Monday, March 9, 2009

The Battle of the Fragrances

It's been in the high 60's and mid 70's for the past several days, and as much as I know that we'll get zapped with at least one more good cold blast, I can't help but be in the garden as much as possible. Everything is budding, I'm popping Claritin, and I can finally see the warmth on the horizon.

Yesterday I was at the big house cutting back the Jurrasic Park-sized Fatsia japonica, and walked on a path that goes between the house and the garage. As a result of the warm weather, there are just dozens of white Dutch hyacinths blooming there. We planted them last fall in three rows in front of the gardenias which will bloom later; in fact I mixed the white (L'Innocence) with a butter yellow (City of Haarlem), but only the white are blooming so far. In any case, the fragrance is so awesome I kept making excuses to take that path again.

When I got home, I had to pass the Daphne Odora which is planted at the base of the front steps. It is my favorite miserable plant (I'm sure it will up and die any day now), but while it's in bloom, there is nothing better! The fresh, almost citrusy fragrance is such a welcome note in the early spring.

Once in the house I opened the kitchen window, and was met with the most wonderful fragrance from the Burkwood Viburnum that is planted outside that window. It's really nothing to look at, and I honestly planted it because it was inexpensive and would form a hedge between me and a neighbor's yard; the early spring fragrance is another one that is pretty amazing! This is one that you need to have in your garden, and keep it somewhere fairly close to the house where you can enjoy the fragrance before real gardening season starts.

Back out to the garden again, still working to clean up some of the mountain of leaves that have fallen over the winter.......and to see what else is blooming!

5 comments:

  1. Tim, if my daphne dies, I'm blaming you! LOL

    I have the Burkwood Viburnum too and love it. I don't think it has started to bloom yet.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Daphne is a miserable plant, but you'll notice I have one right next to the front door! Every year I decide to yank it out, then it does it's February blooming thing, and I'm hooked for another year!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've had my Daphne for five years in a pot in the sun and always seem to forget to water it. It rewards me by blooming profusely and the whole back yard smells of Daphne. Did Dante write about what will happen to me in the afterlife for mistreating such a lovely plant?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a lot of arborvitae, a burning bush, and some rose of Sharons on the property line between my house and the neighbor's ugly garage. Sometimes, needs must!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've seen the photo of the infamous garage....it really is ugly.....

    ReplyDelete