I have made it a goal to have something that is fragrant in my garden, in bloom year round. (or atleast as close to it as possible). Living in zone 8b/9a gives me plenty to choose from and I have aquired many plants to achive this goal. But I have to wonder what gives off the longest season of fragrance. My Silver dollar Eucaliptus does pretty well but it is not very strong. My sweet olive is long lasting also but I am just not a big fan of its apperance. What do you know of as long lasting fragrance. Keep in ming that it doesnt have to be pretty of showy, just smells good for long periods of time.
Lance
There is something to be said for endurance..
Brugmansia and Datura bloom all thru late Spring, Summer and Fall.
I also have some Homestead Verbena that have blooming since early spring. Their scent doesn't jump up at you but when I'm kneeling in my garden the sweet honey scent is lovely. To me it smells very similar to Sweet Alyssum. I don't know when they stop blooming but there is no sign of it slowing down yet.
Caren
Heliotrope goes a long while...
I also wanted to add Aglaia odorata (Chinese rice flower) For me this blooms all year. I have to bring it in over winter but it continues its blooming in doors thru winter. The flowers are not at all showie but they really have a powerful smell of citris. The plant it self looks like a box wood and they don't get the scrappy look of the sweet olive.
Caren
I'll stand by my Rosemary and Lavender...at least up here in VA...guess they're not really flowers...but I love the scent year round
I'm not sure why it is but I can't smell my Rosemary. I've planted different varities, thinking that that was it but still unless I crush the leaves and stick them beneath my nose I just can't get a wiff. I have some low growing Ginger (not sure of the varity) also that while it dosent bloom I will brush up against it now and then to release it's fragrance. Nice but I wish it smelled that way without any effort on my part. My butterfly ginger is only weeks away from showing it beatiful blooms and of course its wonderful fragrance (my personal favorite).
Lance
Oh Lance...I hope I get ginger blooms this year...planted them last year..no blooms then. As for my Rosemary - that's all I have to do is brush against it. Sorry yours isn't behaving for you.
4004 ~ herbs don't have quite as much fragrance when they get too much moisture... have you had a lot of rain? Of course rosemary normally doesn't exude fragrance unless the foliage is rubbed. It is a pretty plant tho and a worthwhile addition to the garden...
And yes, I agree on the butterfly ginger. Mine doesn't bloom till August but of course, whatever is in bloom is my favorite! : ))
Rose and other scented pelargoniums: long fragrance when even lightly touched.
Anyone have experience with almond verbena ~ Aloysia virgata? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59091/ It is supposed to be wonderfully fragrant... I am hoping to snag one in a trade.
Podster; Rain? I can almost set my clocks by it. Everyday at 4:30/5:00.pm, nearly an inch. But the lawn and most of the garden looks great! My tropicals love all the humidity. I found the first bud of the year on my butterfly ginger yesterday so they will be coming to bloom so also. I hope you are not getting the flood rains where you are that are being reported in the news.
Lance
Chantell; I just met my new neighbors form Virgina yesterday, invited them over for 4th July B.B.Q. They moved in around Oct. last year but we really had not socalized until now. Turns out they have moved around a bit from Maryland,West Virgina, and Virgina. They finally made down here to the deep south. Caroline (the wife) loves to garden and I enjoyed showing her my garden and answering her questions on what grows here and what dosent. She is amazed at how she is able to stick things in the soil here and with little of no effort see results. I was intriged by how many plants she asked me about and if they do well here, that I have never even heard of. Virgina is in the south right? (And here I tought I was pretty knowledgeable until then). My Evergeen Wisterea was her favorite I think.
I introduced her to D.G. and believe I see some trades being made in the future. I was also glad that I was able to warn her about the dangers of Ruellia. I told her that if she puts in her yard that I would soon have it in mine. And I don't want it!
Lance
"Virgina is in the south right?" ROTFLOL Depends on who you talk to and what part they're from!! :) Must be nice to have such great soil and nature's watering each day. We "might" be getting some finally today. As for our soil....CLAY...ugh!!! Not very user friendly.
4004 - I have Mandevilla laxa and Vigna caracalla that flowers from Spring until late Autumn. Both of them smells wonderful. It is like a contest and I can't decide which is the winner! Vigna takes about two to three years to flower, but the Mandevilla flowered the second year - I started it off later in the season.
Elsa
Elsa 123 yes you and I agree on that one ......the mandavilla laxa smells like gardenia with fresh nutmeg sprinkled on it what does it smell like to you? oh and the snail creeper....there is a legend that young (I forget whether they were Romans or Greeks) would take their young ladies into the bean fields so the scent would help them to seduce their companions! I often think of that when inhaling that romantic perfume.:)
Hi chrissy100,
I've never actually thought about their fragrance like that. I usually feel so alive when I'm in that part of the garden. I grew up in a part of the country where the temps. are a lot lower than in Pretoria, and my mom isn’t all that much into gardening - she forgets to water, and she never remembers where she planted what. The only fragrant plants she had in her garden was/is roses. I still love them, but the above mentioned ones make me feel like royalty. This lovely, intoxicating, Summery, South Sea Island smell! Oh I forgot about my Brug! I can't describe the way it makes me feel when that lovely fragrance drifts in through the windows on a warm Summer evening!
Elsa
I have this one. Had to move it a while back, and it hasn't been flowering the past year. Hope it does this coming season.
http://gardengiftsgalore.com/pics/Ginger_3.jpg
Elsa and Chrissy,
I have a white ginger that is two years old, potted here in my zone (I am deeply envious of both of you.) I cannot wait to smell it! As for mandevilla, the species you talk about can be found on sale here, but it has no fragrance. :(
-Joe
Hi Joe are you sure it is the Mandavilla laxa?that is a really fast spreading vine with lovely white flowers.......they should smell like heaven.The coloured varieties have no perfume ...and there are also a couple of whites and even a yellow but the laxa should pong(smell)....if it is a laxa perhaps it needs warm humid evenings to smell for you....in the summer here you can smell just a couple of blooms for yards so you can imagine how it is with hundreds....the bees get drunk on it!
I am sure you will be thrilled with your White ginger.....it flowers late Summer Autumn here....you will love it :)
Hi Joe,
I have some seeds of the laxa if you are interested. Mine started flowering in it's second year. Mym mom's laxa actually dies down in winter, and before she nows it it is growing all over the place.
Let me know,
Elsa
So, any ideas about something fragrant for the middle of winter in New England? Maybe some type of potted plant? :-)
Yep ~ a houseplant. The one that comes to mind is the Sansevieria. They have the most fragrant blooms.
looking it up in the plant file . . . Thanks podster!
http://davesgarden.com/journal/j/viewentry/110020/ They don't bloom thru out winter but when they do the fragrance is good!