Thanks for a great essay. Smells are the stimulants that seem to
bring back the most vivid memories.
Lilacs always remind me of going to open up our summer camp. I
leave the creeping thyme in my lawn as it brings back the memories of
a long forgotten apple orchard that I used to play in on hot summer
days.


"madgardener" wrote:


-snip-
The
Harlequin Glory Bower had started setting buds last week much to my dismay
but if I hadn't been so distracted and had stuck to at least partial entries
in my journal I would have seen that it was actually TIME for this limbed up
bush/tree to do it's thing for me here.

The leaves smell like peanut butter.

But peanut butter!. For anyone who, like me, just said - 'I want
one!' - My ancient copy of Wymans has them as Clerodendrum
trichotomum- 20', zone 6.

There is a picture of the plant at
http://www.whidbey.com/mvg/glorybower.htm , and the description say it
will tolerate full sun, but likes a little shade.

The flower & berries are pictured here-
http://www.dinop.com/plants/0054/DSCF3697.JPG .

I love everything about this plant so far. The smell, [one I
love-- and *so* unique for a plant], the habit, the partial-shade
preference. But I'm technically in zone 5, though I'm on a protected
NE facing slope, so I get some leeway. I see the madgardener is in
Zone7. Has anyone tried this plant further north--- or know of a
newer hybrid that might tolerate more cold but retain the same
features?


-snip-
This years surprise
was the loosestrife. Nothing would have surprised me more but that it's so
far from any possible source tells me that Mom Nature's breath and life
giving rains played a part in this seed to get from the front of my house
all the way down to the western slope almost half an acre away. It sits
lone in the middle of the overgrown weeds not three feet from a raised bed
of odd plants. I will relocate it later.

Sadly, it will relocate on its own. Loosestrife is one of NYs top 20
invasive species.
http://www.ipcnys.org/pages/top%2020.htm

I have mixed feelings on it myself, as it is a beautiful plant. But
I've seen a 100 acre wetland that supported maybe 100 different
plants, [plus large turtles, fish, & other critters that like water
1-2 feet deep] converted to a 100 acre field of loosestrife.

-snip-
always yours, madgardener, up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler,
overlooking a stormy English Mountain, mist and cloud enshrouded Douglas
Lake in Eastern Tennessee, zone 7, Sunset zone 36 (if it's not 36, let me
know now since I've changed to 7 instead of 6b)

Thanks for the walk through your estate-- Hope you weren't late for
work.

Jim