Photo: Chronica Domus
Two years ago when I first started this blog, I wrote about the warm winter we were experiencing, and the effects on the local fauna and flora. Well, a lot has changed since then. El Niño's recent soggy downpours have transformed our parched brown lawns into verdant pools of emerald green. Not only that, but many spring flowering bulbs have already appeared to put on their annual show. Narcissus Avalanche, an heirloom variety I planted several years ago, has lit up the front garden path with its gaggle of flowers. I think it's going to be a bumper year for the garden (thank you, El Niño!).
Photo: Chronica Domus
Photo: Chronica Domus
Relishing the opportunity to bring the outdoors in, I excitedly plucked six fat stalks to fill my little trumpet-shaped Davenport pearlware vase. Placing the impromptu posy upon the drawing room's secretary bookcase, I could not help but to step back in admiration. How cheery this all looked I thought to myself.
Bathed in the weak late-afternoon February sun, narcissus Avalanche
still manages to glow
Photo: Chronica Domum
still manages to glow
Photo: Chronica Domum
What absolute joy these little flowers bring, brightening the room with their ivory tinted glow. The warmth of the indoors soon infused the house with Avalanche's pungent sweet aroma. Heaven! I believe their scent is carried furthest of any flower I have had the pleasure of displaying indoors. Their reach is really quite extraordinary, especially when considering their diminutive size.
Alas, I was soon reminded that not everyone in the household was as enthralled as I to see these dainty flowers tucked so prettily in a corner. Well, to be more precise, it wasn't their appearance that offended my dear husband, but their
I soon fessed up, for the sake of marital harmony, and reluctantly removed the offending posy from range of my husband's olfactory senses. They now sit atop the table on our balcony... outdoors... sigh!
If any of my readers are aware of how to "dampen" their odor, or perhaps know of a cultivar that is less pungent but equally pretty, I would very much appreciate you sharing that information with me. My husband, no doubt, will thank you for it too.
Tell me, do you enjoy the scent of fragrant narcissi, or paperwhites for that matter, or do you, like my dear heart, take offence at their pungent
They are so pretty, and look perfect in that vase.
ReplyDeleteI am however, with your husband on this one, I cannot bear the smell of them. I have a very strong sense of smell too so for me it's like torture to have them around.
Very excited about your garden this year. XO
Hello Dani,
DeleteThank you, so pleased you enjoyed viewing my little vase, but I do so understand your feelings towards their strong aroma.
I shall to sure to tell my husband he has your vote.
Hello CD, I am afraid this is another vote on your husband's side--I abhor perfume or flowery scents in any form. Perhaps that is why I prefer to enjoy nature out-of-doors. But I agree with DaniBP that your daffodils look wonderful indoors or out.
ReplyDelete--Jim
P.S. For the last few days, we have been getting some of that beautiful weather on this side of the Pacific, too--and it's about time!
Hello Jim,
DeleteAnother vote for Team Husband.
I'll confess, this particular cultivar is indeed quite overpowering in its scent and although I find the flowers extremely attractive, I can well understand how some noses cannot abide them.
Pleased to read that you are benefiting from the lovely weather. Everyone deserves a little.
I love the scent but agree they're STRONG. I tend to put them in an out of the way place, which is unfortunate because they're so beautiful, and can then enjoy their scent from 2 rooms away!
ReplyDeleteHello AD,
DeleteAh, yes, two rooms away. I was not exaggerating when I wrote their scent travels far and, unfortunately for me, straight outside "where they belong" (husband's voice there).
CD,
ReplyDeleteI love the look of these pretty flowers, but I agree with your Mister. They aren't for those (moi) that are overly sensitive to their fragrance. It's so overpowering. Sweet peas, 100%, roses, absolutely but narcissus are too strong for me. I confess, that's disappointing since I love the looks of them, especially in the pretty vase you have them in.
You are so fortunate to have received the benefit of El Nino. We haven't been as lucky in the southern portion of the state.
:-(
Karen
Hello Karen,
DeleteIt is beginning to look a lot like Team Husband is the winner of this particular smelly issue, but you do make a good point; sweet peas and roses are far easier on the olfactory senses.
I'm saddened to read that you've yet to feel the positive effects of El Niño. I'll do a little rain dance especially for you.
Those are gorgeous looking but I have to agree as well. I find any powerful flowers somewhat funereal (particularly lilies.) I'm still pouting that El Nino has all but crushed our ski season, but hopefully we will have a magnificent spring.
ReplyDeleteHello Jen,
DeleteSo funny that you should associate the strong aroma of flowers with funerals. Perhaps that is what my husband meant when he said they smell like death! My mother says much the same about rosemary.
Will let him know that you too are on Team Husband, but that all of my wonderful commenters agree that at least they look pretty.
Commiserations for your dismal ski season. I hear ours is booming this year. Perhaps we'll get a chance to visit over the next few weeks.
Your vase is so pretty, and so are the flowers. However, I am with your husband on this. I cannot tolerate the smell of narcissus - reminds me of cat piss - ugh!
ReplyDeleteHello slf,
DeleteOh dear, another vote for Team Husband. I'm beginning to wonder what's wrong with my nose, but as you say, they certainly look pretty.
CD, What lovely photos! 'Avalanche' is very photogenic, but your settings raise it to a whole other level. As for a gentler fragrance, you might want to try the American heirloom 'Early Pearl' or the poetaz 'Geranium'. Our good friend and tazetta expert Bill Welch tells me that the fragrance of tazettas (and especially paperwhites) is rich in indole, a chemical which is also produced by E. coli. Some people's noses are very sensitive to it, and others aren't. Oddly enough, it's also prevalent in fragrant white flowers such as camellias and jasmine. Apparently a little is good but too much just stinks. -- Scott
ReplyDeleteHello Scott,
DeleteThank you so much for taking the time to comment on my humble gardening efforts, and enlighten me with your expert knowledge of these beautiful flowers. I thank you (as will my husband, no doubt) for your recommendations on less fragrant but equally pretty varieties of narcissi, that I will look into procuring for the garden. Daffodils are my favorite of all flowers and it saddens me that I can only admire narcissus Avalanche from a distance. Early Pearl looks like a wonderful alternative, and n. Geranium already appeals (I adore the orange varieties).
Also, thank you for clearing up the mystery as to why some people take offence at the smell. I suppose it is a bit like cilantro - either you love the taste of it or loathe it!
CD
Well, My Goodness. I've not been swimming in quite some time, but allow me to dip in a toe and dog-paddle "against the tide," so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THESE THINGS! We all do, and right now, the scent of about the fourth pot in the past month is perfuming the warmwarmwarm of the breakfast table area, and most environs around. I could smell the glow of these little darlings when I came in from taking out a pie for the birdies (not liked very much, and left wanting for DAYS on the counter---it was one of those smeary palettes of half apple and half cherry, doing justice to neither, and with a plaster-of-paris crust that could have withstood your el Nino).
Chris delights in bringing home narcissus and hyacinths, for the sheer glory of the scent---I realized in the past couple of years what caused my egregious COVET of a bottle of Giorgio in the Eighties---it's like the whole Nordstrom fleet of ladies-with-spritzers in hand has descended upon us).
Did I say I'm most fond of these flowers? Perhaps my usual wordy effluvia will help to even the vote a bit.
And if it were carnations, with their delicious cool hint of spice and elegance, especially when contained in a clear-plastic corsage box borne by a handsome swain, and reminding me of the wonderful anticipation of a small-town DANCE---now THOSE I'd grandstand even more.
Glad it's lovely outside---do go commune with the flowers now and then.
r
Hello racheld,
DeleteFinally, a vote for Team CD, thank you! It appears that your Chris would also cast a vote for this gentle author too. How very fortunate you are to both delight in the fragrance of these charming harbingers of spring.
It you read the illuminating comment from Scott at Old House Gardens - Heirloom Bulbs (above), you'll discover why not everyone is on Team CD - fascinating!
You perfectly describe the smell of carnations, another flower who's scent I thoroughly enjoy.
Now, go enjoy that delicious pie, for I'm sure every bite is just that, delish!
I must have mis-conveyed---the Pie was HORRIBLE, the FLOWERS delish. It was one of those buy-and-bake things at a local bakery, not made in-house, but for sale baked or frozen. It was soppy and runny and of colours not known to kitchen since My-T-Fine. The crust was reminiscent of badly-kilned Meissen, with the lattice the texture of half-baked clay, harmful to tooth (and fork, if truth be known), and it had a taste halfway between chalk and cardboard---as dear Sir Winston said of Mr. Bossom, ---Neither One Nor The Other.
DeleteThoroughly disgusting pastry and pie, and I wonder if the birdies are that desperate . . .
Oh, dear! I was hoping for the best with regards to the taste of the pie. It sounds as though the time has arrived for a few lessons in home-made pastry. I know you are a dab-hand at cake making so it won't be too much of a leap into pastry making.
DeleteCD, I must second the comments of those above––absolutely smashing photographs. I, too, love the smell of narcissus, and most flowers for that matter. However, growing up, my mother abhorred (and I do mean abhorred) any fragrant flower. What she did, with a great degree of success, was to spritz the stamens/pollen of the fragrant flowers with … hairspray.
ReplyDeleteYes, it sounds a bit out there, but it worked wonders to significantly reduce, if not block, the fragrance from any flower. The key was to use just a spritz, and try to concentrate it around the pollen/stamens, where I *believe* much of the aromatic compounds reside.
Anyway, truly fantastic floral display!
J.L.
Hello J.L.,
DeleteThank you so much for your kind words on my amateurish photographic skills. I enjoyed reading about your mother's little trick to rid these smelly devils of their potent aroma. I shall henceforth be spritzing away with my can of hairspray in your honor, thank you.
Did you see my other post on daffodils from last April by chance? You may enjoy it:
http://chronicadomus.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-enduring-affair-with-humble-daffodil.html
They are just beautiful. I planted a bunch about 20 years ago but they have all given up the ghost:(. One last set of spikes that I will pull out as they aren't going to produce any flowers. I don't quite know what happened to them but I'm just going to put it in the category of Not Meant To Be.
ReplyDeleteOh, don't give up just yet! Most spring-flowering bulbs require division once you've noticed they've stopped flowering so dig up those bulbs and spread them out a bit. Bone meal (or fish meal nowadays) will supply the nutrients for next year's show.
DeleteThe variety I feature in this post, narcissus Avalanche, is particularly vigorous so I'd recommend you plant some of those bulbs for next year, as long as you don't find their fragrance offensive that is.
I love the look of your front path! And the posy full is just beautiful inside.. but I have the same problem as your husband. They are just too strong a smell for me, and I get the sneezes as well. I stick with daffodils in Winter/Spring for maximum cheeriness and minimal stench! xx
ReplyDeleteHello Heidi,
DeleteThank you for your kind words on my front garden path. Each time I walk by, my nose is jolted by the perfume - heaven!
OK, OK, another vote for Team Husband. It certainly feels as though I'm in the minority on this one.
Try mixing only one stalk of the pungent blooms in with a bouquet of other, less scented flowers. I have a wide variety of narcissus/daffodils growing in my garden, and the variety makes a lovely bouquet that isn't overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteHello Mary G,
DeleteThank you for your suggestion. Daffodils are my favorite flower and I too have several varieties that grow during the season. Avalanche is the earliest of them all and that is why I can't wait to gather them up and bring them indoors, a little bit of spring in winter. As I wrote, always a fatal mistake! I shall have more patience in future and mix a few of the Avalanche stalks in with the next narcissus to bloom.
How pleasant your garden must look (and smell) when your daffodils are blooming!
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I hope you come back again (and often).
They are beautiful! And, well it seems that you have no problem getting the narcissus to come up every year and bloom. Do you have to refrigerate them, or do you get sufficient cold up north? A friend here in LA said she gave up on digging up the bulbs and refrigerating every year to get blooms...
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with Karen that the southern part of the state has yet to get much of the El Nino rains...
Hello Diogenes,
DeleteThe best thing about narcissi is that if you plant them deep enough, there is no need to dig them up annually and refrigerate them. Just make sure to buy pre-chilled bulbs to begin with. Narcissus Avalanche thrives in warmer climes and does so well it naturalizes. I would encourage you and your friend to give them a shot and see what happens.
Keeping fingers and toes crossed for the rains to reach L.A. soon.
Thanks very much CD, for the heads up on Avalanche...I'll look for the bulbs and pass the info along to my gardening friend.
DeleteYou're very welcome, Diogenes, and I do hope your friend has success next spring with these bulbs.
DeleteI think if you live in a big enough space you can mitigate the powerful scent, no? In principle, I would love the idea of the wafting perfume, by others' comments would perhaps suggest not. Here I buy "puang malai", the garlands one can place on spirit houses, and which are also presented as gifts to arriving dignitaries. I like the ones which are composed of ginger flowers and/or jasmine, and they provide a heady but delightful scent in our flat, which obviously isn't an enormous space, but perfectly sized to be tolerable of the smell.
ReplyDeleteHello columnist,
DeleteDo not underestimate the power of these diminutive flowers - their aroma truly carries far - at least it does in my bijou residence.
I recall you featured one of these fragrant garlands in a post on your blog long ago. I've never had the pleasure of taking a sniff at a ginger flower but you've piqued my interest. I wonder, do they smell anything like the root?
No, nothing like the root - a pleasing heady aroma.
DeleteThank you, columnist, for coming back and clearing up that little mystery for me. I shall endeavor to seek one out for a whiff of its delightful perfume.
DeleteWhat a pity, they are such a perfect match for your vase! I love the smell, but these things can't be taken lightly if they give migraines to someone as important as the man of the house. What about keeping a window open?
ReplyDeleteYou have reminded me of a book I saw in the local library called "L'odeur des narcisses." I haven't read it, but apparently it uses smells to talk about a mystico-fantastic woman and her adventures. No telling what influence that fragrant flower could have!
Yes, I agree, such a pity! Unfortunately, opening a window does not seem to work with these little fragrant powerhouses.
ReplyDeleteI was not aware of the book you mention in your comment but it sounds intriguing enough to make me want to seek out a copy, thank you.
How sweet that posy is! I too love the smell of Daffs, in fact the only flower fragrance I can take or leave is lily (not to mention the effects of their pollen if you don't pinch out the stamen). If you like sweet, strong little Daffs early in the season another good choice is narcissus erlicheer.
ReplyDeleteHello Lord Cowell,
DeleteI too am not a great fan of the smell of lilies but narcissus is another story.
I love the look of narcissus Erlicheer, and no doubt their fragrance is divine. Alas, I would have to grow them for their appearance only so as not to offend my dear old husband's nose if I were I to be so bold and sneak them into the house.
Now I think I know why men had their studies and ladies had their drawing rooms - it was all about the olfactory sensitivities!
DeleteOh, how clever and you may just be right!
Delete