On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 00:44:51 -0700, "gregpresley"
wrote:
"Frogleg" wrote

The Bush is in bloom. When I opened the back door yesterday evening,
the perfume was there. *So* disappointing to have all this glory
outdoors and no way (in my experience) to bring a few blooms indoors.

Actually, many people find the scent of gardenia blossoms in an enclosed
space quite overpowering - some to the point of becoming nauseated. Maybe
open a window nearest the plant, put a fan on low to draw in the air and
enjoy the scent that way. The same is true for some kinds of lilies - so
much so that most hospitals now ban them. Of course, I realize that if you
are in the south, drawing in fresh sticky warm swamp air to replace your
nice expensive air-conditioned air at this time of year is not a pleasant
thought - but if you delay opening the window until long after sunset, it
may not be too bad......

I *can* bear the scent indoors, and as I mentioned, the scent lasts
even as the blooms droop and brown. I also enjoy paperwhite narcissis,
which some people find awful. I did once bring in some wysteria,
shortly before developing the 'flu. I couldn't stand to go into the
livingroom long enough to pluck it out and throw it away. :-)

My expensive A/C needs expensive work, and is used very sparingly. If
you've never lived in a humid climate, you might not be aware that
"the cool of the evening" is a very elusive phenomenon. If the
temperature is in the 90s during the day, it often may not drop much
below 80 by 5-6am, which is the *coolest* time of day.