Hi all
Can anyone recommend a flower that would produce a lovely scent... summer's are so short here in Quebec and I want to plant something that I can waft in, the scent of green grass just isn't doing it for me. Please bear in mind that I don't have your typical garden... I have pots/trough-like containers on my deck. Any suggestions?

Hi Melancolyblu,

I have a patio garden with scented flowers like lilies, nictotiana, stock, mini-roses, alyssum, and moon flower, all in pots.

Hi Cricket and thank you.

LOL I tried to grow nictotiana from seed that I bought at Canadian Tire... I bought them end of March... planted them in those little containers specifically made for starters... they came up but unfortunately it was too cold here to put them out... MAY was a disaster... cold and rainy and they didn't make it living in house. I will try the other blends you mentioned and perhaps I'll give the nicotiana another try... someone in my sewing class also mentioned them

Melncholoyblue,

I can relate to your rainy weather! Usually our dry season is well underway, but not this year.

If you give nicotiana another try this late in the Montreal season, you are better off using bedding plants. Canadian Tire, Walmart, and most garden centres carry nicotiana as bedding plants. Plant them in a large container or you will be watering all the time. Nicotiana grow huge and their roots are deep.

Are you growing herbs? Many have a beautiful fragrance. I should have asked you before, but what exposure is your deck? Most of the fragrant flowers I mentioned like lots of sun. Stocks and alyssum do okay in partial sun.

Hi MelBlue,your name is too long for my short memory. I have a couple of Brugmansias on my patio,comes evening they smell heavenly.We have a long winter in Ontario too and so far they survived the wintercamp in my dark basement they can be pruned back I only do it when my husband don't gets them through the door anymore.

Thank you Cricket and Uki
I discovered a lovely scented flower quite by accident... I went hunting for the nicotiana... nothing at the local home improvement centres... LOL I once again went browsing through Canadian Tire garden centre... I went hunting for some hens and chicks (when I couldn't find the nicotiana) no scent but they are cute. I found a peach coloured Gerbera (so pretty but no scent). Last year I planted something I called mini trumpets *snicker* that's what they looked like to me. When I spotted then at Canadian Tire I said oh they were so hardy last year and I like their look so I'll pick up another pot of them, they were only $2.47. Today I started repotting them... and there was this lovely fragrance in the air... I went around smelling all my flowers - that scent wasn't coming from any of them... I thought ok, maybe it's my hair product, nope. Then I went back to repotting the (what I know now are "million bells"), again the lovely delicate fragrance. Lo and behold, it was them!!! At $2.47 I can afford a few more pots and the fragrance is delightful without being overwhelming. Just thought I'd pass that info on to you and now I have to convince my husband that we really need to visit Canadian Tire again (surely there must be something he needs there)

Just call me mellie

Oops sorry Cricket... forgot to answer your question re sun exposure of my deck... I have a deck 3/4's of the way around my home... heavy sunshine in the back where the majority of my potted plants are. Please take a peek at this site, these little flowers are so delightful. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/950/

Mellie

hi melblu,

enfin! welcome to this site,i unfortunately don t have an answer for you but just wanted to welcome you and to tell you there s alot a good gardners over here that will have the answers.

where are you in the south shore,me i m in ste-dorothee laval.how did you find the site .you re,that i know,the first other person from qc.bienvenu.

don t want you to fall asleepso i ll talk to ya later.

How could I forget the million bells (Calibrachoa)?

Hi Cricket, Hi Francine... and if you're still monitoring... Hi Uki!
Thank you Cricket and Uki for your suggestions re scented flowers. I love this site and the forum, people are so very friendly. I now have a list for next year when I want "essense of summer" and I wanted to know just how much pruning I could do and not harm it. I looked on the internet and this was the first place (luckily) I stumbled on. When I get a moment I come back and visit. It's become my garden heaven. A la prochaine...

Mellie

If you have some shade, try "lilly of the valley." If you have full sun, try Iris or climbing roses (great for decks.)I've always liked the scent of lilacs, roses, and iris. Nicotina.... is also a freat smelling flower! If you have planters or only small space, try Lavendar... That is fragrant from the time it gets folliage. Also, there are a variety of mints. I have 6 types of mints growing, soon to be 9 types... i hope. I've mixed catnip/catmint, peppermint, lavendar, and spearmint all in a nice arrangement. I also cut these and make herbal teas from them.