Perfumed plants

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John J

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #30 on: May 11, 2020, 07:43:19 AM »
They are the same here, Carole, covering the hillsides with yellow in spring along with Calycotome villosa. Our Spartium is late this year only now starting to burst into flower. I agree that people just don't look around to see what grows naturally in their area and take inspiration from that.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Umbrian

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #31 on: May 12, 2020, 06:49:24 AM »
Ours is very early this year although I have not been out and about much even with the  easing of travel restrictions making me even happier that I have one in full flower in the garden.
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

Umbrian

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #32 on: May 14, 2020, 06:23:20 AM »
Lathyrus odorata - Sweet Pea, as both names suggest a highly scented plant long cherished for its perfume. I leave a few seed heads to mature each year before removing the spent plants and always have sufficient volunteers to ensure the following years supply. They germinate in the early autumn and stand over winter making strong fresh growth in the spring and early flowers before the real heat sets in.
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

David Dickinson

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #33 on: May 15, 2020, 10:20:44 AM »
Nauplius sericeus qualifies as a perfumed plant if you rub the leaves. Very fruity smell and lovely silvery leaves. Unfortunately, I have to move it into my small greenhouse over the winter as it is not frost hardy. I am going to try cuttings this year . I have not had success with the seeds it produces. I will try sowing them immediately and again in autumn this year. Spring sowing has repeatedly failed.

It is a close relative of Pallensis maritima which grows more easily for me but is not scented. I think Astericus is an accepted synonym for both plants
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

Umbrian

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #34 on: May 16, 2020, 06:44:41 AM »
Philadelphus is a much loved perfumed shrub. I have fond memories of a large one in my childhood garden bunches of which, when in flower, would be taken to school to give to the teacher. I was dubious about it's suitability for inclusion in my first garden in Italy but on noticing a lovely large specimen growing close to an old abandoned farmhouse decided to give it a go. There the soil was poor and stony but it survived and gave a few flowers each year. On moving I inherited a small garden with wonderful soil and decided to include a Philadelphus and have been rewarded with a much happier plant that at the moment is filling the garden with it's wonderful scent ( and me with childhood memories)
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

Hilary

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #35 on: May 16, 2020, 06:52:10 AM »
Childhood memories.
We had Pussy willow, Flowering currant and Mock orange  to the left of the path leading to the front door.
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Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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John J

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #36 on: May 16, 2020, 09:01:22 AM »
An amazing coincidence, Carole, I had been out taking a few photos and after attaching my camera to the computer to download them I clicked on to the Forum. There was your photo of Philadelphus. One of the photos I had taken was of our small bush. It has not grown very large but it is in an area that is shaded from the worst of the summer sun and it muddles along from year to year.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #37 on: May 21, 2020, 06:00:11 AM »
My wife called me out this morning to see our Eleagnus angustifolia tree as it had begun to flower. I could smell it long before I got to it. The flowers are minute but what they lack in size they more than make up for in an incredible perfume.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Umbrian

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #38 on: May 21, 2020, 07:43:22 AM »
Love that tree John but unfortunately no room for it in my small garden now. I remember the scent hitting me as soon as I left the house at our former place.
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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John J

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #39 on: June 01, 2020, 08:23:54 AM »
Plants don't get much more perfumed than the Gardenia, but here in Cyprus they can be quite difficult to grow successfully. They prefer conditions to be on the acidic side and here they are predominantly very alkaline. Some years ago we found that a local nursery was offering healthy plants that the owner said would take the alkaline soil and water no problem as he was grafting them onto a rootstock that would take it. For a long time he wouldn't tell us what it was. Over time he realised that we knew a bit about what we were talking about and he mellowed, then one day he admitted that he was grafting onto a South African Gardenia thunbergia that didn't mind the alkaline conditions. This plant will itself grow into a small tree up to 5 m in height with large fragrant flowers.
The photos show a Gardenia jasminoides and its graft, also a Gardenia thunbergia that we bought and planted to grow into a tree in its own right.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Hilary

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #40 on: July 15, 2020, 05:46:34 PM »
Hoya carnosa, Wax plant, Κεράκι

This plant grows outside our front door in a very small pot, it gets a good shower of water once a week on  the day I clean the balcony. Every summer evening it fills the living room with its sweet scent, however the hard seeds which fall to the floor are a danger for those, mostly children, who insist on walking barefoot.

As usual I looked to see if this plant is mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN, yes many times.
The article I chose REMEMBERING A GARDEN ON A GREEK HILLSIDE-SPAROZA 1979-80:PART 3, WINTER by Graham Kendall is illustrated with a drawing of Hoya carnosa by Freda Cox
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 96, April 2019
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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John J

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #41 on: July 16, 2020, 04:51:10 AM »
Hilary, coincidentally I took very similar photos of our Hoya a couple of days ago.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Umbrian

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #42 on: July 16, 2020, 07:18:47 AM »
Beautiful flowers and scent. I have one that came from a very rambling overgrown plant that  belonged to my mother-in-law. When she died I could not house it and so took some cuttings. One of these came to Italy with us over 20 years ago and with judicious pruning is still going strong. Of course here it is a house plant and I am not very successful with those on the whole but the Hoya survives regardless :)
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

Hilary

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #43 on: November 25, 2020, 09:06:42 AM »
Crassula mucosa

Growing on our south facing balcony. I had planted cuttings from an existing plant into a white plastic pot in the autumn of 2018 and by April 2020 it was well established and ready to be put in its final home.

Two other pots of cuttings were planted last winter and are not so green or healthy looking. But will enjoy the rain, when it arrives

All three pots of Crassula mucosa emit a very strong scent at the moment perfuming our living room and bedroom.

The third photo was taken of the elusive flower of the Crassula mucosa in November 2010. This year I have looked and looked but have not discovered the  flowers

The last photo shows the corner of the trough and the rather miserable looking Crassula mucosa plants
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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Charithea

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Re: Perfumed plants
« Reply #44 on: November 25, 2020, 12:00:47 PM »
Hilary, I find 'succulents' are so useful greening up the place so the occasional flower is a bonus.
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.