Focus on Flowers

Show #20: Fragrance in the Garden

Different gardeners, of course, have different sensory images of what they want to experience in their gardens. One person may wish for an oasis of tranquility, another may visualize a garden alive with birds and butterflies. We have very personal priorities for our gardens. Many of us grow plants because of associations they hold with people or events from our past. For example, we may remember plants our grandmother grew or the flowers we carried at our wedding and wish to have them in our gardens. Scented plants can also evoke memories. Some annuals with good scents are sweet alyssum, the large flowering tobacco "Nicotiana Sylvestris", the Regal Lily, which flaunts clusters of trumpet-shaped white flowers, and velvety purple heliotrope. Perennials include many dianthus, such as the pink Dianthus "Doris" the Hosta "Honeybells" and lavender. The scent of lavender is unforgettable, and the Romans used its leaves and flowers to scent their bath water. It is thought to soothe tired muscles. Lemon Verbena, a slender stemmed bush, has delicious lemon - scented leaves. Moonflower is an annual vine with sweet smelling white flowers that open in the evening. The scents of summer can surround us if we grow plants like these, strategically placed in our garden.

WFIU
Created and maintained by Michael Toler
Last updated: Thursday, June 10, 2004
Copyright 2004, The Trustees of
Indiana University