One doctor's office likes to see us on the appointment list because we always bring interesting and fragrant arrangements, not unlike today's offering.
I decided to list my favorite fragrant plants currently growing at the Jackson Rose Gardens.
First Choice - Clethra, aka Summersweet, aka Sugar Spice and Ruby Spice
This shrub is modest in the size with small flowers, but exudes two fragrances whether in bloom or not. The primary one is cinnamon, but the secondary one is sweet. Butterflies and beneficial insects love it.
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| The leaves are raggy, hency the name. Rugosa roses are the easiest to grow, immune to most problems, very old fashioned, for the nostalgic types. |
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| The blooms are old fashioned but very fragrant. |
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| Many medical people do not realize the rose hips (seed pods) are the source of Vitamin C pills. |
Most Potent Fragrance - Rugosa Rose
This rose is homely and thorny, but quite rugged. Plant it and forget it. Some like the big hips, which look like small apples; apples belong to the rose family. The bloom has the most potent fragrance I have experienced.
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| The top three roses in fragrance almost make the eyes water. |
Mr. Lincoln and Fragrant Cloud
Close to Rugosa in fragrance but far more attractive - Mr. Lincoln and Fragrant Cloud. Both fit the description of filling the room from one bloom.
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| No one would want chaste tree cologne, but the oil is expensive and sold over the Net. The aroma reminds me of Vicks. |
Chaste Tree
Some might list this as interesting, in contrast to the above. The shrub can be quite tall but also tolerates plenty of pruning. The aroma from the entire plant is medicinal. Bees love the beautiful blue flowers. My neighbor asked, "What is that?"
Mountain Mint
This easily grows shoulder high. Insects can grow wild around it, as I saw in the DC gardens. In case the casual observer wonders what it is, the mintiness fills the air and the bees work over the tiny flowers.
I am not sure which plant contributes the most, but our Butterfly Bush (not this hedge) seemed to fill the air with a grape jelly aroma. We also have various berry plants to feed the critters - Honeysuckle berries, Beauty Berry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Wild Strawberry, and Poke Weed berries.
