K, I've been seed hunting without much luck, is it too early? I miss Glen & his Flowersencent Gardens sooo bad! I am looking at sweetpeas & wonder if anyone has had any success in the south. Has anyone ever tried 'Lathyrus odoratus 'Snoopea'' ? Our PlantFiles are empty of photos or comments.
Also looking for Zaluzianskya carpensis--Midnight Candy Phlox seed--T&M are out, anyone know of another good source for these seeds?
Please list your favorites and favorite seed suppliers, I'd like to try some old favorites and any new ones.
Thanks,
Vi
Fragrant annuals by seed
You are probably just too early (or too late depending on your perspective). Many seed catalogs will probably get a lot of things back in stock when this year's crop of seeds come in. Right now you're at the point where everyone's already bought up last year's seeds, and this year's seeds haven't had a chance to be collected and packed up ready to go yet.
Thanks, I was getting worried. Still hope to get some ideas on fragrant annuals to try. And find more sources for them.
Where is everyone?
Hi! I grew 4 o'clocks from seed this year. I love their sent!
Ok Vi....let's see ~ I grow limited annuals simply b/c I'm lazy but these I love:
-Stock - love them all...great scent!!
-Dark Purple Petunias
-Nicotiana - 'Fragrant Cloud' esp. (Glen got me started on that)
-Pineapple Sage
-sweetpeas - haven't tried them myself yet but picked up a few packs of seeds - sadly too late to plant for spring 08' - will be doing so for fall though and again next spring. Lowes carries these - but they get bought out quickly - also ACE hardware stores.
-Daturas - the white ones everyone raves about - no first hand knowledge of those either but plan on growing them spring 09'
-Zaluzianskya carpensis--Midnight Candy Phlox - also want to try these.
I think those are the only annuals I have/will fool with - 95% mine are perennials.
Can't beat nicotianas, that's right!
Wish we'd hear more about the sweetpeas, I grew them years ago and had to innoculate them or something. I'd like to try "Old Spice" and "Snoopea", good idea about planting them in the fall! I'm usually too lazy to grow by seed too, but the thought of summer-long scent by annuals is tempting. I have oodles of old fashined vining petunias that return every year thank goodness, I love the smell of them after a rain.
Getting my list together for seeds to try, Midnight Candy is one--the plant from Glenn was amazing while it lasted...you just can't find many fragrant annual plants. His Pinks & Verbenas were another problem, none did well here, perhaps due to my PH or the heat. I got overun with with 4 o'clocks and the love affair is over, LOL.
My Nicotinias sadly did not reseed. Do you remember the "Angel Trumpet" 4 o'clock? I've had several of those return but cannot catch the scent, heck you can barely see the tiny white blooms, but the dark purple stamens are neat.
Vi - Glen's 4 o'clocks reseeded (no surprise there) but I agree with you...no scent last year and non that I can detect this year. The Verbena didn't do so well last year that I'd purchased from him and the scent didn't knock my socks off to be honest. I also had his Valerian was it 'Kathy' ?? Something like that...not much scent and didn't come back. As for the Sweet Peas 'Old Spice' is one that I have a seed packet of, I think...if you remind me I can include some seed in our trade. I'm almost shocked that your nicotiana didn't reseed...sure you didn't pull them up accidentally? I only ask b/c honestly I think I did...luckily not all...LOL I corrected myself in another thread, I think, about the perfume purple nicotiana from Parks...I got a late start on them and now they're all blooming...the scent is very nice...not as strong as 'Fragrant Cloud' but a great fragrance just the same.
Nicotianas not reseeding? No, that's impossible! lol!
Wow, I had the nicest talk with Rosie at Select Seeds www.selectseeds.com --she does the germination trials there and advised me on seeds to try for my area, based on best scented of course! Here's my list so far:
s202 Ambrosia
s099 Garden Heliotrope-Perennial with vanilla scent
s426 Night Phlox 'Midnight Candy'-says better in direct sow and to cut back after flowering!
s417 Petunia 'Fire Chief'- Has reds!
s601 Petunia 'Rainmaster'
s213 Petunia - Balcony-the jewal collection, not pastels
s014 Red Swallowwort-(Perennial & Vanilla Scented)
s342 Stock 'Evening Scented'-not really recommended for my area :(
s299 Sweet Alyssum 'Benthamii'
s338 Sweet Pea 'Old Spice'-only recommended for fall here
s161 Sweet Rocket - White (really a perennial with spring bloom)
s520 Tobacco 'Bella'-not as scented as Jasmine, but so pretty!
s345 Tobacco - Jasmine
s346 Tobacco - Woodland
Keep in mind, fellow scent lovers, If I'm sucessful with these, I will have many plants to trade, lol, so I sure hope y'all are interested.
Wow, thanks for sharing! I am saving this list too!
Whewww-whoooo....great list there!!! And nice to know they're so helpful!!! I think I have/had the Petunia 'Rainmaster' - if I remember correctly it was a nice scent. I'm excited to know there's a red with scent!!! I planted some strictly to "encourage" the hummers on in..but never detected any scent.
I really never detected any scent on any petunias! It's funny, because you think the same of 4 o'clocks, and I think they smell really good...go figure!
Have you even tried the El Cheapo deep purple petunias from Walmart? You have to "sniff test" em' in the evenings...that's how to tell you've found the "right" ones
ahhhh..in the EVENING?! Then that's why! Whenever I do the sniff test on the el cheapos, it's during the day when I go to the store!
No can do...no scent (or barely) during the day...gotta do your "sniff-by's" early evening to evening...at least IMHO. Think of the difference in scent strength of Nicotianas day vs night.
No kidding! I feel dumb now! hahaha!
Ok...I'll make you feel better....it took me THREE months before I figured where the scent was coming from back a couple of years ago. Why? Because I'd smell it at night as I was hurrying inside...then go back out the next day sniffing around trying to figure out what had such a nice scent. Of course the scent was no where to be found the next day(s) - sad, but true.
hahaha! Ok, it did make me feel better!
Have you tried Mammoth Mix Sweet Peas? I get them from Johnny's Select Seeds (order by mail, not the web site - they've had problems with security). They have the scent of the old sweet peas but the flowers are much larger. I soak them overnight at the end of March and get them into the ground immediately. I've done it for three years in a row, and they are still blooming in 90 degree heat. The colors are pink, red, light blue, white, purple - nice mix. I grow them through my unscented roses.
Donna
I miss Glenn at Flower Scent gardens too. He was great!
Ack! typos!
This message was edited Aug 13, 2008 2:39 PM
Oh Donna you KNOW they'll be a mad rush on those now!!! Esp if they're tolerating the heat!!! Full sun or part sun?
Yes, I should keep quiet. After babbling to the world how great Select Seed's geranium Gardener's Joy was, I couldn't get one!
I have a set growing up an arbor along with the unscented climbing rose Quadra, and another set growing up an allegheny serveiceberry. And they are both on the south side of my house in full sun. The trick is starting them, in my zone, when it's pretty cold (40's), soaking them overnight, sticking little holes in the ground to accomodate the seeds and then covering them with compost. If spring is dry I water them a bit. It is important to deahhead them. I tie the youg plants to bamboo stakes to lead them to their support. After that, they're on their own!
This year someone gave me scarlet runner beans. I started them in April and got the same good result. Of course, we had a COLD April!
Donna
Here ya go: http://www.google.com/search?q=Mammoth+Mix+Sweet+Peas&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a This way there's not a "run" on just one company...LOL
All right everyone! Follow that link!!!!
Donna
http://underwoodgardens.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Night+Phlox+&x=4&y=2
violabird: I found the night phlox at the above website. I just ordered some this morning!
Pam
Hi Vi,
If you want a larger quantity of the Night Phlox seeds try Hazzards Wholesale seeds. They sell to the public too. I've not ordered from them but they have a good Garden Watchdog rating and an amazing selection. They have a bunch of Nicotianas too including the Perfume series.
http://www.hazzardsgreenhouse.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z5293&Category_Code=AVIZ&Store_Code=Hazwho
Wow, Danita! Thank you for bringing our attention to this company. They have some seeds that are very difficult to find elsewhere.
Donna
Yes, it's very easy to get overwhelmed very quickly!
Co-op potential?
Thanks Danita!