Four o clocks are great. Mine are just starting to bloom now. They last a long time as I recall.

Hi, I should be able to harvest plenty of seeds, but I can't be sure I'll have them in time for the Chicago get-together. I and others will have them for the Wintersower mail swap, though. I love the scent, too, and want to grow more for that reason.

Datura, which is not hardy here, has a wonderful strong scent, although you have to go outside at night or early morning to enjoy it. Grow it near the patio or a screened porch. I am going to try overwintering a couple of plants indoors so they will bloom earlier for me.

Brugmansia, too - another one not hardy in your zone - has a very strong scent. Some people swear by the fragrance, others don't. They're a bit strong for me ...

PV

Regarding 4 o'clocks, I don't smell anything from them. The Milkweed is really strong. I can smell it like 15-20 ft away although with the help of breeze.

stage_rat, I am not sure if I will be able to make it at the Chicago get-together. Can I also request for seeds for the mail swap?

Thanks pvick!

Neil, go out in your yard in late evening and you are sure to notice the aroma of the 4 o'clocks. They're only fragrant at night.

In my yard it's nicotiana scent that fills the yard at night.

Karen

Neil, there are several kinds of milkweed. Do you know which one it was? I've saved lots of MW pods, I'll look and see which ones I have. They WS real good, I'll also have fresh one's in the fall. The common milkweed is a thug though and will quickly take over so be careful. It pops up everywhere in my "yarden" but blends in nicely with all the other weeds!!LOL!!
I have swamp, common(wide leaf and narrow leaf)tropical,orange, and yellow MW plants so should have seed from them in the fall.
-B

Neil,

i have some scented flowers this year. i will list these in order of scent

stock
nicotiana
lavender
jasmine
sweet williams
rose

some flop shows
night scented stock
Mignonette

i am very happy with stocks and nicotiana. jasmine is small and lavender is not near window.

Neil, I have plenty of milkweed I can share with you.

I got some in a SASBE and the person sent a lot of them!!!
they are a mix of yellow and orange.

Is this the right seeds? let me know and I can mail them to you.

I don't smell much from my nicotina. they are a bit small so that might be why.

karen

the nicotiana i have came with name as sensation and multicoloured pinkish pictures on the packet but they are not pink at all, they are pure white and have very nice strong scent. maybe some expert can tell what variety they are.

Hi Karen,

I researched about Milkweeds the other day. Looks like what I saw was a common milkweed. And according to brandymulvaine, it can get invasive. I did see them along the shore line of Mackinac Island about 20 ft long. So Maybe, it won't be that invasive.

How are your milkweed's scent?

Thanks for the offer! That is great! :)

Don't forget alyssum, easy to ws and self sows in my yard, blooms all summer. I like to plant some near doorways. Comes in several different colors.

Neil,

I have been experimenting in my garden for many years.
My goal is blooming succession and continuing interest 12 months of the year and of course fragrance.
Went through a lot of trials and errors, because many things that sounded good didnt make it in my garden.

HereÂs a list of what I have in terms of fragrance:

-Hyacinth

-Hyacinthoides non-scripts  this one didnÂt live long in my garden.

-Crocus (species died on me also yellow large flowering Crocus. Only have white, purple, lavender and striped left)

-Muscari

-Daffodils: all the Poeticus series (I have Actea and PhasantÂs Eye), all the Jonquilla series (I have a couple whose name elude me at the moment  one maybe Jonquilla Simplex), all the Tazetta series (I have Geranuim and Sir Winston Churchil. Extremely fragrant late bloomers). Had Earlicheers but disappeared after a few years. Thalia, Fragrant Rose, Ice Follies, Carlton, Fragrant Breeze, Fragrant Rose, Patrel: this one smells like primrose, absolutely lovely, Tripartite:this one is the latest bloomer, usually buried by perennials by then.
(Fragrant Daffodils that I donÂt have, but neighbor does: White & Yellow Cheerfulness).
There are a few miniatures that are supposed to fragrant but I have not tried them. I have not had much luck with mini daffs, except Tete-a-tete. Others died on me.)

-Tulip Monte Carlo, Monsella (as gaudy as can be but smells great) & Angelique (Angelique didnÂt come back for me), Ballerina, all the Emperor & Impression, Parrots, West Point & Parade.
(Some fragrant tulips that I have not tried: Jan Ohms, Princess Irene, Montreux, Orange Favorite, Annie Schilder, Apricot Beauty, Salmon Pearl, Orange Princess & Abba).

-Primrose especially Primula veris & vulgaris. I have been searching for Primula elatior. Smelled it when in Switzerland. Oh, heaven!

-Primula acaulis  especially the yellow one.
All these primulas are strange. If you stick your nose in the flowers, youÂll smell absolutely nothing. But down wind even 30 - 40 yards away, the fragrance is the loveliest of all.

-Lily-of-the Valley- got plenty for you anytime.

-Lilac - my favorite is the small leaved Syringa meyeri ÂPalibinÂ.
No powerdery mildew problem whatsoever.
Start blooming when very young. In fact, I rooted mine from 6" stems. They bloomed right off the bat!
The flowers are not as pretty as Syringa vulgaris and it blooms slightly later than S. vulgaris.
But hey, with all the other attributes, IÂll take it over S. vulgaris any day.
Will root some for you next spring or maybe when I remember to do so this summer.
It is very easy to start from cuttings.

-Peony  not all are fragrant. I can give you some of mine in the fall.

-Forthergilla gardenii. I have Mount Airy. The fall foliage is lovely. Come over next March to dig it out from my garden. I want to replace it with something with larger leaves.

-Lileum longiflorum/trumpet, longiflorum-Asiatic, Regale, Regale Album. If you ask nicely, I might give you a couple of my ÂGolden SplendorÂ. lol. Got several other longiflorum at the temple too. I may take them back this fall because due to the shape of the flowers, the flower arranger doesn't know how to work them into her arrangements. Hahaha. Their loss. I spent a huge fortune and time on that garden.
The longiflorum are very, very tall. They just donÂt stand up straight, thatÂs all.
But you cannot have any of my ÂSilk Road yet.
It has not multiplied and it is the most EXPENSIVE lily I have ever purchased. Lol

-Monarda of course. Smells great all around, especially the red one.

-Mock Orange  I got the ÂMinnesota  double --Have not tried rooting or layering this shrub. Will try that soon.

-Viburnum  Got ÂMohawk and carleseii at the temple. Will layer or root cuttings for you when I remember to do so next time when I go to the temple.

-Weigela  I have Weigela floribunda ÂVariegataÂ. Already air layered a few branches for you. Hope theyÂll take roots before the summer is over.

-Agastache

-Artemisia

-Lavender  this died on me  my garden is too wet.

-Feverfew  I kinda dislike the smell of this now, though. Maybe it's because I am sick right now.

-Dianthus

-Sweet alyssum  people rave about its fragrance, but I think it smells like catÂs urine. Hahaha

-Prairie Dropseeds  Native grass

-Plox paniculata - I think I gave you a few of this earlier this year.

-Phlox divaricata  this one died on me.

-Creeping thyme & wooly thyme  I killed them in my garden but have a good spread of them at the temple.

-Certain Daylilies  got one with large golden yellow flower in my garden. Will give you a piece next spring.

-Hosta plantaginea  I believe I gave you a chunk of this this spring  has the most fragrant flower. That's why it is called August Lily.

-Origanum  ornamental oregano  planted one in a neighborÂs garden  butterflies absolutely adore it. Neighbor sold the house, so I have no more access to that garden.

-Perovskia

-Santolina  I killed this one. Too wet in my garden

-Perennial Salvia  they struggle in my garden  too wet. But the ones at the temple are doing great.

-Nepata  love the colors too  not doing well in my garden but terrifically at the temple.

-Verbena bonariensis  you need a huge stand or two of this in your garden both for fragrance and for butterflies.

-Buddleia  the most fragrant of all is ÂLochinchÂ. Mine died a few years ago. Will definitely get more next spring. May add other varieties for safely.

-Caryopteris - Will root some for you next spring.

-Clematis ÂBetty CorningÂ. I planted this one by my side door so I can smell it every time I get in and out of the house.
Got ÂRagouchi that is struggling because itÂs smothered by my Viburnum. Will need to move it next March.

-Roses! The most fragrant ones I have are: Tiffany, Pink Peace, Double Delight, Shrifa Asma and Heritage.
Killed ÂLagerfeld years ago.
Roses are struggling in my garden because the garden is too stuffed and I refuse to spray for black spots or powdery mildew.
The David AustinÂs are resistant to these, though.

-Sweet Autumn Clematis  I planted this quite far away from the house, though. The fragrance is too strong for me.
Got seedlings for you, if you are interested.
It reseeds rather aggressively.
My main plant is struggling this year. I may let it die. ItÂs a huge clematis. Can spread to 30 Â 40 ft. in one season.

-Callicarpa  Got several of this at the temple. Love the purple berries. Will root cuttings for you next year.

-Daphne  I killed all of this in my garden. Not acidic enough.

-Clethra  I donÂt have this but my friends do. Smell great. Butterflies adore it too.

And of course Honey Suckle. I have the forbidden Japanese one. lol. Have it all over the garden including near my bedroom window.

I get spring bulbs almost exclusively from Van Engelen now.
HereÂs the link: Van Engelen
Used the get all bulbs from Brent and BeckyÂs. The bulbs were huge, but my last batch of lilies from them had virus. It decimated may entire lily collection at home and at the temple. B&B never responded to my report of the virus...a crying shame because their customer service used to be top notch.

I get lilies from The Lily Garden now. It's the best source for Lilies, an absolute gem. All its lily bulbs are guaranteed free of virus. Huge selection. Pricey, but unequal in bulb size and quality.
www.thelilygarden.com

Best Clematis sources:
Brushwood Nursery:
Brushwood Nursery

Garden Crossings:
Garden Crossings

Bluestone Perennials does carry some Clematis, but I have not ordered any Clematis from this nursery. I don't know whether the root ball is as large as those from Brushwood or Garden Crossings.

So there. You have a long wish list to fill. Lol
Have fun.
:-P

Would you try a biennial vegetable? If you let Swiss Chard winter over, it will set seed the following year. It happens to make the most butt-ugly flowers you have ever seen, however its scent will waft through the garden and knock you over--this is Chanel No. 5 times ten. It's a go-and-find-your-partner scent ;-) It's absolutely incredible.

Another biennial to try is Clary Sage. It makes a bushy three foot plant loaded with large purple spires that smell just like Grape KoolAid!

T

Mone,

That is one very long uplifting post!!! =)

I will go over it again. :D

Thanks everyone! I will read all the post again. ;)

I got Swamp Milkweed --the one with pink flowers. Will save seeds for you....if I can catch them before the wind blows them away. I may cover the pod with nylon stocking.

Neil what were you doing on Mackinac? I live in Traverse City, just a few hours south of Mackinac!
-B

Neil,

there was one more thread with great list. i will bring it up by posting msg.

Thanks Mone!

brandymulvaine, went there for vacation. It's beautiful there. The temperature during our stay was somewhere 65F-70F. It was perfect.

Daisy, looks like I saw the thread you were mentioning but haven't opened it yet. It's something like "Highly Fragrant...". Thanks :)

Neil, the most strongly scented plant in my garden is Agastache 'Apache Sunset'. Smells like rootbeer to me!

Here is a picture of it with Echinacea 'Summer Sky':
{{gwi:201053}}

The picture was taken a couple of years ago, their mature size is fairly large, probably 3 1/2' tall by 3' wide, so it is best towards the back of the bed.

I have plenty of seeds from last year. I could send you some when I send your sage and oregano seeds.

Bonnie

Neil, I have not grown mine yet. All seeds from someone in a trade. I also heard they can be a little invasive and was going to warn you before sending.

I still can't decide if I want to plant them or not. Maybe I should plant some in a pot?

Karen

Bonnie, that Echinacea 'Summer Sky' is gorgeous! My eyes are telling me it's color pitch pink or salmon. Are my eyes correct? Did I email you my address?

Karen, did you mean the milkweed? I still want to try. :)

Thanks to both of you! :)

The Echinacea starts out a pretty peach color, but the blooms do fade to a pale pink over time. The color on all of the hybrid Echinaceas I've tried seems to fade pretty quickly.

Yes, you sent me your address. I'm still waiting on the oregano seeds to ripen. I'll stick some of the Agastache seeds in there too : )

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is kind of a coarse plant but the flowers are beautiful and have a lovely fragrance - they are beloved by pollinators and of course are a Monarch host plant. However this is not a well-behaved plant. It spreads by runners hither and yon - and will pop up where ever.

I ws'd some last year but planted them out back in the wild meadow garden - where they can spread around however they want.