We often think of gardens as sensory experiences for our eyes. But gardens can also be sensory experiences for our sense of smell. Here are a few flowers that you can incorporate in your garden to enjoy their beautiful fragrances throughout the year.
Winter
Daphne Odera pictured above, is a real treat. It flowers in January and February when the weather is dreary and cold. It has fragrant, white to pink flower clusters and grows on an evergreen woody shrub. It likes part sun and part shade.
Spring
Star Jasmine is an intensely fragrant, evergreen vine with white flowers, opening in late spring. It is excellent on trellises or fences. It prefers four hours of morning sun.
Gardenia comes in a variety of sizes and is perfect for the front of a border or along a sidewalk or pathway. All are evergreen and have white flowers that come in a variety of shapes with a recognizable aroma. An added bonus is that deer don't like the smell. I have found that gardenia are terrific for planting around hydrangeas (that deer like). It helps keep those oversized rodents away.
Sweet Autumn Clematis is a vigorous vine with masses of small, white fragrant flowers. It's perfect on a trellis or fence.
Of course, depending on where you live, you can find many more fragrant flowers to enjoy throughout the year. Do you have any favorites?
And now for the ISWG question of the month: If you have a playlist that either gets you in the groove to write or fits with one of your books, what songs are on it? Well, I honestly don't write to music. I prefer silence so I can hear the voices in my head. (Does this mean I'm crazy?) But, if I were to have songs, I'd listen to Sia music. Like Titanium and Unstoppable. What about you? Do you have a writing play list?
We have gardenia.
ReplyDeleteNo, most people have said they prefer silence.
My gardenia are blooming right now. They look and smell fantastic!
DeleteI think I have some Clematis seeds. That's nice they bloom in the fall.
ReplyDeleteYou should plant them before they lose potency!
DeleteOurs smells of hyacinths right now and it is all yellow from daffodils, first tulips are about to arrive as well, and lilacs have their buds out too.
ReplyDeleteSpringtime is filled with such pretty flowers!
DeleteNothing beats that sudden breath of scent that comes when you least expect it.
ReplyDeleteRight now my gardenias are blooming. Smells so good when I walk by!
DeleteI'm like you. No music when writing. Your flower suggestions are getting me in the mood for spring that is finally coming here.
ReplyDeleteAs Alex says, most people prefer silence when writing.
DeleteI think I'm more into the looks than the scents, possibly because I never know what I'll be allergic to! I'm a huge fan of wildflowers, preferably in situ in the desert or mountains :)
ReplyDeleteWildflowers can be really beautiful, too!
DeleteDear Sherry, beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteI live in a 6th floor apartment so I don't have a garden. I know much more about animals than flowers and plants 🪴
I do love seeing them.
Do you have a balcony? Maybe you can have some potted plants there.
DeleteScented flowers are my favorites! I had some Daphne, but it died, but there is some at a garden near our park, so I'm still enjoying smelling it. :) Jasmine and gardenia are so lovely too. My favorite is lilacs, and I'm so excited that I have some buds on my bush this year!
ReplyDeleteGardenia and wysteria are blooming here. So pretty!
DeleteJust seeing the flowers lifted my spirits! Beautiful. Like you, I write in silence and save the music for when I'm doing other things.
ReplyDeleteFlowers have a way of cheering you up!
DeleteBeautiful flowers and I can imagine the scents that go with them all.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how good flowers can smell!
DeleteHi Sherry - I love scents ... and sent my god-daughter and her mother and family some narcissi for Christmas ... and got castigated, because the scent was so strong ... another way of looking at scents! Oh well ... I learnt something. I love all sorts of scents ... hyancinths, narcissi, roses et al ... gorgeous! They're a-coming ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteAwww. I'm sorry they didn't like the smell. I suppose some plant scents can be a little too strong.
DeleteHi Sherry! I love flowers and plant a lot. Thanks for sharing this post.
ReplyDeleteFlowers make the world more beautiful!
DeleteI love the colors of flowers. I do not have a good nose and I'm not as conscious of scents. I did always like honeysuckle. You are so musical, I figure you have whole orchestrations playing in your mind.
ReplyDeleteMy husband doesn't smell as well as I do. So he doesn't get the full "flavor." Honeysuckle is a nice, sweet scent.
DeleteI got an email from you (?) with an invitation that links to a 404 error website. What's up?
ReplyDeleteNot from me. It's malware. Sorry you got it!
DeleteLOVELY images! And great information. I recently had to do research on blooming seasons for various plants...but that was for southern England. (Where I've never lived, so you know...)
ReplyDeleteWhen you move to different climates, it's always interesting to learn about the new plant species there.
DeleteAlways fun to see the plants in other parts of the world!
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