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My sweet olive shrub delivered this amazing tale of two smells.
So when I walk out to my back deck, I was embraced by the most wonderful fragrance. When the weather was warm and a bit humid, it was this thick sweet fragrance, almost like honeysuckle in the summer or the way your bubble bath smells in a hot bath. I had forgotten about my two Osmanthus or “Sweet Olive” shrubs I had planted last year. But come September they really were in full bloom. Little petite clusters of blossoms that pack a mean scented punch.
I promised a second aroma story with this post. About a week later when the weather cooled, I walked out back and it was a different smell…it was sweet but almost like a classy perfume–subtle yet sophisticated. The change in temperature and humidity had transformed this almost cloyingly sweet fragrance to a posh, refined fragrance people pay $100 an ounce for.
You should definitely grow Osmanthus. It is a hardy, evergreen shrub with awesome flowers that appear in spring and autumn. It is a slow grower, ranging in sizes varying from 2-12 meters. It can take full sun or shade. It is originally from China and is often used in tea and as I found out expensive perfumes. Flowers vary in color from silvery white, to golden orange to even a reddish color. Try it in a garden bed, as a shrub hedge or even a container. This plant is super versatile.
I love evergreens with character and this one delivers. Having the experience of 2 different fragrances based on weather conditions was such a wonder.
Happy Gardening.
m
