Intoxicatingly Wonderful

Day 93

The Daily DuBrule

Viburnum carcephalum

It smells like a day in May in my yard. I walk outside and it melts me. This is what spring is all about, that woozy feeling of complete and utter joy. My Viburnum carcephalum is in full bloom. This is like Viburnum carlesii only bigger in every way. The flowers are just enormous. The plant grows about 12' tall. It was one of the very first shrubs I planted in my yard and today it is covered with hundreds of flowers. I can smell it from every corner of my property. I have vases with blossoms all over the house. I brought a giant cluster to work yesterday and everyone was just so happy. 

'Yellow Cheerfulness'

Of course, this Viburnum isn't the only thing that smells wonderful in my yard this week. I have two kinds of Hyacinths on the north side of my courtyard fence that opened later than all the rest. I have all kinds of late blooming daffodils such as 'Yellow Cheerfulness' and 'Winston Churchill' that are pure delight. My lilacs are open- that is kind of scary as it is 3-4 weeks early for them to be in bloom, but nevertheless, there they are. My Phlox divaricata has been out for two weeks. The purple Iris pumila smells like grapes if you get down on your knees and stick your nose in it. But the Viburnum wins the prize for Most Fragrant Flower. 

I purposely design for fragrance every month of the growing season. It feeds my soul. Stay tuned for more fragrant flowers as the weeks unfold.