Fragrant plants

During my workday, I chat with a lot of people about plants.

I am amazed how often the conversation is about fragrant plants! And most often, people are reminiscing about a plant from their childhood. This plant and its fragrance is associated with wonderful, fun, happy and/or loving times or people. Having this plant in their garden would allow the customer to relive or enjoy these memories again and again.

Perfume, fragrance, and smells are that way! A certain smell is filled with memories - usually good ones. Of our five senses, sight would have to be the most frequently used in the garden. We see the flowers, colours, shapes and textures. Or we can touch them and experience their textures or hear their leaves rustling. But some plants allow us to experience them by their scent.

A few weeks ago, the air was filled with the sweet scent of lilacs and this week is it peonies. They are at the peak of their beauty and fragrance. For me, peonies are filled with memories of my childhood. We always had peonies and their scent brings back great memories.

Lilacs and peonies are well-known fragrant plants. Some lesser known plants include Mockorange (sometime referred to as Orange blossom), Daphne, Creeping Dianthus, Summer Sweet, Royal Standard Hosta, Lavender, Poetez Narcissus, or Rugosa or Shrub Roses...to name just a few.

Adding fragrant plants adds another dimension to your garden since it engages one more of our senses. It heightens your whole garden enjoyment. Here is a tip about fragrant plants: plants them on the west side of your property. Most of our prevailing winds are from the western direction; consequently, the fragrance is carried across your whole yard.

June Pruning

The weather is perfect today! The temperature is in the mid-twenties, with a light breeze and a few clouds. It's perfect gardening weather, and it's the perfect time to prune your evergreens!

They should be pruned when the new foliage has developed but hasn't yet matured or hardened. Pruning now will result in a denser, more compact plant or tree.

Right now the new growth on pines and spruces is so "soft" that you could prune them with your fingers. I do this sometimes, but today I pruned them with my garden shears. This tool allows me to create a more defined shape quickly.

Annually, I lightly prune my Mugo Pines into a mushroom cap shape.  When the plants are young, I prune my Colorado Blue, Norway and White Spruce in a loose pyramidal shape. Once they grow beyond my reach, I don't prune them. Dwarf spruces (such as Dwarf Alberta and Nest Spruce) grow so slowly that they rarely need pruning. I give them a little clipping here and there to keep them in shape, but no major pruning is required. My broadleaf evergreens are also pruned at this time of year. Boxwood can be pruned into any shape you desire, using garden shears or secateurs. Same goes for euonymus - but, personally, I prefer to keep them as natural as possible (not too manicured). Cedar hedges can be pruned multiple times per season starting now. The final pruning should be done mid-August.

Lilacs

Have you taken a really deep breath in the last few days? If not, you should. You're missing something really special - the sweet smell of lilacs.

For a few weeks every year, the air in this part of the world is filled with the unmistakable scent of lilacs. Of all the fragrant plants that exist, none surpass this shrub. If you have never planted a lilac, you will be pleased to learn that they are one of the easiest shrubs to grow. They love our native soil! They do not thrive if you amend the soil with peat moss or other acidic materials. My advice is to dig a generous hole and plant a lilac in your existing soil (which in this part of the country is naturally alkaline - the kind of soil lilacs prefer).

I have never fertilized my lilacs, but if you decide to be sure to use one high in phosphorous - such as 15-30-15. Lilacs planted in your lawn are adversely affected by the high nitrogen fertilizer that is used on grass. This type of fertilizer will result in lush leaf growth at the expense of flowers. So, if your lilac is planted in the lawn, be sure to avoid fertilizing your lawn in the vicinity of your lilac bush.

Since lilacs produce their flower buds late in the season (for the next year's bloom) they can only be pruned immediately after they have finished blooming this season.

If you already have a lilac and it is in bloom, you should treat yourself to a fresh bouquet. Within minutes, your home is infused with the scent of lilacs. A hint that I learned years ago about lilacs is that you should bruise the stem ends before putting them in a vase. This will extend their bloom time in your vase.