Tag: scented garden
-

Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca Citrina
This subspecies of Coronilla valentina has pale yellow, scented flowers from January through April. It is a small (about 100x100cm), evergreen Mediterranean shrub, at home in brushy, dry habitats such as the garrigue. It needs well-drained soil and can take half-shade. It is hardy to -15℃ but likes warm and sheltered conditions. I’ve planted it…
-

Lobularia maritima
Another one of those seemingly boring little things that turn out to be “superplants” in the dry garden. Lobularia maritima is a Mediterranean native and a fast-growing, long-blooming ground cover with small white or purple, honey-scented flowers. In my garden, depending on location, they bloom in the spring before going dry in the summer (can…
-

Mirabilis jalapa
Soil improvement between 2022 and 2024 definitely had a big effect on the inherited, self-seeding Mirabilis jalapa. Whereas in the summer of 2023, despite regular watering, they looked practically dead most of the time, in 2024, with a lot less watering, they popped back to life every night and looked splendid each morning. Mirabilis is…
-

Eleagnus ebbingei (submacrophylla)
Heavenly Scent & Drought Resistance in One. The side of the garden towards the neighbors is largely planted with Eleagnus x Ebbingei, now known as Eleagnus submacrophylla or “Chalef” in Garden-French. This shrub was totally unknown to me and when I first saw it in the summer, it didn’t impress me much. But then came…
-

Lonicera
Lonicera or honeysuckle is a very diverse species, including wonderfully scented vines (periclymenum, japonica, tatarica, xylosteum…) or shrubs (fragrantissima, purpusii, syringantha…), fruit-bearing shrubs (caerulea/kamtchatica…) as well as evergreen hedging shrubs and groundcovers (nitida, pileata, crassifolia…). Lonicera japonica I love the scented Lonicera vines and was more than happy to discover that the massive hedge of…
-

Buddleia davidi
It’s not my favorite shrub and I would never have planted it myself in this garden… but I have to admit that the color of Buddleia davidii “Black Knight” is simply splendid: a very dark and sumptuous purple with pink interiors. And it is a great favorite with bees and butterflies. Buddleia normally blooms all…