Monday, April 16, 2012

Making Scents

This being spring, the flowers are in bloom and there is a riot of color and fragrance here in the NY Metro area.

Here is a showy Wisteria, trained into a bush, rather than the typical vine. That blob in the foreground is a preying mantis ootheca:





Next up, we have a gorgeous lilac. When my sister was a young girl, she had a room painted a purplish pink... being a tomboy, she was incensed at the thought of having a pink room, until my mother managed to mollify her by telling her it wasn't pink, but lilac. Well played, mom!





Finally, we have a Viburnum bush. These bushes are extraordinarily fragrant- if we prop open the door at work, the sweet aroma permeates the room, it's so strong:





If only everything smelled so sweet at this time of year... weatherwise, it feels more like July than April, and, frankly, right now I am an unholy sweat loaf:


12 comments:

Jennifer said...

Many of our blooming bushes are way ahead of schedule and going crazy this year... honeysuckles, lilacs, etc, but our viburnum seems like it think it's still early March.

Smelling lilacs always makes me think school is almost out. This year they mock the school children! HA! Take two more months you suckers!

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Take two more months you suckers!

When the Viburnum sees its shadow...

Smut Clyde said...

There are not enough classic fantasy stories featuring Viburnum flowers. This is a pity as I would like to make a joke about "Viburnum wood come to Dunsany".

Substance McGravitas said...

If only everything smelled so sweet at this time of year...

And then there are the semen trees.

Laura said...

Our flowers were growing but have stopped in their tracks. We had a bit of a cold snap for awhile. :(
I can't wait for the Lilac's!

I would have died for a pink room growing up or, a lilac one even. ;)

((Hugs))
Laura

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I just posted this video over at media matters (it was pertinent!).
~

Jennifer said...

The Semen Tree is making me think of the Puke Berry Tree that we had on campus back when I was in college.

Smut Clyde said...

And then there are the semen trees.

Too early for gingko fruit.

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

I'll never forget the smell of Night Blooming Jasmine in Florida. Wow. Heady, heady, heady stuff...

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

Smut, being the smarty-pants show-off he is, would say it like this.

Smut Clyde said...

We see a lot of Solanum jasminoides around here but no Cestrum nocturnum.

Vonnie said...

Why why why why would you get so close to a bug like that?
Blech