Fragrance in the Garden By Gregg Grant “A garden full of sweet odours is a garden full of charm, a most precious kinds of charm not to be implanted by mere skill in horticulture or power of purse, and which is beyond explaining. It is born of sensitive and very personal preferences yet its appeal is almost universal. Fragrance speaks to many to whom colours and form say little, and it can bring as irresistibly as music emotions of all sorts to the minds. Nor is the fragrant garden ever wholly our own. It is, whether we will or no, common property.” - Louise Beebe Wilder, The Fragrant Garden, 1932 To be quite honest, I don’t think I could garden without fragrant flowers. Though everyone has their favorites, these are mine. Smell on. Albizia julibrissin (mimosa). Like Grandmother’s front yard. Brugmansia (angel trumpets). Deep perfume. Cestrum nocturnum (night blooming jasmine). Floating sugar! Citrus species and hybrids. Heady and strong. Crinum species and hybrids (crinum lilies). Mom’s hand lotion. Eriobotrya japonica (loquat). Winter delight. Gardenia jasminoides (Cape jasmine). To die for! Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine). Springtime! Hedychium coronarium (butterfly ginger). Tropical. Ilex cornuta cultivars (Chinese hollies). Smell like honey. Jasminum sambac (sambac jasmine). Exotic. Lagerstroemia x fauriei ‘Natchez’ (crapemyrtle). Powder. Lawsonia inermis (henna). The most powerful of all! Lathyrus odorus (sweet pea). Perfume. Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum). More honey! Lonicera fragrans (winter honeysuckle). “Lemon Pledge.” Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle). Smells like the South. Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet). The Texas state fragrance. Magnolia species and hybrids. Lemon scented. Michelia figo (banana shrub). Ripe bananas. Mirabilis jalapa (four o’clock). Not all are fragrant. Narcissus x intermedius (Texas star jonquil). Wonderful. Narcissus jonquilla (sweetie). Smells like spring. Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo’. Intoxicating! Osmanthus x fortunei (Fortune’s sweet olive). Sweetened popcorn. Osmanthus fragrans (sweet olive). The BEST! Passiflora x ‘Incense’ (passion vine). Sexy. Petunia x hybrida (old fashioned petunia). Not all are fragrant. Philadelphus coronarius (mock orange). Not all are fragrant. Phlox paniculata ‘John Fanick’ (garden phlox). Dreamy. Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper). Like mimosa. Rosa x odorata ‘Duchesse de Brabant’ (tea rose). Sweet and sour. Rosa x polyantha ‘Marie Pavie’ and ‘Marie Daly’. Sweet perfume. Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria). Perfume shop. Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. - Song of Solomon 4:16 Return to 2001 Oktober Gartenfest Table of Contents