Fragrance in the Garden

[F, Calla & Luca]

As beautiful as flowers are sometimes the fragrance is as good or better. Right now there is an abundance of flowers and heavenly scents. I wish we had a way to share the latter. Among my favorites are honeysuckle, roses and peonies.Sometimes when the right breeze comes along it is unbelievable. Any other favorites?

Honeysuckle

Rose

Peony

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

If you want to talk about something that has a strong fragrance you should smell the Ornamental Garlic!! Not sure if it is a So. Cal plant only. It is pretty. Comes with green leaves or variegated leaves. The leaves look like very small slender Agapantha or Lily type leaves. Very thin, fine and creates a bushy look. The flowers are tiny purple or white that bloom from the top of a long stem that grows out and higher than the shrub. They are used a log in beds, borders and along walls. You see them in shopping centers and golf courses. You can smell them, especially if someone has just finished tromping through them or done some gardening.

[F, Calla & Luca]

We don't have this as far as I know. But we do have wild onions which have more tubular leaves. As kids we used to pick the leaves of wild onions and chew them and they did stink! Now I just fight an ongoing battle to get the out of the yard. I do have a patch of chives somewhere.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

I would trade my jasmine for your peonies. We just went to do some errands and then to lunch. On the drive back my son likes to take me through the towns rather than the freeway. We drove through Wellsley (where we had lunch), Newton, Needham and home to Dover. The rural country side is gorgeous. All the streets are tree lined with no sidewalks. No fences or walls...everyone's lawns just blend into to the neighbors and the houses are huge!!! The gardens are gorgeous. Peonies everywhere!!!!! My son said that his lilac just sort of semi bloomed and then didn't go any further. Last time I was here in the Spring the lilac was gorgeous but the peonies had not yet bloomed.

[F, Calla & Luca]

The grass is always greener : )

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Amazing...right after the rain stopped about an hour ago a flock of wild Turkeys came out and are in the back yard! My son's backyard is like a huge grassy field and they started heading up to the house. They are HUGE! He just Googled them and today is the last day of the Turkey hunting season in Mass. How in the heck did they know it would be OK to come out? Though they are a day early...ha ha. My being a suburbia city girl from San Diego is just not used to all this wildlife...chipmunks, bunnies, squirrels and now turkeys! I see them on my golf courses but not in my neighborhood. I have been coming back to visit NYC and Boston for the last 10 years but until my son finally bought his house in Dover and moved out of the city, I had never experienced all the wildlife and flowers. It is hard for me to relate to dear proof plants!!! I love coming back but hate the humidity, mosquitos and ticks!!! Oh, I had two Doodle sitings yesterday when we were driving! I miss my Gracie Doodle!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

You'll see Gracie Doodle soon and you can tell her of all your adventures. Shortly after I had cataract surgery I saw some turkeys in a tree and I swear given the distance, the light and my eyes the looked like pterodactyls. Here in northern NJ we are seeing more wildlife all the time. We have coyotes, and you name it. But fortunately I have never seen a bear right here although occasionally there are black bears that wander through local towns. They are very common in the next county west of me. I hate the humidity, ticks and mosquitoes too. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes love me.

[Grace of GreenGablesLabradoodles]

I love Night Blooming Jasmine. We had it on our fences in CA.
We have recently moved from CA to Taylors, SC and are ready to do some landscaping. Do you have a recommendation for a couple of books on flowers and plants for this area?
Thanks.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I garden in New Jersey so I'm not much help there although many plants overlap. Fine Gardening magazine is something I really enjoy. You can also get great advice at Davesgarden.com. http://davesgarden.com/ The best place to start is probably a good local nursery. They can advise you of what's appropriate for your area. Then when you"re ready to "branch"out you can order online etc. P.S. Calla says hi.