Older is Better

If you have fond recollections of certain types of flowers - maybe some that grew in your grandparent's yard or in your own yard when you were young, you may be able to recreate the magic.  The Old House Gardens web site has heirloom bulbs for sale that are described as tough and that "offer a living connection with gardeners of the past".

The site offers bulb selections by zone.  For example, when I checked "Zone 5", a listing  of spring planted bulbs included cannas, dahlias,   gladiolus, caladiums, tuberoses, and lilies.   The fall planted bulbs for Zone 5 included 26 types of crocus (with names like ‘Cloth of Gold', ‘King of the Striped', and ‘Snow bunting.'); 17 types of hyacinth (‘Chestnut Flower', ‘Lady Derby', ‘Perle Brilliante'); 33 types of narcissus (‘Van Sion', ‘Tenby', ‘Butter and Eggs').  There are more than 40 types of tulip varieties (‘Clara Butt', ‘Florentine', ‘Mrs. Scheepers').   Don't you just love these names?  There is also a page called "Diverse Treasures" listing bulbs that are "too wonderful or historic to be considered  as a  miscellaneous category."  A few of these include ‘Straffan Snowdrop', ‘Original Grape Hyacinth', and ‘Surprise Lily'. 

If you're trying to track down an ancestral bulb, or would just like to take a step back in floral history, you can visit the Old House Gardens site at:

 http://oldhousegardens.com 

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The Nose Knows
 www.bhg.com
Fragrance is a personal matter.  What is delightful to one person can be overwhelming to another.  Here are some considerations when you're deciding how flagrant you want to be with fragrance.

    Because flowers are scented to attract pollinators, those blooming in early spring or late fall are often the most aromatic, in order to attract bees when cool temperatures make them sluggish.  This is especially true of non-hybrid white flowers, which might be passed by for their colorful cousins if not for intense scent.

    As a general rule, old-fashioned or heirloom varieties of annuals and perennials are more strongly scented.  Many modern hybrids have been selected for improved bloom, vigor, or disease resistance, and scent is sacrificed.  Newer varieties of heliotrope, for example, have been bred for compact growth habit and have lost a bit of their sweet vanilla aroma in the process.

    Some scented flowers, such as angel's trumpet (Datura metel) and moonflower, wait until dusk to open.  Others remain open around the clock, but their scent intensifies when the sun disappears.  Take advantage of these nighttime fragrances by planting them near a deck or patio where you relax in the evening.

    Some roses are more generously perfumed than others.  Here are some favorites: 

‘Abraham Darby' (shrub)
‘Angel Face' (floribunda)
‘Auguste Renoir' (hybrid tea)
‘Baron Girod de l'Ain' (hybrid perpetual)
‘Charles de Mills' (gallica)
‘Double Delight' (hybrid tea)
‘Fragrant Cloud' (hybrid tea)
‘Frederic Mistral' (hybrid tea)
‘Gertrude Jekyll' (shrub)
‘Heritage' (shrub)
‘Iceberg' (floribunda)
‘Lemon Spice' (hybrid tea)
‘Louise Odier' (bourbon)
‘Mme. Hardy' (damask)
‘Mister Lincoln' (hybrid tea)
‘Peter Mayle' (hybrid tea)
‘Scentimental' (floribunda)
‘Therese Bugnet' (hybrid rugosa)
‘Zephirine Drouhin' (bourbon)

Rose scents range from delicate fruity or spicy aromas to heavy, sweet perfumes, with all sorts of variations in between.

    Yes, you can have too much of a good thing.  Tuberose, Oriental lilies, and other strongly perfumed flowers can overwhelm the senses, especially in mass plantings.  Go easy on these heaviest fragrances.
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February Birthdays
 

Roy Pancost	February 6th
Evelyn Park	February 8ths
Ann Smith	February 13th
Jim Wolverton	February  15th
Elizabeth Ryan	February 16th

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