Wednesday 11 May 2016

The Fragrant Month of May: Roses, Lily of the Valley & Lavender

Since the Queen Elizabeth hedge rose which snugly cohabits with a calla lily thicket in the patio's small cut-out faces south, it blooms first, thereby heralding months of flowering from sundry rose bushes tucked in all over the garden.

Wall of ivy, flowering culinary sage, pot of dianthus, rose & calla lilies

You may be thinking that roses and calla lilies make a fantastic combination. And you are right, but I had nothing to do with it. The lilies seeded themselves here from elsewhere and once noting that they were receiving copious watering because of their strategic location (as real estate developers, they know it's all about location, location, location!), they realised their luxuriant growth was just the thing with which to cover the rose bush's knobby knees.


They also figured out that their cool elegance . . .


would make a rose seem even more luscious.


Touched with a light hybrid tea fragrance, this bush displays its flowers in a lofty manner, way above the tangle of leaves.


The next rosy performer in the line is a gorgeous, quartered, luminous, coral-coloured knockout of unknown identity.

Though not a repeat bloomer, it more than makes up for that aspect with its potent fragrance

Our lilies of the valley were not ready for the first of May which is celebrated in France by filling vases with them.


But they are available for picking now—just one small bunch near my desk fills the office with their lemony, rosy scent.


The many lavender bushes are just on the brink of blooming.


The Calm One organising the former chaos of the sous sol storage room means during a sudden downpour I can be sheltered while seeing this:

Pots of parsley on the sill and flats of tomato seedlings on the table with iris foliage, mini gladiolus & laurels in the background

À la prochaine!