When I open the front door the scent of a montana rubens clematis mingled with the scent of the lilac Miss Kim waft through the air.
Soon montana wilsonii and philadelphus Belle Etoile will be doing their thing and I'm going to have 2 cardiocrinums blooming, filling the air with their heady perfume later on.

My David Austins are just starting to bloom. I love the old rose scents the DA's have.

Fair Rosamond a type 2 clemie gives off a scent of violets when you stick your nose up close and I have a few bearded iris also adding their fair share of scent to the garden.

The akebia is just about finished blooming the petals are falling but the scent from this was lovely. Still lots to come, lilies, echinacea, honeysuckles and.......

Annette

CMK- Beautiful pictures and good question!

The lilacs are about to bloom, which I love and look forward to each spring. Roses are also wonderful and with my new ones, I'm looking forward to them blooming....but, if I had to choose my one favorite fragrance, it would be the star jasmine. I have to buy some every year, until I someday (hopefully) get a greenhouse, because they're annuals here, but planted by the porch, with the white petunias...heavenly :)

I would love lilacs, and I am going to try Miss KIm. I love frangrance. The gardenias are loaded with blooms and the first couple have opened. I will have gardenia scent in the house as long as they bloom.
kay

hi , I posted a little here last year but have mainly been on the rose forums. My lilacs are done, and my lily of the valley were hiding under their leaves this year and almost done before I found them. My peonies began to bloom Tuesday and they smell wonderful. The Rosa eglanteria is perfuming my whole garden and it's first rose came out today. All my new roses are blooming and smelling wonderful too. When I was at the nursery getting mundane stuff(manure etc.) an Arabian Jasmine grabbbed me by the arm ( or was it nose?) and said "You need Me!" so I got one. Never had a Jasmine before.
roseberri

Rose,
You needed that Jasmine.
kay

I love the smell of lilac's. My sister said they don't grow good here. I
don't know how accurate her info is. When you mentioned fragrance,
the butterfly ginger popped into my mind. Blooms late summer, but
fills the air with a light pleasant fragrance. I have lots of it.

Your honeysuckle is very pretty and loaded with flowers. I bet that's
making the hummingbird's happy.

Linda

Linda, Miss Kim Lilac is a Korean lilac that does fine as far south as I am in NC. It bloomed heavily this year and is growing like a weed. Just water it really well the first year and never let it dry out. Give it a bit of afternoon shade if you can and you'll be fine.

My favorite fragrances are Brugmansia and Datura. And honeysuckle. And hyacinths, and roses, and gardenias, and ... it's a long list.

All my peonies and irises are winding down :(
But I have Roses coming on strong, Dianthus, and the "wild" Japanese yellow/white Honeysuckle is in bloom. It blooms off and all all summer. I love that fragrance. It can be invasive, but mine hasn't moved out of its area - growing up on the chicken run. I planted a pretty pink, yellow & white variety last year with variegated leaves (not invasive) but it died within a month. That was very upsetting.
The month of may is my most fragrant flower month and when I have the most colorful garden. After that, it winds down. Thank God for my roses, Phlox, Coneflowers and the few annuals I grow or I wouldn't have any color in summer. Only roses for fragrance though.

Hey Christin, can you get a picture further back of that honeysuckle? Just how big is it? It is absolutely gorgeous! Is it a shrub or growing as a vine?

I've always been afraid to try lily of the valley ever since I saw it speading and coming up through someone's paved driveway! YIKES!

NH's state flower is the purple lilac and wouldn't you know I'm very allergic to lilacs! I admire them from afar though.

The peonies will be coming in soon. I'm not a big fan of the smell of tree peonies but I do like most herbaceous peonies. Except 'Coral Charm'. Oh, it is such a beautiful flower. The first year it bloomed in my garden I stuck my nose way down into it and gave a great big sniff. Then pretty much gagged! LOL!! It's smells horrible!

I think my favorite smell in my garden is the cimicifuga and sweet autumn clematis that bloom in the fall.

If it wasn't for the heady strong smell of the peony blooms I have sitting in a vase in my living room right now all we'd be smelling is the manure that they're spreading all around me on the fields... I am lucky enough to be surrounded by such lovely views but, unfortunately, those views come with a nasty aroma.

Earlier in the spring we kept smelling this heavenly fragrance wafting in from out back of our house but as far as I know there wasn't anything in bloom back there... I thought at first it might be the few wild honeysuckle bushes in the hedgerow but when I smelled them it wasn't the same smell... never did figure out where it was coming from. *shrugs*

ttfn
Cheryl.

Oh, Christin,

I didn't mention your beautiful Honeysuckle. That was so remiss of me. That is a REAL TREASURE! I LOVE that color!!! I wish I could smell it too.
I want one like that. I have a lot of pinks and purples in my garden (accidentally). I guess I am drawn to those colors as I sure have a lot of them all of a sudden. Where can I get one like it or is that a beautiful accident? What a beauty!

~Annie

-LL, your garden is going to smell like heaven when all of your org roses are in bloom! Don't forget to take pics of your lilac hedge! Can't wait to see it;-)

-Linda, you know I was wondering that just the other day. The hummers love the Trumpet Honeysuckle, but I haven't seen them go after this one. Perhaps I just didn't notice them...

-Hi Susan! This pink one is around four feet tall now. Once apon a time the two L. morrowii's (parents of this pink one) by the patio were about twelve feet tall and a little more around. Beautiful things, and the birds just adored the fruit (poisonous to all but them)! Then the crotchety old ex-neighbor got upset that they were a couple inches on his side. Had to cut them waaaay back and put up a fence. Now I keep them small anyway, since there are so many plants under and around them. Here is a pic of it with the Mountain Ash in bloom. The MA is terribly stinky, but he and the honeysuckle do make a pretty pair...

Ps. too funny you said you liked the smell of cimicifuga, as I find it smells nasty! My mom likes it though, LOL.
{{gwi:674651}}

-Annie, thanks!! Don't think I have seen any like this one available for purchase, but if you would like I can send you some cuttings. And that goes for anyone else intersted as well ;-) Feel free to send me an e-mail if you are.
CMK

Oh, I love that photo of your garden. What a gorgeous view! All the colors are an awesome combination. Is that lilac color flower (groundcover) in the back Blue Phlox, the wild kind? If so, I have that too. It smells absolutely wonderful and is such a pretty flower in Spring. I wish it bloomed in summer too.
I have two Mountain Ash trees - they never bloom that well. Beautiful in the Autumn though. Love your big river rocks. Lucky you.

~Annie

What a great shot of a gorgeous garden. I don't think I've ever seen an all pink Honeysuckle before, it's a shrub rather than a vine?

Annette

WOW! I don't think you've ever posted a picture from that angle in your garden. It is awesome! That honeysuckle really is beautiful.

So, what do you mean the mountain ash is stinky? The flowers stink? We had one when I was growing up and I don't remember a smell. I just planted a rather large one last year (hmmmm...now I'm beginning to think it's not going to bloom this year since yours is already blooming). I guess I'm glad I put it towards the back of the property if they stink! LOL!

Christin that is a very pretty view of your garden. I so prefer a long shot to a single flower bloom pic. I ran across a honeysuckle shrub while looking at an online nursery a few days ago but I didn't pay real attention to everything about it and can't remember even the color now. I'll have to go back and see if I can find it again. Your shrub is really beautiful especially with the stinky tree above it. Thanks for sharing your lovely picture with us.

MeMo

In my search I found two types of pink honeysuckle shrubs.

Lonicera Lispidula which will reach out and grab anything and climb it. It is a shrub but each specimen is different and in that some will lay mostly prostrate while some are in shrub form. But all will climb.

The other is Lonicera tatarica which is on the Ohio Invasives list and will become invasive by the spread of seed by birds. The door (sp) mouse also makes it's nest from the bark. It is especailly invasive in areas with open disturbed soils (crop fields), high chapperal, and open woodlands. It is tolerant of all soils, wet or dry soil conditions and will withstand flood conditions. Depending on which source you read it either came from Asia or Russia in the 1700's.

Interesting plant, CMK!

MeMo

Oh, thanks for the kind comments. The garden looks okay from this angle, but from others it is in obvious need of improvements! Quite a few bare areas that are screaming to be planted...

-Annie, that phlox is P. subulata. Awww...wish mine had a nice scent. Do you know what your wild kind is? P. stolonifera maybe? Might have to try some if it smells so nice!

-Annette, yes a deciduous shrub, doesn't climb at all. It is surprisingly tolerant of drought. I saw one in a local park growing in a terrible spot under pine trEes and it was doing great!

-Susan, Lol. To my nose Mountain Ash flowers are highly unpleasant smelling. But it lasts only for a couple weeks at most so not too long to endure (besides, it produces pretty berries in fall!).

-Memo, identifying the species of this lonicera has proven very difficult! Thanks very much for your imput. I think many online sources may be confused/post wrong pics of the various species. I ruled out L. maackii since it seems to have broader foliage than mine, with a pointed tip and flowers that seem to lay on top of the stems. The L. tatarica could be right, but so far as I know it only produced pink shades of flowers. I
kind figured mine wasn't tatarica since I found this pink one growing underneath the other one by the patio (which has white and yEllow flowers) and assumed it was a seedling from them. One site said that it was not uncommon for morrowii to produce a pink flowering offspring.
Oh yeah, and there is also L. bella, which is a hybrid- cross between tatarica and morrowii. LOL, I am still confused. ;-D
CMK

For early spring extravagance, you must plant a Clove Currant, AKA Buffalo Currant. Small yellow flowers that are impossibly fragrant; I've walked outside to meet guests to find them at the side of the house looking for "whatever is that good smelling thing?" I have one outside my bedroom window, and another out by the clothesline, just a little extra perk for when I'm doing the laundry.

About half of the roses have had their first flush, and the second half are just starting. I keep the windows open and treasure sleeping with a flowery breeze.

While they aren't actually blooming, the moist air at night carries the scent of Kentucky Colonel and Chocolate mint. You can actually detect them out by the road as you pull into the drive. And grass. And Red Cedar.

I think many of us grow plants for the scent of the flowers, were would a spring day be without lilacs and wysteria? I think at least half the roses I grow are scented although I don't not buy a rose if it has no scent. However, it just doesn't seem like a rose garden without the scent of roses in the air.

I was at the Botanical Garden today and they had a mass planting of Brompton Stock (Matthiola Incana - "Vintage Lavender")and it perfumed the air heavily. I planted some Tuberose this spring and can hardly wait till fall for them to bloom.

CMK- Gorgeous picture of your garden! Just beautiful :)

My Miss Kim lilac perfumes the whole back yard, and my Autumn Damask rose, planted outside a window, can be almost too strong when you sit right by the window.

Lois in PA

{{gwi:674653}}

Again at the Botanical Garden, I could have sat in this spot all morning, the smell was heaven.

Christin,

The phloz I have is 'Phlox divericata', wild Blue Phlox.
Here is what my North American Wildlife book says about it:

BLUE PHLOX
Phlox divericata

SIZE:
6 to 12 in. tall;
flower, 3/4 to 1 1/2 in. across
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Flowers light blue (light blue violet) with 5 petals, often notched, at end of a slender tube, in clusters atop a sticky stem;
Leaves in pairs, lance shaped. (shiny)
HABITAT:
Rich woods, clearings, fields, bluffs
IN BLOOM:
Apr.-June
(I added what is in parenthesis)

What it doesn't say is how deliciously fragrant this little flower is. It fill the air with its sweet fragrance. Everyone who visits asks, "What is that sweet perfumed flower I smell?" They are always surprised to discover it is that little plant on the ground. Even more fragrant than summer garden phlox. - It likes full sun or partial sun, btw. It has survived many of our severe droughts too.
It is a ground cover, so it spreads, but I let it go where it wants to go as it fills in the bare spots between my spring bulbs and does not crowd out its neighbors.

I can send you a few starts of it with roots. I started out with only two little plants that I dug up along the Illinois river in Northeast Oklahoma. It was growing on a cliff overlooking the river. I was white-water rafting at the time. I parked my canoe on a sandy gravel bar and climbed that rocky cliff, bagged two sprigs, and then dove down into the river with my prize in hand and swam back to my canoe, continuing on my 21 mile trip. Yahoo! :). That was such a blast! Anyway, it is just a wonderful little spring flowering phlox. I have taken a start of it with me every time I move. (I'm not moving again. Got too much junk and too many plants and rocks that I would NOT leave behind.)

I am sure you would love it.
~Annie

I just looked up the Phlox divericata- beautiful!! That is so generous of you Annie! I would absolutely love a little start if it isn't too much trouble. Thanks!!
CMK

gorgeous pictures Chris..my Iris are making my yard heavenly right now..its funny you posted that today because I kept thinking that all afternoon while we were working outside..

Christin,
You got it!

Below is a LINK to a great site with awesome photos and correct, detailed info about the plant, including growing conditions and etc. Be sure to go down to the bottom of the page to see several photos of it in garden settings.

~Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: Phlox divericata - Wild Blue Woodland Phlox

Ok, just have to comment on these plants I only just learned were fragrant...

Oenothera fruticosa 'Youngii' (evening primrose/sundrops). OH MY GOSH!! What an amazing scent. Hard for me to explain it. Rather exotic, like sandalwood and jasmine.

Also Corydalis. I never knew these had a scent. There are a ton of C. lutea by the patio, as well as a C. elata. The other day I was sitting out there and noticed this very sweet scent, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Then I bent down and sniffed the Corydalis- that's it! Very sweet (perhaps sickly sweet to some). One more reason for me to buy more Corydalis for my collection, LOL!
CMK

I find corydalis elata (blue) to have a powerful jasmine scent, but c. lutea (yellow) has almost none at all.

True valerian (Valeriana officinalis)is a yummy, summery scent.

And right now the lilies are sublime . . .

Another plant I have with a heavy scent is my
Night Blooming Jasmine. I received the plant
years ago from a greek barber. I keep it in a
large pot so I can bring it in for the winter.
It does very well in a pot.

There something different in a scent that moves threw the air and those you have to go up to the flower to smell.

I love my armandi clematis outside my frontdoor. Its the first major thing to bloom and always cheers me up after a cold winter.

Love frecias, sweetpeas, citrus bloosms, hmm everything else too. This year was great for the first flush of roses. I didnt cut back my Somberiul last fall or this spring so it was just loaded. Id say 1000 blooms that all opened at once, wow,you could smell it 100 ft away