AROMATIC LEAVES

Photo: Rosemary and thyme.

Photo: Magnolia stellata 'Royal star' has a sweet fragrance.

After leaving school I found myself employed by Nottingham County Council, as a parks gardener - although I found myself doubling up as a gravedigger sometimes. My main duties at the time were to mark out the cricket pitches, cut the grass on the putting green, rip my arms to bits cutting back seventy year old rose bushes and falling asleep in the bird house on foggy mornings (the charge hand never thought of looking for me in there). My favourite job of all though was looking after the bowling green. To me this was a sign that summer was really here. I would get great satisfaction mowing the stripes from corner to corner in a perfectly straight line. The secret is to focus your eye on the opposite corner of the green, then walk (with the mower) towards it, not taking your eyes off it for a second. But my most memorable time was when the grass needed watering in dry weather. The hosepipe was stretched out the length of the green, and a sprinkler was fitted to the end. This was no ordinary sprinkler, as it was fully automatic, running slowly along the hosepipe from one end of the green to the other. The whole procedure took some three hours after it was set up and switched on, which left me plenty of time for more important matters, such as stretching out on one of the park benches and daydreaming (I was seventeen remember). My favourite bench was just in front of a mixed flower border, fronted by bright red pelargoniums (geraniums) and to the rear of the border were heavily scented climbers of Lonicera (Honeysuckle or Woodbine) and Wisteria. It was a wonderful place to rest and while away an hour or three, if the charge hand didn’t come and disturb my peace that is!

Aromatic leaved shrubs

Scent is a wonderful asset to the garden. Many summer flowers contribute to an overall pot pourrii of smells. Some climbers such as Jasmine can give fragrance in the winter months too. The scent of some flowers can be a bit sweet and sickly, not to mention starting off sneezing fits if you suffer from hayfeaver. Therefore aromatic foliage plants can be used to good effect in the borders. These are the plants to position against paths and walkways, where you are likely to brush against them and release their rich aroma. Low growing herbs such as Thyme and Chamomile can be planted in cracks between paving stones, treading on them releases their smell and does the plants no harm. Alternatively, the shrubs can be close to the patio or in a raised bed, where they can be appreciated and handled at closer quarters. This is particularly enjoyable for people with poor eyesight or difficulty with mobility. Many of these shrubs are evergreen, so they can be enjoyed all year round, and others offer scented flowers as well as foliage. Lavenders can be dried and Rosemary and sweet Bay can be used in cooking. Some other easily grown shrubs with aromatic leaves are: Santolina, Helichrysum (curry plant), Hyssop, Myrtle, Sage and Choisya ternata (Mexican orange blossom)

Horticultural