Plants that Beg to be Touched

Roses and Lilacs are two flowers that beg to be smelled. Actually, when I pass by either, I have been known to do a full on face plant to get the full intoxicating aroma. Okay. I do the same thing with Peonies. In the last week, though, I’ve found myself touching, rather than smelling, plants. I think it’s because they look so fluffy! For whatever reason, I’m compelled to reach out and touch them!


First up, sedum, any upright variety will do. They look fluffy, but aren’t really. But, I always want to reach down and feel them. I almost got stung the other morning when I didn’t see a bee nestled in the blossoms.



Next up, hydrangea. I’ve got only the old-fashioned Lace Cap hydrangea, but I still tousle their heads when I walk by. Even when these are past their prime, they’re fun to run your hand over.


And, finally, Artemesia Silver Mound. The name of this plant fits it well. It’s such a feathery mound, too. Tousling this one always makes me think about the beach, which I miss here in land-locked Minnesota. Living in the Land of 10,000 Lakes is great, but it’s not like living on the ocean. I don’t have any of this on the wall or on the hill, so I’m always kneeling to touch this one. Guess that’s gotta change!

Are there plants you can’t walk by without touching them? If so, post a comment and let me know!

Peony Bed Needs an Overhaul

I’m so thrilled that my fragrant garden came together exactly as I imagined, because my Peony Bed did not. I was playing with color and texture, trying to keep everything in this bed with round flowers. It’s not a complete disaster, but it does need a serious overhaul.

What’s Working? The peonies work. Thank goodness. Or, I'd need to re-name the bed, too! Most of them bloomed this year. (I planted them late in September, 2008 and had hoped they would bloom last year, but they didn’t.) The Knautia Macedonia is definitely a keeper. I saw this in someone’s garden last year and fell instantly in love with the raspberry colored, scabiosa-like blossoms. And I think the Artemesia, Silver Mound is working. The low silvery mounds echo the shape of the Knautia and provide a different texture than the foliage of the Peonies and Knautia.

What’s Not? The old-fashioned lace cap hydrangea. Blech. What was I thinking? (I was thinking the shape of the flower would echo the Knautia and the Peonies.) But, the woody stems don’t work in this herbaceous bed. Lamb’s ear. The ones I planted in another sunny garden stayed small and lovely. The ones in the Peony Bed are taking over. Yuck.

So. I think the lesson I learned here is to keep it simple. I may add some hosta lancifolia after I get rid of the hydrangea and the lamb’s ear, but will place the clumps and leave them for a day or two in their intended locations before planting them permanently.

My Fragrant Garden

The cubed shrubs and landscape rock I removed a few years ago were directly below/in front of my sunroom windows—a perfect place for fragrant things, whose scents I imagined wafting indoors on summer afternoons.

So, I put together a list of fragrant plants I loved and started planning – and planting. I used Sir Thomas Lipton roses, Crown Princess Margrethe roses, Munstead lavender, Artemesia Silver Mound, Monarda ( a few varieties, including bergamot), and Anise Hyssop. I also used scented geraniums in glazed pots so I could take them inside in the winter.

The Artemesia (also called wormwood) reminds me of the beach. Its feathery foliage is the fragrant part of this plant. It doesn’t have a flower. Monarda (also called Bee Balm) havs a variety of scents. Again, the leaves are the fragrant part. Bergamot (a monarda) has the scent of Earl Grey tea. I love this one. Its flower is pale periwinkle. The Anise Hyssop smells like licorice. It’s in the mint family (as are the monarda) and has purple spikes of flowers, which the bees love.

The other day I was sitting in the sunroom with my glass of iced tea thinking I must have brushed up against the Lipton roses because the scent was so close. I smelled my work shirt, which did not carry the scent of the roses. I took another sip of tea and another deep breath and realized the scent was coming through the open windows from the garden—exactly as I had imagined!

I love it when a plan comes together!