Hi all!
I was amazed this morning when I went out to my deck and was struck by a wonderful fragrance, and was surprised to find it was coming from my NOID Begonia. I've had this plant for several years now, and it had bloomed, but I'd never sensed a fragrance from it. Until today! Luscious! Just wish I could put a name to this one.

How lovely, Tara. What a pleasant surprise.

Yes, thank you! It was a very pleasant surprise! It's gotten so warm here that we've had to turn on the A/C. But thank goodness, the mornings are still nice enough that I can open the door to enjoy it!

I'm surprised not to see sweet alyssum here. Like sweet, warm honey! The morning is the best time to go out if you don 't want ot have to lean way down or pick a blossom to sniff. Absolutely my favorite of all the flowers I've smelled this year in my garden, I must say.

Y'know, I've never smelled it at all.....
And I have had it before.
Still have it, sparsely, working on more Royal Carpet for my not-a-lawn.

You'll love it. I just sprinkle the seeds wherever in spring and get this frothy mass of blooms all summer. I've read it can be sheered back for a neater look on the second bloom, but I've never been driven to do that, and it's still gorgeous. I have white, pink, and purple mixed. Don't know whether it will withstand foot traffic, but I'm you'll leave some lovely scented footprints either way.

Not much foot traffic where it will go.
Purple and white seem to have made the purple pinker - and I don't allow pink in my garden!

crittergarden said:Purple and white seem to have made the purple pinker

I have a deep purple that doesn't look too pinky even with white. But it is a rather pastel effect overall. Might make folks imagine pink where there is none.

exactly.
I had some wonderful dark purple Royal Carpet go kind of crazy here a couple years, but they weren't quite crazy enough to reseed themselves after that.
I haven't been able to replicate it with fresh seeds, either.

I wish I could get them to reseed, too--never happens for me, but I just drizzle seeds generously along the edge in early spring--probably too early, really, so I always have to wait longer than I think I should for them to sprout. Right when I'm beginning to think they won't come up little ones show up here and there and then spread and join into a fluffy border edge.

I had always enjoyed the fragrance of Sweet Alyssum until about a month ago...I visited a BB store, and they had a table full...In that case, it was so overwhelming, that I was nearly sickened by it. In my opinion, it can be nice in small amounts.

I imagine being around that real sweet scent at nose level for so long would be nauseating. But wafting up from a breeze in the morning just makes the whole garden feel special to me.

lovesblooms said:I'm surprised not to see sweet alyssum here. Like sweet, warm honey! The morning is the best time to go out if you don 't want ot have to lean way down or pick a blossom to sniff. Absolutely my favorite of all the flowers I've smelled this year in my garden, I must say.

I was captivated by the scent this spring and brought some home...again, and again, they failed. They looked and smelled really nice during the very cool weather, but now they're toast. I followed every bit of advice I could find, but they're still just sitting around looking absolutely awful. I finally turned most of them under and replanted the area, but I kept several in out of the way places...just to see if they'd ever recover. No signs of returned growth yet, and they've been sheared back for weeks! I still haven't a clue as to why these plants are so difficult for me.

Good news! My potted alyssum is blooming again! The ones in the beds got overrun, or they might have, too.


When they returned they also had a self-sown viola, some clover and a neat little grass as companions. I did remove the aster, though; it would have been too big.

That side of the yard smells so good again! The heliotrope has bloomed all summer long, for the first time for me, and it's still blooming. It's in a deep planter right next to the door of the screen room...yummy. Now that the mornings are cooler I can smell the petunias again as well. Early fall is such a great time to be out in the gardens!

chelle said: Early fall is such a great time to be out in the gardens!

Great weather and great gardening

I am adding.....

Clematis triternata Rubromarginata - Booms June - Aug I have it climbing a fragrant Snowball bush (Viburnum plicatum) so when it is done blooming the fragrance continues with the clematis.

I have some no ID daylilies and Iris that are very fragrant.