Pam Moore wrote in
:

I have some reasonable shrubs and climbers, but would like advice
about things I can plant which are not invasive, will flower for
longer than a couple of weeks, and are good tempered, well behaved,
and if possible, fragrant.

I have found the bulb Triteleia "Queen Fabiola" excellent for extending
the period of interest if you have low spring-flowering perennials that
stop looking good in June.

You can underplant them under all sorts of things, and they give you a
wonderful mist of long-lasting blue flowers, pushing up through hardy
geraniums, aquilegias, small hebes or mini rhododendrons and azaleas
(you can get very tiny rhodos that need very little care, but they
aren't very interesting in summer without the Fabiola).

The leaves are undistinguished bulby things but are not at all
noticeable, and they seem to thrive in mixed beds without being invasive
or pushy.

Mine are looking fab growing through osteospermums - (Osteospermums ?
hmmm - they are really lovely longflowering low maintenance plants that
block out weeds, but they do spread, and the leaves pong when you touch
them. Maybe not.)

Dianthus 'rainbow loveliness' is a nice small scented dianthus that is
not invasive and has a gorgeous scent. I don't dead-head mine.

Another scented thing you might like is a scented-leaved pelargonium.
OK, it will need a windowsill for the winter, so it's one for a pot
rather than a border, but there are many long-flowering varieties, and
lovely scents if you just run your hand over it, even in the winter.

My best one is 'Prince of Orange' which flowers for ages, good big
flowers, smells delicious, and is easily grown in a small pot.

How about a trailing rosemary such as Severn Seas ? Pretty flowers,
scented leaves, and much less robust than ordinary rosemary.

Victoria
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gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
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