Fragrance
James Waddick (Thu, 15 May 2008 07:39:11 PDT)

I guess I have to put in my 2 cents that I really don't care
if a plant has fragrant flowers or not. The form, color and quantity
of flowers is far more important and fragrance is a plus. I can
certainly enjoy coral peonies (including the just finished 'Coral
Fay' a real beauty with single hot coral flowers) and I don't find
their fragrance to carry much in any case.
Since I rarely cut any flowers, but prefer to enjoy them in
place on the plant and in the garden, again fragrance is a peripheral
plus.
Plants grown for fragrance have to have other qualities too
like Viburnum (esp carlesii) Daphne (various) and Lilacs all fragrant
enough to scent large areas of the garden without having to stuff my
nose into their centers. Each has excellent form, nice abundant
flowers and ease of care.

If a plant can carry its charms without fragrance, no
fragrance will win it over for me. And some plants with an abundant
'nasty' fragrance such as Dracunculus and other aroids, also doesn't
necessarily restrain my enthusiasm for their other qualities.
Right now the Peony 'Windflower' is charming me endlessly by
its small, anemone-like blooms on elegant cut foliage in light shade.
I stop every time I walk near it to admire its whole vision of
balance, proportion and dignified beauty. I don't have a clue if it
is even fragrant at all. Never sniffed it.

And allergies have stuffed my nose enough to make fragrance a
theory only. best Jim W.
--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph. 816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
Summer 100F +