Perfumed summer evenings – a few weeks ago I mentioned the lovely perfume of the brunsfelsia and I now seem to be spotting them in many gardens around town.
There are so many perfumed flowers out at present, and as you walk around town the perfume of Jasmine in particular is lovely in many council areas. Not so good, I guess, if you suffer from hay fever!
I have a lemon tree in a pot and the perfume from this in bloom is why I like to have it around a patio. Near my front door, I have lavender and a gardenia bush that is just about to burst into flower… more wonderful scents to enjoy. There is also a “Black and Bloom” salvia in the same bed, and while the spectacular blue flowers on black stems do not have a perfume, the foliage is very pungent when brushed against or crushed. Another pot of fragrance I like to have around is lemon balm and this is usually near my mail box to make collecting the bills a little more enticing!
As I walk up the side of my house, I brush against a perennial basil and enjoy the peppery scent. I did have a common mint in pot as well, but it succumbed to my neglect. I will have to get another one as I particularly like mint and pineapple as a combination. There are so many different types of mint available; it would be possible to have a sensory garden consisting of nothing else. Maybe this is an idea for the retaining wall at the side of my house.
My eldest daughter was involved in her youth with holiday camps for blind children. One of the many activities, prior to the children arriving, was for the assistants to be blindfolded and taken through a sensory garden to have some idea of how it was for the ones for whom they were caring.
Another tree that I have seen used as a street tree out west recently and here in gardens in Warwick during the garden judging, was the particularly lovely bauhinia in full flower. It is also a perfumed tree. It is used to good effect in St George as a street tree in both the white, bauhinia variegata alba and the bauhinia variegata, purple orchid tree, often planted alternately. Seen in full flower it is absolutely lovely with its butterfly or orchid shape and delicate flowers. It is also a good cut flower, so it is possible to enjoy it inside.
It is frost tender, but if protected in the early years seems to be able to cope with mild frosts, so is not a tree to expect to grow easily in Warwick unless in a very protected spot.
They are very deep rooted and so do not take kindly to being transplanted, but once established do tolerate hot dry weather but not cold winds. It is something that would need considerable fussing with in this area, but would repay beautifully if you have a suitable situation.
Mr and Mrs Dingley, who won the shield for the best kept garden in the recent competition, have two lovely specimens in their garden.
The bauhinia is named after the identical twins Johann and Caspar Bauhin, herbalists from the 16th century, and this is very apt as the leaves consist of two identical lobes.
Another lovely tree in their extensive garden is the native frangipanni, also perfumed but also only for a protected spot as it is subject to frost damage.
The Jacobean lilies in my garden are flowering prolifically and look wonderful – more like an orchid than a lily. They are such a hardy bulb as to be almost indestructible growing happily crowded in a pot or in clumps in a garden bed.
Last year I scattered, in my front garden, some seed that my granddaughter in WA had sent me. It was from some lovely pink double poppies and a single red one came up among them. They were so easy to grow and provided a great display, so I let them drop their seeds in anticipation of another show this year.
Sure enough up they came and to my delight have put on a great display for some weeks. Just one thing puzzles me though – this year they are all a lovely bright red!! Not a pink bloom in sight. My only explanation is that like hydrangeas, they must be affected by the PH of the soil. I would be pleased to hear from anyone who has an explanation. Luckily, I still have some of the original WA seeds, and will scatter some next year and see if I get pink and red.
(SIDEBAR)
Something very different …
At the Spring Flower Show, there were some prickly cucumbers entered, and after the event I was given one to take home. I remember seeing them when I was a small child, but have no recollection of ever having tasted them.
As anyone who reads this column, or has known me over the years, knows I enjoy growing unusual things – purple cauliflowers and purple snow peas were my winter treats! So I am keen to grow these prickly delights this summer.
I have looked them up, and it seems this should be easy to do, provided I can supply something for them to climb on, well-drained soil and water. As it happens one of my small beds that supplies all these is empty so should be ideal. I know I should wait until the seeds dry out, but I think I will just try burying the over ripe fruit and see what happens – after all, lots of things come up in compost heaps!! I will be honest and let you know if my experiment is unsuccessful as well as letting you know if they grow.
Apparently, they can be eaten either as a vegetable with a taste somewhere between cucumber and zucchini or as a fruit with a banana/lime flavour which is nice with ice-cream or yoghurt or as a garnish to pannacotta.
They can be eaten at any stage of development from very young to mature, unripe and green in colour or left to turn the brilliant orange of a fully ripe fruit. They are very decorative with the mottled patterns on the skin at all stages of development.
A very versatile addition to a garden and a decorative addition to a fruit bowl.
