Fragrance in flowers may, indeed, be described as their music, and it is none the less beautiful because it is silent. – Eleanor Rohde
Cape Town - As summer surges in, alongside south-easters, one appreciates, more than ever, gardens that are full of scents to make the senses swoon.
As a mood enhancer, it is a good idea to plant a welcoming fragrance at your entrance – a glossy-leaved Orange Jessamine (Murraya paniculata), perhaps, or Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (Brunfelsia pauciflora) or even a deliciously scented Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) to brush against. The latter has been described by Beverley Nichols as “quite definitely one of the major consolations of life”, with its leaves smelling of “lemon peel, honey and the south wind”.
I have all three in pots in a corner of our patio where we frequently eat in summer, and framing the balcony, a lemon tree, whose creamy blossoms provide further heavenly scents. Further down in the garden, there are the frangipanis to perfume our summer evenings.
“If I ever sell my cottage,” a friend confided sadly, “it will be because of the Onion Weed.”
I felt great sympathy, having battled against this pernicious pest for the past 10 years. However carefully one digs out its bulbs, invariably a few are left behind, to prosper and cause dismay. White flowers of this weed are already appearing in numbers, leading to a plentiful supply of seeds, so nip them off immediately.
While doing so, I discovered the one advantage of the Onion Weed – its tiny flowers give off a lovely, sweet fragrance.
There are many aromatic leaves that have spicy scents, including herbs such as mint, basil, thyme and pennyroyal as well as our scented pelargoniums with distinct aromas of lemon, rose, nutmeg, peppermint and apple. Then, too, there are the buchus and the Confetti bush, (Coleonema), which contain scented oils that are released when crushed.
Some summer annuals with which to enhance your scented garden are nicotianas, petunias and honeyed alyssum. For fragrant climbers you could include the jasmines, honeysuckles or an American charmer, Gelsemium sempervirens, which has funnel-shaped yellow flowers in summer and autumn. Roses, which are at their best now, deserve a whole column to themselves.
A tall shrub, which is seldom grown, but worth considering, is the Port Wine magnolia (Michelia figo). Its insignificant flowers produce an irresistible, fruity scent that can pervade a large area. It needs a sunny position, a rich, acid soil and plenty of water.
The Australian frangipani (Hymenosporum flava) is another plant not often grown here, but popular in the beautiful Bedford gardens of the Eastern Cape. It is a fast-growing tree, eventually reaching about 12m and it bears dense clusters of richly perfumed yellow flowers. Plant this in a wind-protected spot and water well. - Cape Argus