Haha, I guess I was just being lazy with not writing out the varietal names! For lilies, I have unfortunately steered away from the wonderful orientals like 'Casa Blanca' since they tend to peter out in the local alkaline soil after a couple of seasons. I opted instead for the likes of Lilium regale and many of Judith Freeman's wonderful creations and offerings from The Lily Garden, including 'Silk Road'. In fact, I planted so many that I am having trouble recalling names without consulting my spreadsheet. As for roses, I did indeed plant 'Jude the Obscure'. It is my favorite Austin for fragrance. Others that I planted include 'Madame Plantier' (which produces probably my favorite of all rose fragrances), Rosa x centifolia 'Muscosa', 'Stanwell Perpetual', 'Nastarana', 'Spray Cecile Brunner', 'Marie Pavie' and 'Rose de Rescht'. I am looking forward to seeing how they settle in this year. Hmmm...I don't recall ever seeing mildew on Lonicera periclymenum. My favorite clone is 'Serotina' or 'Serotina Florida', since it has the prettiest blooms and tends to flower the longest. Some clones like 'Graham Thomas' look exciting in catalogues but then look anemic and sickly when you actually see them in person. With a plant like L. periclymenum that is naturally somewhat understated, I think it is best to choose the cultivars with the most "oomph." Ah, mock orange! I love them, but because of space constraints I will have to sacrifice them in my own garden. Instead, I will have to enjoy the perfume from the many wonderful specimens growing in other peoples' gardens throughout the city. Same with lilacs.

Fragrant, thank you! I think it sounds better than it is, haha. At least for the Hoyas. Imperialis and buotii had a lot of die back which I'm not happy about, though imperialis has some new growing tips. Macgillivrayi and coriacea had some dieback too. My other Hoyas are fine. But I guess all Hoyas do grow and die back for no reason, even in spring or summer. My other tropicals do pretty well like brunfelsia, brugmansia, cestrum, Rangoon creeper, sambac jasmine, epiphyllum. My orchids look great too, though coryanthes fieldingii burnt up a little bit at 37 Fahrenheit. I have quite a few starter plants that look good too. I was sad I watered telosma cordata too much and it lost all its leaves. I'm hoping they grow back, I see a nub starting at the base of the plant but it's not growing. Your greenhouse and orchids look amazing so don't envy me too much. I envy the plethora of blooms I've seen on your orchids! And I definitely want to try A. hexapetalus.

I was looking for pugster blue but couldn't find it..but did find blue chip jr at local lowes. So happy that I have all colors covered for now. Have the bicolor too..lol :) Meanwhile my abe darby is getting ready to bloom. Same plant but different color buds.Graham thomas in full bloom mode Tom I got to smell oklahoma rose at lowes and its stunning. Only if I had the place for another red rose it would have come home with me.

Hello, friends! Trying not to be lazy and participate. :) First I'll start off with some positive news. One of my first two brugmansia plants I grew from seed is starting to open a flower! I got the mixed seeds from Fred Sommer years ago and finally sprouted them this spring. Only two plants have survived and one is blooming! Hoping it has an awesome scent. Also Brugmansia 'Audrey Lea' is blooming up a storm. The blooms are beautiful and the scent is pretty good. On a bummer note my Mandevilla laxa has once again set buds but then aborted them before opening them. Sigh. I guess I'll probably never sniff this plant. The whole plant will probably die like the last two or three have. Laugh.