fragrance

Fragrant Fall Favorites

Oct 14, 2012 By Karen Chapman in Uncategorized 4 Comments Tags: birds, climbers, fall, fragrance, perennials, shrubs, wildlife

The fragrant white flowers of glossy abelia have bright pink sepals in fall and winter. Photo credit; Taken at Wisley Gardens by thehardyperennial.com

Many of you enjoyed last week’s post on the katsura tree, loving its caramel apple scent as much as I do. Did you know that there are also several shrubs and perennials which spice up the fall garden with their fragrance too?

Glossy abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) is a somewhat sprawling shrub with tubular white pink flowers along its arching stems all summer and fall. It is evergreen in many areas, but does lose a proportion of its glossy green leaves here in the colder parts of Seattle, although not before they gain a wonderful rosy glow. Adored by hummingbirds, I like to use this as an informal hedge or screen. For the tidier minded gardener abelia can be sheared for size and shape, but I can’t help feeling that if God had intended it to have a poodle or pompom cut He would have created it that way. Just saying. Plant it in full sun or light shade – and put the shears away so it can spread to 5’ tall and wide. Hardy in zones 6-9.

Dianthus 'Firewitch' may be small in size but BIG in fragrance. Photo credit; Missouri Botanical Garden

Cheddar pinks (Dianthus sp.) –how can something so small smell so powerful? While there are many different Dianthus available, it is the low growing rockery group which readily come to mind when I think about reliable fall flowers and fragrance. In fact ‘Firewitch’ seems to have flowers for at least 7 months of the year in my garden! While each hot pink flower may be petite there is nothing subtle about its spicy perfume. Use it in containers or at the front of a garden border in full sun and well-drained soil. Hardy in zones 3-9.

Sweet autumn clematis may be a thug, but it is a beautiful and fragrant thug at least. Photo credit; Wikimedia Commons

Sweet autumn clematis (Clematis ternifolia) – love it or hate it, the sweet autumn clematis lives up to its name. Whether you consider it vigorous or invasive, there’s no denying that this delightful vine has considerable potential to swallow an arbor but if you’re up for the challenge then you will be rewarded with weeks of starry white flowers exuding a sweet vanilla scent. Plant on a sturdy structure in full sun and well-drained soil – then get out of the way! Hardy in zones 4-10 it will grow 20’ in a single season.

A contemporary white, yellow and black scheme with daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' as the star. It is partnered with 'Delta Dawn' coral bells, black mondo grass and white 'bud bloomer' heather which echoes the color of the daphne's flowers

Daphne ‘Eternal Fragrance’ (Daphne transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’)– When someone mentions ‘daphne’ I immediately think of winter daphne (Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’) with its 3” long elliptical green leaves edged in creamy yellow and an intoxicating perfume that fills the February air. This week I was looking for the perfect fragrant plant for a container and came across ‘Eternal Fragrance’ daphne. It has smaller green leaves than the winter daphne and although its main flowering period is in spring it blooms reliably through fall. Certainly the one I found was a mass of buds – the promise of many heady weeks to come! Try it as a centerpiece in a container which receives afternoon shade and place it near a door or window to enjoy the fall fragrance. Hardy in zones 6-9 but may be deciduous below 0’F.

The unassuming fragrant olive has an unforgettable perfume. Photo credit; Monrovia

Fragrant tea tree, Fragrant olive or Tea olive (Osmanthus fragrans) – my blogging friend Deb Elliott wrote recently about this large evergreen shrub and its apricot-like fragrance. Take a side trip to Deb’s Garden and see what she enjoys most about this fall beauty and how it can be incorporated into your own garden.

At this time of year those of us who live in colder climates begin our gardening hibernation – enjoying our garden through the windows rather than from the patio. I challenge you to pull out a sweater and take a sensory walk around your garden. Do you still have herbs and vegetables to taste? Are there wispy grasses to run your fingers through? Are the birds flitting in and out of your bushes enjoying the berry and seed head buffet? Stand still, close your eyes and breathe deeply. What scents drift across the autumnal air to tease you? If there is little to note then consider the katsura tree I introduced you to last week or select one of the plants featured here.

Whether you have acreage or just a container garden there is always room for fragrance in fall.

Fall Favorite – The Katsura Tree

Oct 7, 2012 By Karen Chapman in Uncategorized 8 Comments Tags: deciduous trees, fall, foliage, fragrance, trees

Photo credit; Blue River Nursery

I must have raised a few eyebrows as I went around the nursery sniffing like a bloodhound. I just couldn’t figure it out. I knew I could smell cotton candy (UK translation – candy floss) but there were none to be seen, yet that sweet sugar and cinnamon fragrance was wafting all around me. In confusion I mentioned it to one of the nursery staff who laughed and pointed me to the towering tree above me – a katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum). Sure enough the richly colored, heart-shaped leaves that were falling like confetti all around me were the source of this wonderful fall fragrance.

That was about 16 years ago and I’ve been waiting for a garden to plant one in ever since, finally getting my wish last year. As my husband and I walked through the field to choose the perfect tree last fall I found myself dreaming of hot apple cider and pumpkin bread! Maybe this tree will prove a bad idea for the waist line.

Conditions

Th weeping form of the katsura has yellow fall color. Photo; Creative Commons

Katsura trees are native to Asia but have become a popular tree in many other parts of the world where they can be afforded moisture retentive soil, full sun or very light shade, rich acidic soil and temperatures which fall in the range -30’F to 20’F (USDA zones 4-9)

How to use

In the garden they look perfect lining a driveway, as a specimen lawn tree or providing height in a large mixed border. Here in the Seattle area they are also a popular sidewalk tree where their roots do not cause the damage of older choices such as cherry trees and their pyramidal form allows easy passage of both vehicles and pedestrians (although in maturity they tend to assume a more spreading shape).

Cultivars

'Red Fox' has wonderful burgundy foliage all spring and summer. Photo credit; McAuliffe's Valley Nursery

The typical katsura tree matures at over 40’ and 25’ wide, growing 12-18” per year but smaller gardens can take advantage of the newer introduction ‘Red Fox’. This has a tight columnar form clothed in deep burgundy leaves during spring and summer before transforming to shades of harvest gold in fall when they release their characteristic burnt sugar aroma. The bark is a shaggy brown.

The foliage of the dwarf 'Heronswood Globe' is a soft light green. Photo; Creative Commons

‘Heronswood Globe’ is a dwarf, rounded form which grows to just 20’ x 20’ and has green foliage which turns shades of rose and apricot in autumn. This is a low growing tree, often with its branches just 2’ off the ground.

Tiers of weeping branches on the pendulous form of katsura. Photo credit; J. Frank Schmidt & Son.

The weeping katsura is a beautiful tree with a dense crown and blue-green foliage which turns bright yellow in fall. It grows slowly to 20’ tall and 15’ wide

Year round interest

Although perhaps at it’s finest in fall, the katsura has plenty to contribute in other seasons too. Spring sees the emergence of reddish-purple leaves which slowly darken to an attractive blue-green. The winter silhouette is a welcome addition to the winter garden as is the handsome bark.

Wherever you plant them be sure it is somewhere that you can enjoy their fragrance – and watch your visitors try to identify the source of that wonderful spicy aroma!

12 Months Later

Aug 19, 2012 By Karen Chapman in Uncategorized 14 Comments Tags: combinations, deer, design, drought tolerant, foliage, fragrance, grasses, perennials, shrubs, trees

A tapestry of colors and textures - August 2012

Is it really only that long?

I suspect like many gardeners I’m better at writing a To Do list than celebrating the Ta Da moments. I’m so busy worrying about the deer munching on the end of an elderberry branch (and yes they do eat elderberries), that I forget to look around and take in the big picture. Fact is we’ve come a long way.

Who says deer don't eat elderberries - mine even eat RICIN!!

The real beginning was three years ago; October 30th 2009 to be exact, when we moved to this modest one storey house sitting on 5 flat acres. I could write a book on the various adventures we’ve had as we’ve renovated the house. Dead mice in the walls, frogs croaking under the house, termite eaten woodwork and a vole who suddenly appeared in the bathroom with me, arriving by way of the heating vent in the floor. Eek!

August 2011 - weeds were gone and the cabin moved but that was about it

But this is a garden blog. You’ve heard me say before that the best feature in the landscape was a huge dead tree. That’s because the house was being swallowed by Bishop’s weed, as was the front garden . There was a nice long border to one side of the property but it was only 3′ deep before dissolving into cottonwoods, reed canary grass and an interesting blend of beer cans and chunks of concrete.

Besides that the land was a seasonally mosquito ridden swamp. I even tried spraying most of the 5 acres with garlic the first summer …, let’s just say that wasn’t my most shining moment. Still plenty of mosquitoes, no witches and my son threatening to leave home since I’d thoughtfully sprayed around his window. Oops

So how and where was I going to create my dream gardens?

Island border

Around the dead tree. Except that the land around it was a less than attractive tapestry of blackberries and weeds. It was also a swamp from November through the end of June.

I’ve told part of this story before. You can read how we addressed the drainage, moved the cabin and built the arbor by following the links. 12 months ago we had just unloaded 100 yards of topsoil and planted our first tree.

Here it is today.

August 2012. The cabin is now nestled into the (young) landscape

Paths are laid, a bench installed, boulders moved (with great difficulty) from behind the barn, and layers of wonderful color.

A simple wooden bench will soon be shaded by the golden locust tree and backed by 'Karl Foerster' grasses. If the deer leave the elderberry alone that will also be part of the backdrop.

Some things thriving, others not so much as we discovered a few spots around the perimeter became catchment areas for winter rains.

And there’s still a lot of bare soil – not the Karen style! However we have included plenty of four season interest and used drought tolerant, (relatively) deer resistant plants.

Warm sunset shades predominate. This golden conifer shines like a beacon all year

I’ve also had great fun playing with color combinations.

Vibrant orange Crocosmia around the paperbark maple accents the trees rich mahogany peeling bark yet doesn't obscure it in winter

Front garden

August 2011 - the front dust bowl...

12 months ago this was barren. Every single tree, shrub, perennial and bulb had been removed. Those which were riddled with Bishop’s weed were disposed of. Others were washed to bare roots then quarantined in a corner of the vegetable garden until I was sure they were clean. We had installed a new path and patio at this point but sat sipping our wine surrounded by….nothing.

August 2012. Today it is a medley of soft, airy textures

Now it’s a tranquil space. Soothing shades of blue, white and silver predominate. The air is fragrant with daphne, lavender and thyme. Sounds of bees mingle with those of hummingbirds and small birds splashing in the fountain.

The white bark of the birch tree is emphasized by the haze of white flowers

The dancing white flowers of ‘whirling butterflies’ (Gaura sp.) sway gently in the slightest breeze forming fleeting partnerships with silver wormwood (Artemesia) and periwinkle blue ‘Rozanne’ geranium.

Not that it’s perfect. Some lavender plants died. Voles ate some plants and cut worms others.

I thought I'd be 'safe' with sedums - obviously not!

Then there are the sedums which have either been eaten by very tall rabbits or our deer – large hoof prints would suggest the latter.

Still despite those little hiccups and a few remaining bare patches we are finally proud to share the progress with friends. It looks like a well-loved home nestled into a thoughtfully designed landscape. There’s more to do but that’s OK. For now we can at least say…Ta Da!

Friends

Jul 15, 2012 By Karen Chapman in Uncategorized 11 Comments Tags: climbers, combinations, design, fragrance

I love to visit Larry and Connie’s garden in Redmond, WA. Apart from the guaranteed hugs (and a homemade cookie if I time it just right) I know I will be met by a wonderfully exuberant garden. It’s a sort of English-garden-meets-Pacific-Northwest, which isn’t surprising when I tell you that I was the one who designed it. Five years ago it was the proverbial blank slate – or at least a concrete slab surrounded by clay. I’ll take you on a full guided tour another time with their permission, but today I’m just going to give you a peek at one of my favorite vignettes.

Garage doors are rarely a feature one wishes to emphasize yet they are a part of today’s lifestyle and often quite literally ‘front and center’ when you approach the home. We were lucky that there was a pocket of soil on either side of the garage door and an attractive painted pergola framed the space. I suggested planting climbers in those spots and with their love of English gardens, roses were the obvious choice.

Westerland rose seems to glow from within when lit by the early morning sun

Larry chose the Westerland rose for its heady fragrance and gentle color palette which ranges from buff yellow to apricot/peach tones, perfectly blending with the stonework on the home’s exterior. This climber scrambles easily to the top of each pillar, has good disease resistance and blooms all summer.

The two climbers mingle well by the lantern before the clematis continues on its way to cover the pergola

By why have just one climber when you can have two? I was happy to donate two of my Clematis ‘Jackmanii superba’ to plant at the base of each rose and there began the perfect partnership. Using the rose as a support the clematis easily climbs to the top of each pillar before meandering across the pergola. The rose and the clematis are perfect companions. Sort of garden friends whose lives have become intertwined, each one somehow at its best in the others company.

Larry and Connie have become very dear friends yet as much as I love to visit them I do enjoy the fact that they have given me ‘garden privileges’ so that I can stop by and take pictures of ‘our garden’ whenever I’d like to. And that’s the best bit. This isn’t my garden as much as I’m proud of the part I played in its creation. This is their garden and if I’m brutally honest their touches are some of the very best!

Color Inspiration for Container Gardens

Jun 16, 2012 By Karen Chapman in Uncategorized 4 Comments Tags: annuals, combinations, container design, fragrance, perennials, shrubs, spring

This is an exciting time of year for container garden designers. I was asked recently if I ever ran out of ideas. Well it hasn’t happened yet thanks in no small part to my clients themselves who like to keep me on my gardening toes! Here are a couple of this year’s requests and my interpretation. Bear in mind that these are all very new plantings and will grow considerably during the season.

'Happy' colors; the feathery foliage is Zagreb tickseed and will soon be covered in golden daisies

Happy Colors – this must be my favorite description! What does this conjure up to you? Perhaps another way of saying the same thing – but not nearly so much fun would be ‘bold, bright and colorful’. Think hot pink/ purple/ chartreuse or red/ yellow/ white or perhaps orange/ blue/ lime. I use both foliage and flowers to provide the color as either one alone wouldn’t quite hit the mark.

Red and yellow make for fun combinations especially when foliage such as crotons and coleus are incorporated

I also make sure that there are plenty of bold shapes such as the large leaves and flowers of non-stop begonias and sweet potato vines for impact. Colorful coleus are invaluable in these schemes with many sun tolerant varieties now being available. Golden Zagreb tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata) mingling with the darker leaved Gartenmeister fuchsia or boldly variegated Tropicana canna adds summer long color while brightly colored million bells, verbena and geraniums are all reliable performers.

Breathe.......jasmine and lilies (still in bud) perfume the air. This container is by a window and seating area where it can be enjoyed

Romantic and feminine - at first I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to meet this clients expectations but I needn’t have worried and it has been a fun challenge to always give her the wow factor each season. This lovely lady has a very specific wish list; silver, white, pink and soft green was THE color palette. No exceptions! And it was all about the flowers and fragrance – the headier the perfume the better. So I began to look for long blooming annuals and perennials with an airy look and delicate variegated foliage that was also fragrant (I had to get a good backbone of foliage in there somehow)!

Whirling butterflies bloom all summer and provide the airy quality essential to a romantic design,

Winners have included star jasmine, lilies, gardenias, white heliotrope and ‘Gourmet popcorn’ rose for intoxicating fragrance. Pale pink yarrow (Achillea sp.), pink and white whirling butterflies (Gaura sp.) and annual cosmos provide months of color while having a feminine appeal.

I searched for a rose with fragrance, disease resistance, easy care and an old fashioned 'blowsy' attitude. 'Gourmet popcorn' fit the bill. It is underplanted with variegated marjoram

Variegated marjoram and ‘Silver edge’ lavender bring sparkle to the foliage line up and a sneaky ‘Kent beauty’ oregano, featured recently in my blog brings the softest shades of pink and green plus a light herbal fragrance. This one looks pretty unassuming right now but after a month’s growth I’m anticipating an excited email !

Watch for future posts on more creative color inspiration including a contemporary theme and examples of how I translated my sunset color scheme to this year’s container designs.

Fun foliage that you can eat (mostly)

Jun 3, 2012 By Karen Chapman in Uncategorized 8 Comments Tags: annuals, combinations, container design, deer, design, edible, foliage, fragrance, herbs, perennials

Explore the herb section of your nursery for new container design candidates. Photo credit; Gary Hayes

At this time of year it isn’t unusual for me to be designing 60 or more container gardens a week. Each client has their own preferences in terms of color and style but all expect a ‘wow’ factor. And I expect to deliver!

My biggest challenge is always to find fabulous foliage which works with and enhances the overall design. Focusing on flowers is guaranteed to bring disappointing results at some point during the season as many plants go through waves of blooming with ‘blah’ periods in between. Yet adding just a few special foliage plants changes all that. I routinely scour the smaller sizes of variegated shrubs as well as colorful indoor foliage plants to expand my plant palette. However, I still felt my latest project looked a little ‘flat’ until I wandered into the herb section of the nursery where I struck gold! Here are a few that caught my eye (and nose).

SAGE (Salvia)

Tricolor sage offers fabulous shades of green-grey, white, pink and purple. Photo credit; gardening.eu

Tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’); fabulous for using with pink, white or burgundy themes this colorful sage adds sparkle and depth to any sunny combination. This is a good ‘filler’ for containers, as it can reach 12-15” in height

Purple sage (Salvia officinalis purpurea); the smoky tones of the large, fuzzy oval leaves work well with silver sedums such as ‘Cape Blanco’ stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’). This combination would thrive in a hot sunny site with well-drained soil and has the added benefit of being deer resistant.

THYME (Thymus)

'Silver posie' thyme adds a fragrant ruffle to violas and 'Bowle's mauve' wallflower

Silver posie thyme (Thymus vulgaris ‘Silver posie’); this evergreen herb adds a delicate look with its small green leaves edged in white. Use it to edge garden borders (it would be wonderful with pink roses), or in containers.

Lemon thyme (Thymus × citriodorus); a favorite for year round plantings this yellow and green variegated form adds a bright note and citrus scent. For great color contrast and a contemporary twist team it with black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’)

OREGANO & MARJORAM (Origanum)

Golden oregano (Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’ ); this perennial dies down in winter but comes back each year to produce a 12” mound of golden leaves. Use this to edge raised borders or containers but trim back after flowering to keep it tidy. Looks great in a cobalt blue pot.

Variegated marjoram (Origanum vulgare ‘Variegata’); pretty green and white variegated leaves always look fresh. A great ‘spiller’

'Kent beauty' oregano may not be edible but with looks like this who cares? Photo courtesy Kylee Baumle of www.ourlittleacre.com

‘Kent beauty’ oregano (Origanum rotundifolium cv.)– this is an ornamental (non-edible) variety but don’t let that put you off as it is an outstanding little plant. Heart shaped leaves in blue-green are a welcome change from the typical mid-green, mid-sized foliage of summer annuals. Yet this herb offers even more with tiers of charming pink and chartreuse bracts (often incorrectly referred to as flowers). Color is best in full sun but will also do well in part shade.

MINT (Mentha)

The variegation on pineapple mint is striking. Photo credit; mountainvalleygrowers.com

Pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’); I love the bold green and white variegated leaves, slightly ruffled at the edges and coarse to the touch, which I initially thought was a Plectranthus. When the leaves are crushed a light pineapple fragrance is released. This looks fabulous mingling in a sunny container where it can throw out stems to brighten up the more traditional offerings such as geraniums and African daisies. Roll up the leaves and slice thinly (as you would with basil) to add to fruit salads. Scrumptious!

Pineapple mint will spread indefinitely just like the common garden mint so keep it in a container to curb its enthusiasm.

If you would like to use some of these herbs for cooking as well as their ornamental value you may want to find an organic selection. Whether you eat them or not, these colorful plants will add fragrance and a new zip to your containers this summer for their foliage alone.

Email me photos of your favorite combinations!

A special thank you to my friend Tanya who introduced me to pineapple mint and inspired this post