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A Treat for the Eyes and Nose
WHILE MANY gardens look fabulous, truly scent-sational ones include plants that will tickle your nose as well. “Many gardeners concentrate their efforts on color, size and form,” points out reader Angela H. of Altoone, Alabama. “But with a little planning, you can enjoy a fragrant garden almost year-round.”
Angela should know—she planted a “fragrance garden” in her backyard for the specific purpose of helping her unwind at the end of her busy workdays. “I kick off my shoes, plop down into my cushioned garden swing and take a deep breath. Ah...my senses come alive!”
Trap the Aroma
Finding the proper location is perhaps the most important step in establishing an effective fragrance garden. Angela recommends looking for a space protected from winds that may carry away the flowers’ delicate aromas. “Find a sheltered corner or make use of natural walls, such as hedges, shrubs and trees, to help trap the fragrances,” she suggests.
Sweet bay magnolia, eastern red cedar, fringe tree, spicebush and golden currant are all excellent choices for bordering and complementing fragrant flowers. You can also use fragrant plants in containers on a patio, on a trellis located near a doorway or beneath a window. This allows their powerful scents to waft indoors.
“That’s where wind can work to your advantage,” Angela adds. “Position your garden so the breeze carries the scent toward your swing, patio or house.”
Check Your Schedule
Angela also recommends selecting plants that produce their powerful scents when you’re in the garden. For example, if you work during the day, select plants like gold coast jasmine or verbena, which are more aromatic in the evening. For people who spend their days in the yard, plant old-fashioned climbing roses or jasmine on a wall that faces south. The heat on this warm side of the house will stimulate and encourage plants to release oils, which is what makes them fragrant.
And don’t forget to add some herbs—they’re often as pleasing to the nose as they are to the palate. If you have a garden path, try planting herbal ground covers between the rocks. Chamomile and thyme are even more fragrant when crushed underfoot.
A wide variety of perennials, biennials and annuals will also make scents in a fragrance garden. Some of Angela’s favorites are heliotrope, sweet woodruff, feverfew, evening primrose and sweet pea.
To stretch out the fragrant fun, cut a few of these flowers and gather them into a bouquet—then enjoy their aroma indoors, too. “And save some of their petals to make potpourri,” Angela adds. “Then you can savor their fabulous fragrance even when snow blankets your garden.”
Plants That Pass the Sniff Test
We can’t list all the plants suitable for a fragrance garden, but we’ve included a few that may lead your nose in the right direction. Keep in mind that not all varieties of the plants listed below have strong scents. Contact your local garden center or county Extension service for specific fragrant varieties that will grow in your area.
Trees
Black locust
Crabapple
Fringe tree
Golden chain tree
Magnolia
Shrubs
Anise tree
Butterfly bush
Jasmine
Mock orange
Rhododendron
Lilac
Old-fashioned rose
Vines
Clematis
Honeysuckle
Moonflower
Passionflower
Wisteria
Herbs
Angelica
Bee balm
Chamomile
Fennel
French tarragon
Lavender
Thyme
Perennials
Annuals, Bulbs
Amaryllis
Lily-of-the-valley
Sweet William
Heliotrope
Hyacinth
Moonflower
Sweet pea
Hardy lily
Peony
Phlox
Primrose
Nasturtium
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Get Yarrow and Brome Grass Under Control
IF YOU'VE TRIED weed killers to get yarrow and brome grass under control, you may need to spot-treat problem areas with a total vegetation killer. But be careful—these products will kill any green plant they come in contact with. You may need several applications to eliminate these persistent plants. (As with any chemical, be sure to read and follow all label directions carefully.)
After the weeds are dead, it’s safe to reseed the bare areas. If these plants infested more than half your lawn, it’s probably best to start over. Treat the whole lawn with one or two applications of a total vegetation killer. After all the grass is dead, prepare the soil and either reseed or plant sod.
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Oh, Give Me a Home?
HAVE YOU HEARD a lot about butterfly houses and wondered if butterflies actually use them? You’ll be interested to know that butterfly houses are primarily for decoration because the kinds of butterflies that frequent gardens won’t use houses for shelter or roosting.
However, there are woodland species of butterflies that might use the houses, such as mourning cloaks and common wood nymphs, which overwinter in the protective cover of wood piles and tree cavities.
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Shall We Dance?
A FEW YEARS AGO, I watched in amazement as two pileated woodpeckers performed what I believe was a mating dance in my backyard. It all began with the two birds perched about 3 or 4 feet off the ground, on opposite sides of a white oak tree trunk. As I watched, the birds started to rhythmically hop around the tree, moving in perfect unison, remaining on opposite sides of the tree trunk.
After they circled the tree about 10 times, one of the birds stopped. The other one kept on hopping around, ran into its mate and immediately started circling the other way. The dance resumed, and after completing 10 more circuits, they flew to a nearby tree and disappeared from view.
The dance almost defied belief. You would’ve thought they were mechanical wind-up toys! —David R., Woodville, Texas
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Fresh Idea for Stale Bread
DON’T throw your stale bread in the garbage—I save mine for the birds. Just smear peanut butter on both sides of the bread and drop it into a suet basket. Birds love it, especially chickadees and downy woodpeckers.
If the wire suet cake holder is fairly thick, add two or three pieces at a time. Simply make a sandwich, then coat the outside with peanut butter. —Helen F., Waterford, Michigan
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Painless Petunias
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana is certainly living up to its name. Visitors will often ask how city workers can tend to the bright petunias cascading from the storefronts in our downtown area. “After all,” they ask, “don’t petunias need regular deadheading?”
Well, the petunias planted throughout the city are Wave petunias, a newer variety that doesn’t need any deadheading to keep them blooming. They thrive without the tedious and time-consuming process and can even tolerate dry, hot or cool weather. This makes them a perfect choice for these decorative city plantings.
In addition to being a beautiful easy-to-care-for flower, a single Wave petunia can grow to cover the area of eight traditional petunias. And when left to cascade, the results are spectacular.
Bloomington has recently taken several steps toward town-wide beautification, but I think the addition of these Wave petunias has been the best enhancement yet. —Gray A., Bloomington, Indiana
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