very first good smell comes with the daffodils in February.
I grow many varieties even one that is scented like gardenias. I love pansies and violas that exude their sweet scent and beautify everything they touch.
Hubby's fave is in bloom right now-Queen Fabiola. She has a very delicate light scent that gets right in your throat.
Everyone's favorite is the spicebush. A sprawling messy bush that blooms very early, is native to here and smells like cloves. He sends runners up and is good for sharing but must be transplanted very early.
Hot on the heels of this is the native Carolina Allspice.
She is another sprawling shrub that is impervious to drought. Her blooms look like little waterlily's and smell like strawberries. On these warm spring days these can be smelled all over the yard.
I love her so much I was able to find a chartreuse version that smells like oranges.
The akebia vine aka choclate vine is also in bloom now. He's a 30 footer but very polite in habit.
My poor sorry little lilac bush is in bloom also.
Lilacs don't do well in this climate and mine is no exception. I am able to eke out a few great blooms though and I do love them.
My magnolia vine, schizandra chinensis is finally starting to grow well.
It's flowers are little and fragrant and this vine has many medicinal properties.
Wallflowers are an easily grown biennial that blooms very early and is fragrant. They reseed easily. I start mine on August the first for bloom the next spring. This first one is not fully opened. They are the orangest! Try these.
That's what's smelling up the place here. Then it's on to wisteria, lily of the valley and gardenia. Later in the summer it's cestrum nocturnum and autumn clemmie. She's a cloud of fragrant white. Of course I grow a lot of herbs too.
If I could bottle this smell today I could be a millionaire-I guess I already am.
Last edited: Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:38 pm
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