Okay, so the term is relative, but it loses its cachet when it's used to describe 90 percent of the plants in a catalog. A rare concept in plants is fragrance. It's hard to find roses with a rose scent these days, and I've seen people taking on an indignant look after sniffing a peony and not being rewarded with that sentimental peony scent.
Oso Easy 'Peachy Cream' rose |
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Old-fashioned sweet peas can be counted on for fragrance. |
Since the sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) began to open it's been cold and rainy, not the best circumstances for catching and enjoying a scent. But as soon as the flowers dry and the sun appears, I'll be inhaling their incomparable fragrance.
Meanwhile, I've come to subscribe to the belief that if a little is good, a lot is better. This goes only for scented plants, not their derivatives. I created a modern-day Tussie Mussie that consisted of Dianthus 'Heart's Desire', Lavender, Lobularia (sweet alyssum) and Reseda odorata (more on this plant in a later post). The combination still gives off a pleasing scent, but not as enchanting as when the sun hits the flowers on a dry windless afternoon.
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From bottom left: Lobularia, lavender, Dianthus and Reseda odorata. |
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