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Garden smell

Lyn Plant-WellsLyn Plant-Wells Posts: 338
in Problem solving
I have a very small, south facing garden on the IoW, which gets very hot in summer. There is an L shape raised bed with 4/5 large Agapanthus plus 3 young Hibiscus, Cosmos, lavender and some Nasturtiums. There are two smaller square raised beds with geraniums and a young Wisteria. I have created two small flower beds at the side and end of the garden. The ‘lawn’ is artificial (already in situ when I bought the property 18 months ago.) The rest is paved/gravelled (see photos.) My query is - what could be causing an unpleasant ‘cabbage‘ smell?  It isn’t overpowering and I don’t notice it every day. I can’t think that it could be poor drainage as the beds dry out very quickly. I am considering removal of the raised beds as the Agapanthus roots are taking over and the sides are cracking. Apologies for the lengthy post! 
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  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Hello Lyn. I'm on the IW, too. Are you sure the smell is coming from your garden? When they harvest the cabbages in the fields, or caulis, and so on, the smell can be quite powerful and travels widely. I would wait and see if there are any changes in the next couple of weeks. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Nasturtiums are cabbagey, but you'd need to be quite near them, or have a lot of them, to really notice.
    Or maybe that's just me - I have quite a poor sense of smell sometimes. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lyn Plant-WellsLyn Plant-Wells Posts: 338
    I noticed the smell last year - before I grew Nasturtiums. It’s not a ‘fresh’ cabbage smell - more like rotten cabbage 😞
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Has something crawled in and died?  ;)

    Do you get rabbits etc? If something gets killed, but not eaten, and it's hidden -especially in the heat, it's fairly potent.... :s
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lyn Plant-WellsLyn Plant-Wells Posts: 338
    Posy - I don’t think there’s any fields of brassicas near me (I’m very near Red Funnel/Waitrose in East Cowes.) I only notice it in my back garden - not at the front or anywhere else in the area. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Maybe something in a neighbouring garden then @Lyn Plant-Wells.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Are there any viburnum shrubs around?
    These can get infested with the viburnum beetle and that causes an unpleasant pong that can be detected from quite a distance.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2020
    Drains? A sulphurous whiff as the washing machine does its first rinse and dislodged a pocket of fumes? 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Dovefromabove said:
    Drains? A sulphurous whiff as the washing machine does its first rinse and dislodged a pocket of fumes? 
    Is that what it is!  I’ve been thinking of calling the plumber out as Roland says he didn’t plumb it it properly. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Never mind neighbouring garden - maybe it's the neighbour.....
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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