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:


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12 comments:

  1. JenniferApril 16, 2012 at 6:50 PM

    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!

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  2. Big Bad Bald BastardApril 16, 2012 at 7:14 PM

    Take two more months you suckers!

    When the Viburnum sees its shadow...

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  3. Smut ClydeApril 16, 2012 at 7:39 PM

    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".

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  4. Substance McGravitasApril 16, 2012 at 7:58 PM

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

    And then there are the semen trees.

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  5. LauraApril 16, 2012 at 7:58 PM

    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

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  6. ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©April 16, 2012 at 8:03 PM

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

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  7. JenniferApril 16, 2012 at 8:29 PM

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

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  8. Smut ClydeApril 16, 2012 at 8:57 PM

    And then there are the semen trees.

    Too early for gingko fruit.

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  9. Dr.KennethNoisewaterApril 17, 2012 at 10:07 AM

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

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  10. Dr.KennethNoisewaterApril 17, 2012 at 10:08 AM

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

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  11. Smut ClydeApril 17, 2012 at 7:36 PM

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

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  12. VonnieApril 19, 2012 at 2:36 PM

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

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