Saturday, January 15, 2011

A Burst of Fragrance

We had a break in the weather this morning. We used it to run errands and get out for a walk. But now the rain has returned. It's not a hard rain, or a stormy rain, just a steady rain, and it will last. Flood warnings are going up on local rivers. That's common too, and usually isn't too disastrous, not like Australia and Brazil. This rain is not predicted to be one of those 100 year floods, but then you never know. People wonder how we stand it here in the dreary Northwest, but there are some bright spots to living in a temperate climate. For example, we always have some little thing or another blooming. Yesterday I showed you the lovely yellow winter jasmine. That one does not have a fragrance, but another winter shrub does. Sarcococca rascifolia, also called Sweet Box, begins to bloom about now, and it fills its space with the most wonderful vanilla-like fragrance. This powerful fragrance comes from minuscule white flowers arranged along the stems, appearing at the same time as the black fruit from last year's flowers. I pick a few sprigs at a time of this shrub to bring into the house. Placed in a bathroom, in an enclosed space, the heady, sweet scent is a lovely surprise. Teamed up with a bit of Skimmia fruit and flower, it makes a lovely little arrangement for the kitchen table.
And it smells like spring! It's a dark afternoon, but Tom took his turn in playing with the new camera, and got this shot of a Junco at the feeder. You can see tiny rain drops on its head from the steady drizzle outside.
( Click to enlarge)
But the Sarcococca bush is near the front door, which is also near the feeders, so maybe the birdies are enjoying it too?

16 comments:

  1. I like Sarcococca too. So nice by the front door in wintertime.
    So you got a new camera huh. Always fun to play with. Expensive toy, yes? You wil like the Nikon and I say that even though I have Canon. MB

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  2. I love your blog, Linda! Don't ever end it. As for floral scents, I have 2 hedges nearby that bloom every so often. The scent is lovely. However, sometimes it gives me a headache, so I close the windows and turn on the a/c.

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  3. Oh, I do love your gorgeous, colorful flowers! They are particularly appreciated in our GRAY world these days! The break today was nice, just not long enough and still no sun! But I shouldn't complain when things are so much worse in so many places both here and in Australia and Brazil. Count our blessings! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

    Sylvia

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  4. So nice to have something blooming right now. We have skimia and a Foster holly with berries, but that's about it. Soon. :)

    We put out three new feeders, but the birds are boycotting us. We think maybe the bird seed was bad, so we dumped it today and refilled it with fresh. We'll see. I sat in the back room watching the feeders for quite some time. The only attraction was the suet.

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  5. Kathy, we now use only sunflower chips (hulled sunflower seed) in our feeders now. Our common birds all like it, and it leaves no mess. Anything that gets spilled is cleaned up by the ground birds or squirrels.

    Gigi - thank you!

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  6. What beautiful spots of cheer and color you've arranged for inside. I can only imagine its pretty smell. We have over a foot of new snow on the ground. Great weather for snowshoeing around the property and yesterday on a Land Trust trail. I think we all make wherever we live a brighter spot by doing activities, planting, taking little trips and am thankful to have a home to come to.

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  7. I love your photos and your idea of bringing the color indoors.

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  8. Aha! I see that your camera is working very nicely indeed. I LOVE flower scents. I wish I could have them at our house. We're having problems with a bunch of our plants and bugs though. That is such an elegant bird. The coloring is so sleek.

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  9. That bush sounds great. I like vanilla smell. Your vases looks great too, and the Junco at the feeder. - Dave

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  10. Linda,
    I love fragrant flowers that fill a room, and you have it arranged so nicely; it looks pretty and charming.
    I actually have wondered why people enjoy living where it rains so often. While I love the rain occasionally, don't know I could deal with it so frequently since I NEED the sunshine. However, you find such a positive in it and good for you for doing so.

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  11. After living for so many years in a semi-arid area (Colorado), I can say that so far, after three years, I still really don't mind the rain at all. And your arrangements, Linda, are outstanding! I guess I'll have to seek out that plant at the garden show next month so I can sniff it myself. Beautiful!

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  12. fun, would love to smell the vanilla. I put some plastic shrub/flowers on my dining table-wish I had something live year round like you guys.

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  13. Your post and your photos are like a breath of fresh air. While I love the sunshine here in Southern Colorado, and wonder how I would deal with the rain of where you live, I would give anything to see green, newly bloomed white flowers, and moisture. I almost feel like I can breathe again through my dried out sinuses.

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  14. I love rainy weather
    I love gray days :)

    beautiful plants and a sweet little bird

    congrats on your new camera!!


    good luck to the Seahawks today, I just turned on the game
    are the OK in the snow?

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  15. I love sarcoccoca. The smell IS yummy. You are so lucky to have it in bloom in your yard right now. We have snow on the ground still and lots of RAIN.

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  16. People wonder how you can live in Buffalo....as I was out in the yard filling the bird bath, I asked myself the same thing... you live in a beautiful area of the country...

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