I really appreciate the ideas everyone is sharing! There's a lot to consider, and I agree fragrance is not really the biggest issue (just one I think about because I typically evaluate plants based in great part on their fragrance- and realize that I'll need to think about things somewhat differently in this case). I definitely agree that the looks of the garden will need to be my primary concern. We are hoping to establish this as a business, hosting a couple weddings every weekend May through September... So there is that part of wanting to please the most people possible (recognizing you can never please everyone!).At the same time, I can't stand the idea of creating something that is bland! There are already a lot of bland (to my taste) gardens out there where people can get married- I want this to be a venue to remember- that stands out as more than your typical home garden. Maybe I can do some compromise with areas of the yard that are more fragrant than others, or conversely less fragrant. I like the idea of using the symbolism of plants in the garden planning, although again I plan to make the visual aspects of the garden most predominant in the planning (as botann pointed out, it's the pictures that will advertize). (p.s. botann, I grew up in Des Moines, WA., right near SeaTac airport... great gardening country!) Anyway, I like hearing everyone's opinions and hope to hear more. I also like the suggestions regarding ways to use fragrance in the plan (e.g. pineappleweed in the path, although I don't actually know what that is or what it looks like! clearly have lots of research to do!)- - - As I was writing this, Wellspring wrote a very useful response that I just read. Those are all good considerations/ideas- and as several of you have pointed out, there really are more significant issues than fragrance that need consideration. I probably should do another post checking about design ideas for outdoor weddings (I'll have to search first, may have been done). I probably will even get professional assistance with this, just need to find the time to find someone really good. As to Wellspring's questions about the property, you can check out some pictures on my yahoo page, under "home sweet home". It is a large historical home, Greek Revival, with large grounds around it, that currently are not landscaped and are mainly just in grass (we bought the house 3 years ago and I immediately got pregnant, so there hasn't been any real opportunity for serious gardening since we got here). The hope is that couples will be attracted to the unique history and graciousness of the property and can enjoy an outdoor wedding/reception experience that they can have catered as they want (Not by us!). Hope everyone is enjoying this long weekend! Kathie Here is a link that might be useful: pictures of the house

i can or could agree with you on some of the list, if you don't take care of your plants, i do have gold flame honeysuckle. i have it on an arch. every fall i clip it back to about 6" or so, and in the spring it comes right back up and just as beautiful as ever!! when we first bought our house, it had over a foot of dead vines under the live ones, i had to cut all that back, it was a real pain in the butt!!! now it looks great though, also on that arch is my orange trumpet vine for the hummers. and that one is very thick!! but it also has to be cut back. if you don't do this it all just dies for the next years growth anyhow. so i don't know why people wouldn't want to cut it back?? and severely!!! and the honeysuckle smells awesome!!! :') ~Medo

I was there last week just in time to catch the cherry blossoms and magnolias at their peak. I noticed the tulips were quite different from last year. I didn't see the lilacs or azaleas. Perhaps it was too early for azaleas or I wasn't on that side where the lilacs were, but I will be going back next week. I grew up with lilacs in the backyard and miss that wonderful fragrance. Not to be missed is the magnificent display of lotus and waterlilies in July and August at NYBG. It is breathtaking! For roses, a visit to NYBG's Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden in June and September is a must. If you time it right, you can catch both in bloom at the same time. Oh, and there is a spring flower show going on now at NYBG until June 12th. http://www.nybg.org There are other gardens in NY that I haven't been to yet, such as Wave Hill in the Bronx, the Staten Island Botanical Gardens, which I heard has a beautiful Chinese Scholar Garden, and the Queens Botanical Gardens in Flushing. Maybe someone else could share their experience if they've visited any of these gardens? http://www.wavehill.org http://www.sibg.org http://www.queensbotanical.org

Cori Ann... that's an innovative idea, I'm not sure I could have come up with that one, so wish you luck with this.. I'm sure you will handle it with great aplomb as only you could do I think.. ...the only reservation I have about this is that with so many blooms on the flower cluster, like a corymb, some will be facing the fence and might get squashed in the process, being so large, unless you've got a sufficient gap and I wouldn't see the beauty of the whole plant. Roses tend to hang gracefully and display themselves appropriately, but I'm up for anything so it's worth a try... whilst admitting I would prefer to see them as freestanding shrubs in a partially shaded location near a tree... much like those in your photos.. Like Sacramento is to roses, England is to Rhododendrons, with its sheltered wooded valleys on acid soils, and moist summer climate, it's made for them here and there are huge specimens... My late Uncle worked at Penjerrick garden in Cornwall England during the 1920's, alongside the head gardener, and they created Rhododendron 'Penjerrick' at that time.. the Estate, like so many in Cornwall, was owned by the famous Fox family - who were great plant hunters and introduced many Rhododendrons to England in Victorian times... It was always rumoured that my family were illegitimately related to the Fox's, and they were especially kind to us on so many occasions, without us knowing why... as a child I used to run errands for them and they were very kind to me.. An ancestor, Robert Were Fox who started many of these great gardens here, was a friend of von Humboldt, who explored much of western America and had a river named after him, not far from you I think.. So yeah... Rhododendrons... in the family so to speak... I really look forward to seeing how yours grow, as much as your roses.... please keep us informed about this... or let me know which forum you've posted some photos on...