The original French term for potpourri meant “rotten pot,” referring to the moist method of pickling flowers and leaves. More common now is the dry method using flowers and leaves that are picked just as they reach maturity full of fragrance and color. It also incorporates seeds, spices, dried leaves and flowers, berries, dried fruit slices, barks, seedheads and cones to add a variety of textures to the mixture. The best potpourris have a subtle, natural scent that comes from the combination of all natural ingredients. Different ingredients contribute aroma, texture, color and bulk. Many herbs contribute fragrance as well as color and texture.

Despite their many problems, I still like roses. However, I do insist on having at least a modicum of fragrance and substance. Therein lies the problem. With the exception of a few enlightened rose breeders, the bulk of roses originating over the past several decades have focused on the flower form and color at the expense of fragrance. The newer landscape roses go a long way in their disease resistance and increased flower number, but can lack fragrance and produce flowers with no style; a blaze of eye-searing color perhaps, but in the end not very satisfying. For those of us who think a rose should smell like a rose, it often means seeking out the older, fragrant roses.

After a long day at work, nothing is more relaxing to me than an evening stroll through the garden. The colors are more saturated in the sunset light than any other time of day, and after dark, the garden takes on a life of its own. In an attempt to attract nighttime pollinators, flowers often unleash intoxicating fragrances that permeate the damp, evening air. Some even open in time-lapse fashion, and I find myself mesmerized watching their petals unfurl. Many of these plants are easy to find and to grow, which makes them all the more appealing. If I had to narrow the list down to just a few of my top favorites that make my garden come to life every night, the list might look something like this

The holiday of love is just around the corner, and the most popular presents are bouquets of tulips, roses, and other cut flowers. Throw in a bottle of Champagne or a lovely dinner, and the evening will be yours.

What is an antique rose? Sometimes antique roses are called heirloom, heritage, vintage or old garden roses. Whatever your preference of terminology, they are a wonderful class of roses whose date of introduction precedes 1867. They are extremely fragrant, grow without chemicals, and are adaptable in a wide variety of growing conditions. They can create a mood of romance, or nostalgia, stirring up sentimental memories of your grandmother’s yard with sprawling roses on the fence or trellis.

Every week I make my rounds, pinching things back and trimming as needed. Needless to say, I end up with a lot of material. By the end of the day, visitors have snatched up most, but what’s left gets stuffed in a bag, and I bring it home to make potpourri.

I was walking on a Caribbean beach one evening heading toward a favorite spot for jerked chicken when I was captured by the fragrance of a large, blooming shrub. Now if I were relegated to growing only one plant for the rest of my life, it would be that plant, the night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum).

Lavender is one of the most popular fragrances in the world, and many people long to enjoy it in the garden. Whether along a sidewalk, by a mailbox or in a sunny garden, you can learn how to properly plant it for years of enjoyment. Lavender is very drought tolerant once established, and spring is a perfect time to plant this lovely and oh-so-fragrant herb. There are hundreds of varieties of lavender that grow throughout the world. There are a proven dozen that grow well in the piedmont of North Carolina where our farm is situated, and we're still trying to find more.