[gardeners] Obsessions
Liz Albrook (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 30 Oct 1997 14:49:27 +0000
Lets take a shot at a thread that everyone who gardens probably
holds near and dear to his or her heart: obsessions. Some folks are
obsessed with tomatoes and basil, some with chiles, some with unusual
herbs or spiky pink flowers or even garden "art" -- the schlockier
the better. What's yours and how did you get it?
I'll kick off with my obsession: fragrant plants. I adore plants
with strong odors (except for the vile smelling ones). This is a new
fixation with me and I'm having fun with it. So far it has lead me
to trying different kinds of heliotrope (the whites are the strongest
scented), various dianthus, oriental lilies, unusual sweet peas,
night scented stocks, nicotianas and roses to name a few. The
obsession with scent has lead me to old garden roses with one strong
flush of bloom and flower forms that are very different from modern
hybrid teas and floribundas. I'm putting togethor a border of
various pinks interplanted with dwarf baby's breath with several
different lavenders (and lavender cotton) for height and texture.
This has begun to spill into the vegetable gardening. I now find
myself sniffing the tomato leaves and bruising the arugula for it's
fragrance. My new goal is to put togethor a bed over the next two
years that will feature only highly scented plants.
Ah, addictions! They lend a form to a life.
Liz