TOW surprise in fragrant bulbs
Jane McGary (Thu, 15 Apr 2004 16:21:30 PDT)

Diane Whitehead wondered if some fragrances are unpleasant only when
concentrated. Her strawberry fragrance may be reacting to the heat of her
closed car -- chilled strawberries have little aroma, so it's best to bring
them to room temperature before serving. As to whether some people can't
smell certain scents, probably true, since some people can't detect certain
tastes as well as others. Also, I understand that there are some scents
that one can smell for only a short time, and then one ceases to "notice"
them. An example is said to be violets, and I think it's true, because I
have a violet-scented perfume called 1000 de Patou that becomes much more
subtle quite quickly. I think that the flowers of Ipheion 'Froyle Mill' are
somewhat violet-scented, even though the bulbs smell like slightly rotten
garlic. Another light, wonderful fragrance is that of certain tulips -- red
cultivars especially.

Many of the plants related to lily of the valley (Convallariaceae) share
its delicate and lovely scent, including our native Smilacina racemosa
subsp. occidentalis, a fine cut flower as well as a perfect border plant.

My favorite fragrance in the garden right now is a shrub, the well-named
Jasminum fragrantissimum (evergreen Italian jasmine), which unfortunately
does not last long when cut.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA