Plant Profile- Clethra alnifolia 'Vanilla Spice'

I  thought I would take a break from the Photo-a-Day posts to profile an amazing shrub that I have in my garden. Clethra alnifolia 'Vanilla Spice' is currently filling the air with its fragrance, and it is delightful.  I have it planted in a few spots in my backyard gardens and I can tell you, it likes moist soil. Two of the spots I have it planted in semi-shade and a rather dry area, it is not doing as well as the clump in more sun and a wetter area. 

This shrub is deer resistant, though many of the flower stalks get sampled. Clethra alnifolia is native to swampy woodlands, stream shorelines, wetlands, and can be found from Maine to Florida. The common name is Summersweet, probably for its fragrant blooms. Reading about it on the Missouri Botanical Garden site it says it can tolerate clay soils (which I have) but the soil should not dry out completely. Think I might move the struggling ones to a wetter area in my yard. The light requirements are full sun to part shade. So, more sun and more water areas for those that will get moved in the fall/winter. 

The shrub grows to about 6 feet tall and creates a colony of suckers, making a wide shrub, spreading at will. Given my backyard is more of a woodland garden, I like when a shrub is thriving and spreading. 

When in bloom, these shrubs are covered with pollinators. It makes me happy to see so many pollinators in my garden. 

When I first purchased this shrub, I really wanted C. alnifolia 'Ruby Spice', but only 'Vanilla Spice' was available. Like I said above, the fragrance from the 'Vanilla Spice' fills the backyard. 

A neighbor had some 'Ruby Spice' that they were dividing, and shared some with me. It is not quite open yet, but I can tell you from previous years it isn't nearly as fragrant as 'Vanilla Spice'. As the 'Ruby Spice' bloom opens the pink color fades quite a bit. These 'Ruby Spice' also need to be moved, not nearly enough water for them to flourish. 

Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'

I wrote about the Clethra alnifolia back in July 2011. While checking my previous post, I see I need to find my photos from the post. Not sure why, but some of my older posts have the photos disappear. I know I thought I was culling excess photos from my Google photos, and inadvertently deleted some that were used for a blog post. As I find posts that are missing photos, I go back through the archives and replace them. 

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Do You Fling?

Spring is really moving along. Before you know it it will be time for this year's Garden Fling. I look forward to this every year. We Garden Flingers, my tribe, gather together to tour a new city each year. Fling members of that city host us, sharing incredible gardens- private and public- of their city. Have you been to a Fling? No? If you share garden information or photos on social media, be it Facebook, Blogging, Instagram, YouTube, or even BlueSky, you should look into coming to the Fling. There are still some spots available for our Memphis Fling this year. It will be June 5 - 9, with an extra day on the 10th. All the information you need about a Fling can be found on that website. 

Here is my final post from last year's Fling. Remember I shared our visit to Heronswood? Our next stop after Heronswood was Dan Hinkley's home, Windcliff, and his neighbors, the Brindleys. 

The buses had to off load us into smaller buses to get up to their properties. While waiting for our turn on the smaller bus, we looked out over the Puget Sound, what a gorgeous view!

Cute General Store at the landing

Lots of kayaks and even a seaplane

Native American influence

Once on the bus and up to the gardens, we could go to either garden as they were next door to each other. I chose to go to the Brindley's garden first. When they planned their garden they had the expertise of their neighbor Dan Hinkley to lend his knowledge. 

What an amazing garden! 

Persicaria 'Painter's Palette'

Another Persicaria, like shrubs!!

These Persicaria were in the front yard along the house garden. They are so large, they looked like shrubbery.
As I made my way around back, I was presented with an amazing view! Across the Sound, you could see Seattle. Knowing the Puget Sound, I can imagine a whale surfacing, giving a great show.  I love the art feature in the garden. The sculpture moved in the breeze and brought whimsy and color into the already colorful garden.

Lobelia tupa, planted in large clumps

A view up to the house

Agapanthus getting ready to open

Large planting of Eryngium- the pollinators love it!

The path leading you towards the water

View from the deck 

A garden to embrace

Pretty little fern 

Lomatia myricoides

 

This plant pictured above was so fragrant. 

Then I walked through their side garden gate that links the two properties. The front gravel area was full of interesting containers. 

We also were entertained by Dan's dog, a rather mischievous pup. Apparently one shoe disappeared as he ran through the acreage of the front yard. Not sure if the shoe was ever found. 

Windcliff was in the middle of a bit of a redo. We gardeners know nothing is forever. What's the adage? Man plans and God laughs...the same can be said of gardeners and Mother Nature. Even a work in progress has something to offer. I like the artwork in the garden. If I remember correctly, they used solarization heat to clear the area of vegetation.

Not all the garden was being redone, there was still a lot to take in. Walk with me through Windcliff, Dan Hinckley's garden paradise on the Puget Sound. 

A water feature in front of the Sound

Isn't this blue color amazing? Salvia patens

Pitcher plants, Sarracenia ssp.

I could have shared a hundred more photos of these amazing gardens. This is what makes our garden Flings so wonderful, gardens to die for! Gardeners, that are friends as soon as you meet. Don't be on the fence about coming to a Fling...Come! Join us! 

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Observations at the End of the Year

The weather has been so unusual for much of the country, ours being warmer and drier than the norms. I record and report the rainfall to CoCoRaHS, a citizen community, reporting of precipitation across the country and Canada. If you are interested is participating, please go to cocorahs.org for all the info. Since I have been recording the rainfall for a number of years, I can gather that data and chart it. You know, if you have had rain for a week you might think it has been a wet fall (or spring or winter or summer) but if you record those rainfall amounts over time you will see highs and lows. Below is my chart for the years 2016- 2021

Our November was especially dry, so when the December rains came, some of my winter blooming plants perked up. 

Join me as I walked through my yard on December 31, 2021. It was a warm afternoon and a joy to be outside. The following plants are in the front yard- 

Unknown beautiful Camellia

Prunus mume 'Hokkai bungo' 

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'

Perhaps Zinnia seedlings- awakened early 

Salvia elegans- Pineapple sage, still blooming!

Earliest blooming daffodil in my garden
Narcissus 'Grand Soleil d'Or'

I walked up to the street to my wildflower garden, many of the Gaillardia are in various stages of bloom to seedhead.

Gaillardia sp. bud and seedhead

Encore Azalea 'Autumn Twist' still putting out a few blooms

Back to the front yard- my largest Tea Olive, seen below next to the shed.

Osmanthus fragrans

close up of the tiny blooms that are quite fragrant

In the backyard there are more blooms to behold

Camellia sasanqua 'Ashley Eden'

Not quite in flower yet, but so close
Helleborus x ballardiae 'HGC Pink Frost'

Edgeworthia chrysantha has started to open

Venturing into the woods in the backyard brings planned and unplanned bits of beauty.

Lichen on wood along the dry creek bed

More fungi growth on logs that line the path

Cyclamen hederifolium

Thanks for joining me on a quick walk around the yard. Besides seeing the beautiful blooms, the fragrances of three of these plants are filling the air with their delightful aromas. 1. Prunus mume 'Hokkai bungo' 2. Osmanthus fragrans 3. Edgeworthia chrysantha

Truly an enjoyment for many of the senses. 

Happy New Year, one and all!

©Copyright 2022

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