What Smell??

[catherinecarney]

Smell is such a subjective thing, isn't it?? There have been some studies done that indicate that the number and kinds of scent receptors we have affects not only our sensitivity but also whether we find some scents agreeable or not...

Personally I find hyacinths and gardenias overpowering, especially in enclosed spaces, yet I love the strong scent of my Den. kingianum when it's in bloom in my office. I guess it all goes back to the advice that we should buy in bloom so we can check the scent if it's something that matters to us!

Discus, I'd completely forgotten about inducing ploidy and the use of colchicine (derived from Colchicum spp. which are an autumn flowering bulb--gorgeous flowers, the bulbs are toxic so the vermin aka rodents, woodchucks, and deer don't eat them).

I agree that more people are starting to use scent as a factor in plant selection. I think that the interest in heritage roses (some of those lovely old ladies are powerfully fragrant) started it off, and the continuing interest in heirloom flowers and vegetables has continued the trend. I hope that's the case, anyway, because when I have plants I want things that are not only visually appealing but scented as well. There is something to be said for sitting on the porch at dusk as the hummingbird moths come in for a last drink at the bee balm and the breeze wafts the scents of trumpet lilies, garden phlox and moonflowers past my nose....

Catherine

[Orchidflowerchild]

Originally Posted by lornaheath

Oh my Good Grief, You know more words than I've ever heard. You are very clever Young Man. I am always well impressed when you start to advise me. Well Impressed Sir!

You need to start a Lecture Tour on Orchids with the amount of knowledge that you have. Wow! You'd earn a fortune.

If only. Oh if only.

The orchid game is not for riches lol.

-Ceci

[NYCorchidman]

Oh, yeah, kingianum smells so good in the morning!
By the way, do you grow them? Do they flower without "cooling" in the winter?
I always buy them in bloom and then toss.

and narcissus tazetta (and related types) smells soooo good! I also like the fragrance of jonquila.
I wish there was a perfume made ouf of them.

[catherinecarney]

I'm an orchid newb, so my success is pretty hit and miss right now. I bought my kingianum in bloom, and have been researching the cooling/drying needed to initiate bloom. There seems to be some conflicting info about the species....

I have all my orchids on my porch for the summer (south and east exposure with dappled shade). I hope to be able to keep the kingianum (and the Den. aggregatum/lindleyi) out on the porch relatively far into the fall, then shift them to the attached garage (which gets quite a bit of sun) to complete the rest period. We'll see how it goes....

I too wish that there were perfumes featuring tazetta/jonquilla narcissus. Of course, the old fashioned clove scented dianthus (clove pinks is an old name for them) would be lovely as a perfume, too... Sigh....

Catherine

[lornaheath]

Reading all your previous posts Catherine I am absolutely amazed that you are an Orchid Newby.

That is soooo hard to believe with the amount of gardening/plant/flower/perfumes knowledge that you have.

You have clearly amazed me today.

Lorna
x x x

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by catherinecarney

I'm an orchid newb, so my success is pretty hit and miss right now. I bought my kingianum in bloom, and have been researching the cooling/drying needed to initiate bloom. There seems to be some conflicting info about the species....

I have all my orchids on my porch for the summer (south and east exposure with dappled shade). I hope to be able to keep the kingianum (and the Den. aggregatum/lindleyi) out on the porch relatively far into the fall, then shift them to the attached garage (which gets quite a bit of sun) to complete the rest period. We'll see how it goes....

I too wish that there were perfumes featuring tazetta/jonquilla narcissus. Of course, the old fashioned clove scented dianthus (clove pinks is an old name for them) would be lovely as a perfume, too... Sigh....

Catherine

Kingianum do need cool winter, even cold they are supposed to survive fine. Some places sell them under the description of temperature tolerant but I truly doubt it. Flowering may be very poor without proper cool rest.

By the way, I too love the look and scent of dianthus.
I buy them at a local farmer's market and place them by the window. Some varieties fill up the whole place!
then I give them away or plant them outside somewhere.

[catherinecarney]

Lorna--yes, I am an orchid newb--this board has been an invaluable resource, and if I sound at all like I know anything about orchids it's because I've read a ton of posts on here....The general plant knowledge is something I picked up by "contamination" since my mom is a hard core gardener (most of the three acres my parents own is under her flower beds, and they squabble constantly about how much room my dad can have for his veggies).

Orchidman--thanks for the kingianum info! Looks like they will be spending at least part of the fall in the garage (south facing so plenty of light)....Glad you grow dianthus, too! My mom has a variety she found growing at an abandoned farmhouse in northern NY state--extremely strong clove scent, pink flowers and creeping habit. No idea of the ID, but probably an old cv given the age of the farmstead...Rainbow Loveliness is a cv available from seed which has a strong fragrance and incredible lacey flowers....

I'm still amazed at the variety of scents produced by orchids. Floral and citrus are most common, and I knew about chocolate (Onc. Sharry Baby) and coconut, but the more I research the longer the list gets (grin)!

Catherine