Chantell asked me what fragrant flowers do well in our garden, and I thought it would be fun to hear from others of you on this topic. The months of February into April for us in this part of the world have enormous possibilities. Would love to have more input from you folks in this thread: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/580115/
Fragrant gardening in the Mid-Atlantic states
Witch hazel..Spice Bush...oriental lilies ..cimicifuga..clethra..some daffs. daphnes. .. azaleas... sweet box...hostas...
And Buddleia, roses, Weigela, roses, daylilies, roses, lilies, roses, and monarda, to name those I can quickly come up with as the sweetest.
Not actually a flower but Korean spice Vibernum (V. carlesii) has lovely fragrant flowers in the spring.
Oh my how on earth did I forget that...It is intoxicating
Yup, V. carlesii, witch hazels, sweet box, daphne, etc. were all in the thread I had hoped you would all join in on for Chantrell - Towards the end of her thread, we were focusing on the months of February into April. To hear how you grow plants that perfume those months - context, associations, how you learned about the plant, etc. would be nice. Did you folks click on the link for Chantrell's thread?
Sorry, bluespiral, I didn't read the other thread until after I'd posted here.
Welp, there are some names that can't be shouted from rooftops too often:
Levilyla - "Witch hazel..Spice Bush...oriental lilies ..cimicifuga..clethra..some daffs. daphnes. .. azaleas... sweet box...hostas..."
and Mickgene - "And Buddleia, roses, Weigela, roses, daylilies, roses, lilies, roses, and monarda, to name those I can quickly come up with as the sweetest."
and nutmegnana - "Not actually a flower but Korean spice Vibernum (V. carlesii) has lovely fragrant flowers in the spring."
Hopefully, we'll all keep cycling these names through this forum so that more and more gardens will yield their sod up to these magical alternatives.
Can't wait for April - there's a warm, sunny day that comes to our Maryland woods when lemon and honey perfume the trails from the spice bush, Lindera benzoin. Deer hate it, so not too many other woody shrubs are evident around here, especially in the shadiest places. Colonists used to make tea from it, about which De Toqueville grumped in his 18th century journal - I wonder how you say "phooey" in French?
In the fall of 2004 I planted 5 Juddii Viburnums...in the spring of 2005 they smelled lovely from 15 feet away. Fragrance has never been a top priority for me when choosing plants, but they were sure nice.
Another fragrant spring flowering shrub for me is my Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken' (cherry laurel). There tends to be about one week here in Virginia in the spring after turning off the furnace and before starting up the air conditioner where I can open up my windows. Some times that week coincides with the blooming of my Laurels and my front room smells lovely!
- Brent
P.S. I figured that I would post here since I don't visit the Fragrant Gardening forum much.
Brent, I'll never forget the first time I got a whiff of cherry laurel. DH and I were walking in the National Arboretum, and out of nowhere wafted the most enchanting fragrance. We followed our noses through a few turns of the path, and were eventually introduced to it by ye Schnozz. That's one of the best fun parts about beginning something you know nothing about: surprise!
Actually, I don't limit myself to fragrant plants, either. The ones with horrible smells are left alone by rabbits, woodchucks and company, and often aren't noticeable unless I get closer than my tricky joints will permit. Some of the sages, like Salvia guarnitica hybrids such as 'Purple Majesty' and 'Brazilian Black and Blue' are like that for us, and so is the skunk flower: cleome.
Levilyla, which fragrant azaleas are you growing?
Mickgene, would love to hear which daylilies you find most fragrant.
Nutmegnana, we planted a Korean viburnum by our porch steps, too. If I wish too hard for it, I'm afraid the season will rush by even faster for not being patient. Some kitties were born under our porch the year after we planted it and gave it quite a good pruning with their rambunctious pouncing and playing.
Is anyone growing Prunus mume? It should be blooming now at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton - this is another one for warm days during our late winters around here that can be very intense, given the right cultivar. We have enjoyed it on warm days in January and February in Wheaton. It makes a small tree, so perhaps it's not for the small garden. However, I am trying to germinate 6 seeds, from which I hope to get 2 for interpollination so I can keep germinating new plants when the previous one gets too big.
Adding my two cents - I always admired the early blooming qualities of Abeliophyllum distichum (White Forsythia) http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1529 but never realized how fragrant it is! I usually admire the shrub from afar, but happened to be in the gardens yesterday and noticed a terrific fragrance - thought it might be coming from our Daphne, but that's still in bud - no fragrance. Had to do a little investigating to figure out what it was and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was the Abeliophyllum! Now I'm psyched because we'll be planting out the 'Pink' Forsythia this year (A. d. 'Roseum) and I'll be looking for a spot to plant it where we can enjoy its fragrance next year!
bluespiral, sorry to have taken so long to answer you. This thread somehow disappeared from my watch list and then just as magically e-appeared this morning.
Daylilies in my garden that are fragrant seem to be the pink-toned ones - Marcia Faye, Raspberry Pixie, It, Princeton Silky, Little Valentine, Lavender Blush, Chinese Temple Flower, and an orange - Orange Slice.
rcn, glad to hear about those Abeliophylla. Sounds like 2 shrubs I really neeeeed, (she says after having gone to the nursery Friday just for a few barberry varieties and having come home with not only those, but also azaleas, camellias, heucherae galore (for $2 and$6 each!,) and too many other perennials.) :)
thanks, Mickgene - am beyond behind on my threads, too - grrr
And I just "found" this thread...LOL Which is quite dangerous...if I add any more to my "need" list I'm going to have to borrow yard space and money from my neighbors...LOL
I still stand by my Lavenders and Rosemary...how I love lavenders!!! Someone is sending me single tuberose and I have doubles ready to be planted (although it seems that there are varying opinions if these are hardy to 7). I have 3 varieties of ginger in big pots in an east window awaiting warmer ground including Butterfly which I've heard smells wonderful! I have the following seeds enroute from Flower Scent Gardens: Dianthus 'Rainbow Loveliness White', Nicotiana 'Fragrant Cloud', Petunia 'Rose-Purple Vine', Zaluzianskya 'Midnight Candy', Dwarf Sweet Pea 'Cupid', & Matthiola 'Evening Scented Stock'. I have Confederate Jasmine in a big pot beside the gingers also awaiting transplant...honeysuckle seeds that will, God willing, survive in my back yard...and mints galore going in my rock garden side. The hycinths (sp?) are filling the air with their scent as we type. And someone has been kind enough to be sending me some Sweet Almond Clematis...which I'm still trying to decide which spot to put it in.
FYI: I haven't had any takers on the spreading yew I'll be digging up shortly...anyone interested? Not prone to disease or pests...keep nice color year round. LMK
Chantell
Chantell, If you're successful with your Matthiola, I'd appreciate some pointers. I tried starting seed last year with total failure.
The Buddleia davidii butterfly bushes are heavenly-scented. You should be very happy with them. Just be sure to deadhead if you don't want a lot of seedlings to pull out. Mine are always covered with butterflies from July on.
Which lavenders are you growing?
Michele
Hi Michele,
Linden eh? You live near my ex-husband and his parents...LOL! Small world, isn't it? This will be my first go around with seeds except veggies...so I'll let you know. If the Matthiola does well for me...I would open to trades. Maybe send me a d-mail in a month or two....not even sure how long those take after planted. As for the lavenders, I only have the Munstead and Province (sp?) I was suprised and thrilled that the Walmart is carrying the Province this year...I believe it to have one of the best scents of the lavenders. Thanks for the tip re the butterfuly bush...someone had given me a rooting of it...but it didn't make it...so I'm hoping this will work.
Chantell
Hi blue-spiral, your my neighbor:) I just moved here last fall from Lutherville.
I have lots of true and white lavender seeds......I have a lot of possible things (seeds), still deciding what's for this year. I have a ton of roses coming as I'm newly addicted. Has anyone tried messenger on your plants? It's suppose to be really great for strengthening plants to fight against disease and pests. They also have a seed tx.. I'm trying. People in the rose forum say it's great.
Nikki
Y'all, will be lying low for another while with health issues - am not ignoring you. All this enthusiasm for the horticulturally magical is wonderful to see.
Nikki, very glad to meetcha. The DG gardeners I have been lucky to meet in this area are all good old souls.
Nikki,
I just received a shipment of Messenger last week and am hoping for the wonderful results the others are touting. I used alfalfa tea last year and it was a success, just as many said it would be. I've not gotten the Messenger seed treatment, though, since I've not had much trouble with seeds, although, come to think of it, the year I started lavender seeds they had a very poor germination rate, both 'Munstead' and vera types. How are yours going?
bluespiral, hope your back with us soon.
This message was edited Mar 17, 2006 6:12 PM
The ones I have going are without the Messenger Tx. I bought it after I sowed them. I have more I've treated but haven't sown yet because I'm trying to figure what I want to go in my garden. Most will be to accompany my roses, and I'm not sure where all of them are going just yet. I also bought many daylily seeds. Those I have to read up on, I'm not sure what all I have to do. I think that the messenger seed tx. is also suppose to help them be a little stronger and resistant to fungus.
Nikki
Nikki and Michele, will be very interested to hear how the Messenger did with you two.
Michele, I seem to recall reading somewhere years ago that lavender germinates at the rate of about 1 out of 10 seeds: 10%. Sometimes, I think it's more economical to buy a "mother" plant for cuttings (spring cuttings work best for me here, because later rootlings have such a weak grip on the ground that they are very susceptible to being heaved up on top of the ground over the winter by the alternate freezing and thawing we are prone to here in the Mid-Atlantic area). Two local small businesses that are a great source of not-too-expensive herb plants are Stillridge in Ellicott City and Huber's in Perry Hall - they open after April 1.
I also sometimes will buy a "mother" plant to harvest its seed, when that seed is especially expensive or hard to come by.
Nikki, in the past I've had great luck growing daylilies from seed by sowing them in cellpacks (recycled, cleaned, sterilized) filled with sterile non-soil medium that was soaked with water brought to the boil and cooled and drained. Then, the flats were put inside plastic bags (loose, not tied - I used 30-gal trashbags) and into a second frig in the cellar for 6 weeks. Worked like a charm. But, do check from time to time, because germination sometimes starts before 6 weeks are up.
I always time germination to occur about April 1, so that I can put any seedlings out on the porch (slug free) as soon as they are up - the open air frees me from damping-off fungus hassles. Don't know what I'll do this year, neighbors can't keep their dogs off my porch and catfights from another's outdoor cats on our porch are pretty ferocious. Barricades/gates are gonna get us off-topic here.
Back to daylily germinating - this year I plan to do something different because of space issues - the baggy method, with sand and/or peat instead of paper towels: http://daylily6.tripod.com/Step_1.html
Also, you might like to look into that daylily robin (I think it could be found either on the DG Round Robin forum or Daylily forum) - they are limiting parent daylilies for seed to swap later this coming fall to those registered within a certain number of recent years - that might put you in a more contemporary bracket of daylilies for future trading.
Thanks for the lavender propagation tip, bluespiral. I have a larger plant now that I expect will be a candidate this year.
Does anyone know where I can find Persian Palace daylilly?
Did you try here.....
http://www.wadegardens.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1674
Nikki
Thanks...Mickgene had already D-Mailed me another site. The Persian Palace that I saw (and it was on DG) somewhere...seemd more lavender. It was paired with purple coneflower and looked fabulous. This picture looks more peachy. Does anyone have this daylilly?
Well Blue, I have finally found where you've been hidding! The Fragrant forum has picked up again we have been missing you!
Caren
Gee, Caren, I better not try to hide out at the wood shed around you - well mouse over to the Fragrant Forum later tonight.
Spring has come, and have been "hiding" from 'Pooter with ye Wheelbarrow and Shovel - too sore to sit at the computer for long.
One thing that really did a number on my hinges was emptying a fiberglass pond liner (kidney shaped, approximately 6' on the longest axis) and lifting it out of its hole and then filling in that hole. Which is why I'm typing now - not enough advil to get me back out there today.
Soooo...would anyone who lives nearby like to have our pond liner? with the pink hardy waterlily that grew in it ('Fabiola')??? We will not be lifting it again in our lifetime, so you would need to come get it and haul it off. We're not asking anything in return. Be prepared for pesky racoons to find it eventually - DH got tired of putting down wires and weights every night to protect the aquatics and fish. We are keeping one pond - would not want to be without the spring toad rites and then later dragonflies and waterlilies altogether.
edited to say that the pond liner is going to another DGer's garden.
This message was edited Apr 17, 2006 2:47 PM
I too have been out moving dirt and plants from one place to the other. Seeds I started over winter need planting and with all the seed tradeing Ive been doing I have more plants than beds. I added 3 beds in the past week and I need to add several more. Got any extra Advil? Will trade for fragrant seeds LOL!!
Im glad to hear from you just missing you colorful posts.
Did you have anything to do with this forum comming to be? Id bet Daylilys you did ;o)
Caren
I hadn't heard of this before ...Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken' (cherry laurel). ....but when I looked it up it said it was poisonous. Any idea how poisonous? I wouldn't be silly enough to eat it myself but I do have a psycho border collie that likes to help me dig. Any thoughts?
Caren, nope, other souls more intrepid and knowledgeable than I got the Mid-Atlantic and Daylily forums going. I may sound like I know a thing or two, but my ignorance is actually on a more cosmic scale, and folks on DG have taught me quite a bit, not to mention the support that comes from being around this group.
One of the many people on DG to whom I owe thanks is Gardenwife, without whom I wouldn't have known to try various search engines and how to conduct a search on the internet - she had posted this information to someone else's query, and I just snarfled it up.
Soooo...Bluesjuls, I can't answer your question directly, but if you click on:
www.google.com
and then type in the search bar:
"poison plants" + pets
you get:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22poison+plants%22+%2B+pets
which might have some useful info for you.
or: "Prunus laurocerasus" + pet
and so forth.
When you put two words together inside quotes, Pooter just searches for that combination and not for one or the other which doubles the results to sift through. Be sure to put a space before and after the + sign. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Forum, if it's still on DG, might have a more informative thread on this subject, or another DG forum whose title includes the word "Classics" might help, too.
Bluesjuls, would you like to start another thread in this forum inviting everyone to share what they know about poisonous plants? That way it won't get buried here, and I think it's a very important subject.
3 beds, Caren, and many more to go? You remind me of the early years of making our garden when a heavily inebriated neighbor draped himself over the fence and in very slurred tones asked, "Why are you always shoveling"? I truly did doubt my sanity back then (though that was no deterrent to pursuing my garden vision - totally invisible for any bystanders for many years). Go get 'em, girl - Flower Power rules!
PS - The pond liner has found a home in another DGer's garden.
Here's the thread I started over on the Pets forum: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/591984/
This one leaves out the "story" behind and and lists the numbers and web pages. This is mostly dealing with chocolate and pets but also gives the SPCA's poison control hotline info:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/592052/ which included poisons of any kinds and pets - including plants
Chantell, we crossed in the ether - while you were posting, I posted the following on poisonous plants and dogs:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/592913/
Thanks especially for the SPCA hotline - a valuable number.
Seems to be the topic of the week...here's the latest posting over on pets today: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/408169/