Handy Lists

My favorite fragrance plants:

Citrus (especially Valencia Orange, Bearrs Lime and Meyer Lemon) Place near doors and windows you leave open to invite a heavenly scent in for weeks from January to April. Then reap edible fruit from July through December.

Day Blooming Cestrum (Cestrum diurnum) - a fantastic, highly prunable large shrub that delights birds, bees and butterflies and exudes a wonder fragrance several feet away. An excellent choice for privacy border or a specimen where enjoy sitting outside to watch the Nature show.

Gardenia - although the show is brief, the aroma is wonderful. A single blossom floating in a bowl can perfume a room. There are many varieties to choose from with different performance characteristics - groundcover, medium shrub and large shrub. Do your research carefully or call us to help with a selection. Be prepared with Chelated Iron to supplement the area around the shrub when the leaves start yellowing - they like their "vitamins".

Jade - this ubiquitous houseplant is an stunning specimen when grown in the ground. Late winter can see it burst into bloom with a scent that drives the bees wild and makes you think everything is possible. This is a plant that takes patience and time to achieve it's potential, but it is worth it. A Feng Sui favorite near your entrance that amplifies the good luck of the direction in which it is placed.

Hoya - a rugged container plant with dozens of varieties, Hoyas are frost tender and tolerate shade so hanging it in the warmer microclimate of a lanai is a great choice. Their waxy half spheres of bloom appear off and on all year and can fill a room with sweetness. These are trailing or vining plants that do well with hanging baskets or a small obelisk to give them upright structure.

Jasmine - not the ubiquitous Asiatic Jasmine that is a common (and effective!) groundcover, but many other varieties that vine or scramble on the ground. I particularly like the variegated Star Jasmine. Grow this as a groundcover, train it on a structure as a low wall or spilling over an arch. It is such fun to work with and emits a deliciously delicate essence in the early morning or evening. This is a great selection for a white garden.

Freesia - we all need courms (like bulbs) in our garden and this low-lying heirloom has an enticing fragrance. Since it is a tiny flower (5" high), I pick it and place it in a vase beside the bed where it helps to ensure sweet dreams. I prefer Freesia "Antique Alba" - easy to grow and more scent.