Fragrance and Mirth

Time spent in the garden today makes one feel wealthy beyond measure.  Sweet fragrance from multiple sources makes late May days here special.  Dame's rocket, Hesperis matronalis, is a common weed,  an escape  from colonial gardens.  Arctic hardiness makes it a survivor.  I allow it to grow in the garden because of its sweet scent.  Morning finds it nearly scentless but by afternoon the air is filled with sweetness.

Black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, is a common weed tree here.  Natural rot resistance makes it an excellent choice for fence posts.  Twisting grain and thorns limit commercial value but its flowers are a treasure.  Locust is frost sensitive.  It is one of the last trees to leaf out and a late frost decimates the buds.  Flowers one year in five are all one can hope for.  This year we are three weeks past our last frost so locust flowers cover the trees.  Their scent floats on the breeze filling the garden.

A Rugosa rose carries a massive load of familiar scent.  We need to become better stewards of this plant. It marches on despite our neglect.  Perhaps next year will find it growing in the garden rather than in a stone path.

Lemon lily, L.lilioasphodelus,  has a long history of cultivation. Color alone would make it an excellent garden subject. Its fragrance is sweet beyond description. We find the plant hardy but not the flower buds. Most years we lose the buds to frost but this year the lemon lily is putting on quite a show.  These sweet smelling days in the garden are treasured by us.  We can easily put aside the lengthy list of things needing planting and beds needing weeded to  find a moment to enjoy the scents surrounding us.

A Tale Of Two Lilies

Planning our garden just has not happened. We work on a find a place to stick this plant system. Plants always outnumber open spots. Here is the rare exception. Yellow and purple is a favorite color combination and the lemon lily was deliberately placed behind the Allium aflatunense. Now we know that the taller plants should be planted in back. Remember we are new at planned planting. Several bulbs were spaced along a crescent. The lily was tucked in behind. Bloom time is another issue. The alliums will likely be past when and if the lily blooms. More tuition has been paid and perhaps some learning has occurred.

Nearby lemon lilies occupy the end of a planting bed. It is now clear to us that these lily buds shrivel and die when frosted. Limited materials available for covering plants would likely have left these plants unprotected. Heat radiated by the stone wall protected the buds in the first picture. That wall is West facing and went into the cold night with enough stored heat to hold back the frost. Freeze warnings are posted for tonight. Temperatures are expected to drop into the 20's. We have covered what we can but expect to be hit hard. A year without lemon lily flowers awaits us. The leaves look OK so perhaps the plants can build themselves up and provide a grand display of blooms next year. Gardening builds character.

Bloom Where You're Planted

I wonder just how long ago it was that this lemon lily was composted? It is way down at the base of the pile. Not willing to take no for an answer, it is blooming anyway. Some plants like some people are more persistent than others. You have to admire their spirit.

So there you have it, a fragrant, brilliant yellow flower in a less than perfect setting. Some of my carefully tended specimens should look so beautiful!