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Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Number Three - Fragrance in the Winter Garden

The third and final post in the Fragrance in the Winter Garden series includes two shrubs. First is one of our native Witchhazel, Hamamelis vernalis or Ozark Witchhazel. I have ordered a number of  these Witchhazel from Missouri Department of Conservation over the past few years. You order them in bundles of ten bare-rooted seedlings. I have planted them all over the property --most have survived but few have bloomed. One day I hope to share photos of a large shrub, full of fragrant spicy clove blooms.  Be sure to check out the link for the Department of Conservation, the seedlings are a nice size and a great price. 

The second shrub I have included in this winter fragrance round-up is Tea Olive, Osmanthus fragrans. Tea Olive blooms multiple times during the year, this is not its only nor its heaviest bloom period but it is appreciated at this time of year. 


This photo below shows the cluster of tiny white blooms on a bare stem. This shrub for some unknown reason lost all its leaves, bloomed heavily, leafed out again, then died. When it had its first leaf drop I thought for sure it was voles eating the roots because this shrub variety has few pests or disease issues. Sadly it was not the case, so it is still a mystery.


These tiny white blooms are hard to photograph. The fragrance has been equated to Fruit Loops cereal-- kind of funny.  Mature size can be 10- 15 feet tall and wide. It can handle part shade to full sun.  Deer leave this shrub alone, another bonus in my garden.





I have seen some pruned up to be a small tree and others a full shrub. It is quite adaptable to pruning.  This one by our shed is well over the gutter line of the roof on the shed. You can see it behind the Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'. It is one of seven Osmanthus fragrans in my garden and the largest. It gets more water than some but not as much as others....hard to tell why this one is doing so well.




























Thanks for stopping by to see what's fragrant in my garden. Do you have fragrant blooms this time of year in your garden?


©Copyright 2019 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

11 comments:

  1. .Ours in Asheville was covered with flower buds before we left -- it's beautiful in February and March as I remember (I'd have to look back on blog posts!)

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    1. Lisa, blogging has been a great way to look back. Hope there will be blooms when you get back.

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  2. Lovely post. We don't really have fragrant plants in this season, so it's nice to imagine yours. Incidentally, my kids really used to love Fruit Loops.

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    1. Jason, mine liked them as well, though others were favored over Fruit Loops.

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  3. Sweet box (sarcococca) is the only winter fragrance I have but it is not yet blooming.
    -Ray

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    1. Hi Ray, I have Sarcococca in my garden but I never notice the fragrance. When I see it blooming I bury my face in the shrub to try and get a sniff....nothing.

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  4. Your garden must smell lovely. Oddly enough, most of the fragrant shrubs bloom in winter in my garden. I have hamamelis virginiana. I wonder how that is different from your vernalis. The edgeworthia is about to bloom and I always look forward to the scent.

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    1. I have to amend my comment. After doing some research I realize that two of our witch hazel are indeed vernalis, blooming now.

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    2. Karin, yes, love all the fragrances in the garden. Glad you have a few vernalis.

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  5. Oh, we love amamelis, and use it extensively as part of our Puerto Rican culture. And the tea olive, the tiny buds at first remind me of Confederate jasmin when the little buds start appearing.

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