The other day I was talking with my daughter (age 5) about how I miss the green leaves and bright flowers of spring. She said: "You know what I miss about spring mom? The smells and the chirps!" Well, I don't have any smells, chirps, greens things or flowers to share from my February garden just yet. But I thought I would post some photos of some of my favorite fragrant flowers, in the hopes that the images will evoke the memory of fragrance past and the dreams of blooms to come.
My favorite flower for fragrance is daphne. Not many daphnes are hardy this far north, but 'Carol Mackie' is an exception. In addition to absolutely intoxicating fragrance, it also has beautiful foliage and elegant plant habit. When it is blooming I get down on my hands and knees, put my face in, and just sit there and smell. (People think I'm pretty weird, but that is nothing new.)
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| Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' |
My favorite fragrant spring bulb would have to be hyacinths. I love the bright, intense color as well as the heavy scent. Yes, they are a bit awkward looking with their stiffness and their lumpy, upright singleness. And the fragrance might be overwhelming, even nauseating for some. But in April, there isn't anything I'd rather see (or smell).
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| Hyacinth 'Jan Bos' (pink) with unknown purple cultivar |
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In late May when the rugosa roses bloom, I think I have died and gone to fragrance heaven. They are quite popular in my area and can be found dotted all about people's yards as well as in public display gardens. The fragrance carries and is sweet and intense.
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| Rosa rugosa 'Scarlet Pavement' |
I also love the spicy clove-like aroma of cheddar pinks. It's not an easy plant to grow for me (we have too much rainfall for it here, and I often lose plants over the winter), but that fragrance is so addicting that I keep buying more like a fool anyway. Maybe some day I will build an elevated rock garden for them - a little fragrance altar. This is a not-so-good picture of a plant which is no longer with us.
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| Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch' |
The fragrance of Oriental lilies is so soft and inviting. Right now I have 'Casa Blanca' and this yellow and white one, whose looks I admired as much as the scent. I definitely want to expand my range of lilies in the future - they really carry the garden through the summer months.
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| Oriental lily 'Time Out' |
By the way, this is what it looks like outside now - we had another dusting of snow recently. May the smells and chirps arrive soon!
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| Cercis canadensis in February snow |
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| P.S.: chirps |
I go back and forth between missing winter terribly to wondering whether I should welcome spring since it sometimes feels as if it is already here. I like your idea of remembering the scents of the garden. I love hyacinths as well...heavenly scent.
ReplyDeleteI love winter too, when it first arrives. But it lasts too long for me here... by February I'm quite ready to see the back of it!
DeleteRebecca, Great flower photos today. Very well done. Enjoyed my visit and you make me want to get out there and get going again. Jack
ReplyDeleteThanks Jack - I can't wait to get outside and start digging either!
DeleteHow sweet! The smells and the chirps! :) I love hyacinths too...they are the smell of spring to me.
ReplyDeleteI love the way kids perceive the world - so immediate!
DeleteI love the chirps! And the smells, too, of course. I associate many of the smells with people or places or special memories - all good. Hyacinths are one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteThere are always lots of chirpy visitors to my porch, but I rarely manage to get them on film - I'm too slow with the focus.
DeleteI hope spring comes soon to you! I love daphne too, although mine (daphne odora) does not look like yours. But you are right, the fragrance is outstanding. I envy you your rugosas, they are beautiful but pretty unhappy here...
ReplyDeleteEvery climate has something special that can be grown there... I envy you your daphne odora, which is not hardy here. That is supposed to be one of the most fragrant of all daphnes.
DeleteOne of the side effects of working in a flower shop, is losing the sense of smell. I don't mean I have actually lost it, but you tend not to notice them anymore. So many cutomers would come in and be blowen away by the fragrance, but it would take something really strong like hyacinths for me to pay attention. Now that I have been out of the industry for a year, my nose is a lot more receptive, and I shall enjoy incorporating some fragrant plants into my garden, (and actually smelling them), lol.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny - I never thought of the potential dangerous side-effects of being around flowers too much... I think it would be almost as hard to lose one's sense of smell as sight. I would miss scents so much, and not just flowers, but also the smell of the earth, and foliage, and even stinky things!
DeleteThanks for your comment. You have a lovely blog. The photos are very nice. According to my information Euphorbia nicaeensis grows from Portugal to central Russia in dry places. It is said to tolerate no less than -15C. But surely it gets colder than that in Russia! It has never bloomed for me here in Seattle.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliment and the information, Jorday! It sounds like that euphorbia just might have a chance in my garden - naturally that means I have to try it and see :-) I'm happy with euphorbia even if they don't bloom - such great foliage and presence. I'll be back to your site soon to find more plant ideas to steal from you!
DeleteSome of my fragrant daffodils just opened - it's so nice to have some fragrance back in the garden. Your pictures are like a breath of summer, bringing to mind all the wonderful smells!
ReplyDeleteWe put up some feeders this winter, and it's been so nice to have the 'chirps' throughout the winter, cheering everything up!
I have never actually smelled a fragrant daff, Indie! Will definitely have to get some - I think some of the fragrant "jonquilla" types are not hardy in the north, but some surely are.
DeleteThats a beautiful Dahpne... I love lily season as well when the whole garden is alive with the beautiful scents of the orienpets and orientals. Larry
ReplyDeleteThanks Larry. I've never tried an orienpet and didn't know they were fragrant - I'll definitely have to get some. So far only have Asians, Orientals, and LA hybrid - only orientals are fragrant of those.
DeleteSince I got into this blogging thing and photographing plants in the garden so often I do see people looking and thinking hmm very strange. When I am at the front of the house I have seen me explaining my actions, now I think what the heck you have always been a little weird. You captured my senses beautifully today.
ReplyDeleteYes, for some reason people think it odd that I like to take so many pictures of plants. But I enjoy going through the photos later - helps get me through the winter. So just get used to it people is what I say.
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