The smell of white lily flowers reaches us and in an instant we are in grandma's garden. The sense of smell, like no other, is a source of very strong sensations. Fragrances evoke memories and evoke images even from many years ago.This is a very good reason to remember about the nose when choosing plants for your garden.We forget about it too often, especially paying attention to the colors of the flowers and the forms of the leaves.
The smell and color of flowers are related. Among the most fragrant plants we can find many blooming white plants. The reason for this is that the white color is not very intense and only the smell attracts insects to the plant, which pollinate its flowers. On the other hand, among plants with flowers in strong shades of red and blue, we can find much less fragrant ones.
Why do plants smell
Many plants only solicit useful guests when they are in motion. The sage smells on the day the bees fly. On the other hand, the flowers of honeysuckle begin to smell only in the evening, when the night butterflies come to life. Among aromatic plants we find many herbs with fragrant leaves, such as thyme and mint. It is enough to slightly shake the shoots to release their fragrance.It is pleasant for us, but it can effectively scare off various herbivores, incl. snails and caterpillars.
Not every fragrance is a source of pleasant sensations. Whether a plant smells nice or foul, our noses decide to some extent instinctively. Personal experience and preparation or familiarization with a fragrance are also of great importance. One person will say that blue cheese smells wonderful, someone else thinks its smell is unbearable.The individual sensitivity, also related to the concentration of aromas, is of great importance here.
Intensely smelling plants can be dangerous, especially for people with a faint smell.In rebate arrangements, use them very carefully, because they can even cause states similar to narcotic daze.
These flowers smell during the day …
In spring, it is enough to walk through the garden for various scents to reach our nostrils. Many plants, such as herbs and cloves, smell most intensely on sunny and warm days. However, sometimes there are big differences between the varieties of one species.In breeding processes aimed at more and more beautiful forms, the aromas of flowers may disappear.
Often the old variety, known for decades, stands out with the fullest aroma.The discount may also include flavors especially for children. The flowers of the Cephalopora aromatica cephalophores smell like jelly beans, and the Cosmos atrosanguineus chocolate cosmos tempts with its truest chocolate aroma.
Other fragrant plants:
- sweet pea Lathyrus odoratus
- Phlox flame
- Dianthus carnation (species)
- multiflorous jasmine J. polyanthum
- heliotrope Heliotropium
- viburnum Burkwood V. burkwoodii
… and these in the evening
Some plants only start to smell at dusk. They are often heavy, intoxicating fragrances.They attract nocturnal animals that come alive in the evening . In our latitudes they are moths, in the tropics also some species of bats.
Some plants, e.g.honeysuckle, it is worth planting right next to the rest corner, where we like to hang out on summer evenings, or under the bedroom window. The observation of nocturnal butterflies from the pendulous family, such as the Ruffle Half-peacock, which fly like hummingbirds, rapidly flying from flower to flower, provides an extraordinary experience.
Other species that smell at night:
- lion Matthiola incana
- cestrum Cestrum nocturnum
- women's evening Hesperis matronalis
- decorative tobacco Nicotiana Sylvestris
