port wine magnolia

A Port Wine Magnolia in bud. When in bloom, the port wine magnolia adds a sweet scent to the air. It has small, insignificant creamy-purple flowers throughout the year, so catching a waft of scent is often the first sign that the shrub is back in bloom. The perfume of this flower is often described as having the scent...

Night scent Scented plants add an extra dimension to the night garden. Perfume is one of the lures plants use to attract pollinators to their flowers. Those plants that rely on night-flying insects for pollination (such as moths and beetles) may be extra fragrant at night or may only open at night, furling their flowers by day. To enjoy plants...

There’s a small, unassuming house on a fairly busy stretch of road near where I live. Most of the year I merely glance at the garden as I drive past, but in late winter it becomes the best-dressed house on the block. Its rise in status is due to the magnolia blooming in the front yard. This magnolia is one of...