Forum home Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Best philadelphus for scent, vigour and wildlife?

2»

Posts

  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    I would go with 'Virginal' in your case, wisehedgecrone…  [lovely name]...
    East Anglia, England
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    We saw one last week at a family run nursery (wont name names) was a double very scented caught our eye (and nose!) but was £25, so desided too expensive, it was marked "snowball", have looked it up, it appears to be called "snowbelle".  I have several the lemoine is a very nice scented variety as well.
  • Is the Lemoine difficult to come by?  Guess I'd need to visit some of the larger garden centres to find a selection of varieties anyway....
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I have virginal flowering now, absolutely gorgeous, and also Philadelphus aureus, which flowers earlier, but has lovely golden leaves which are better in some shade. P. aureus is a bit shorter than virginal which tends to be a bit leggy with the flowers at the top. Both have wonderful scent which herald the start of summer.
  • Thanks, fidgetbones - I have Aureus too but it's finished flowering. It didn't have that many flowers on it this year and I think that's almost certainly due to my poor pruning technique. I'd be interested to know which are the later-flowering ones because my garden lacks scent (and flowers) in the second part of summer.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Prune philadelphus immediately after flowering has finished. I find P. aureus doesn't need a lot of pruning, just take out some of the oldest wood.
  • That's where I was going wrong. Hard pruning it in spring. D'ohhhhh!
  • I have a Manteau determine, mock orange. It is a compact variety 1m high/ 1.5m spread, however very good for woodland setting and partial shade. 
  • Mmmm! Hard to choose.....Think I might need two: one vigorous, one compact. Both need to be strongly scented though!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've had Manteau d'Hermine in a couple of gardens, but it isn't strongly scented unless it's very warm - which it has been this year. Most years it's not that strong. 
    Your own conditions can have a bearing on fragra nce. 
    They're all happy with some shade too.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.