I have always been fond of philadelphus and love their fragrance. It is the scent of summer and so often coincides with the warmest and longest days of the year. They are shrubs I knew in my childhood and I could not be without them. Fortunately they are hardy and easy to grow but I did lose one in the ‘bed of death’ that demonstrated that they will not tolerate waterlogging in winter. So ‘Minnesota Snowflake’ the first I planted, is no more. I am actually not that bothered because I really prefer the singles. I am not in a hurry to replace it.

Soon after I planted two ‘Virginal’s, one either side of a grass path. This is the most common of all philadelphus and a monstrous thug and not really suited to small gardens. It is tall and bulky but has fragrant, double flowers. Now I don’t like it much but I wanted something to form a barrier between two parts of the garden and liked the idea of walking through and under them. I also have to ‘do photos’ and jobs for work and I need a few plants that everyone has so it was really planted ‘for work’. The reason big philadelphus are a problem is that you can’t contain their size AND get flowers. Don’t clip them over into a bun. Hard pruning results in vigorous shoots that won’t flower for a few years.

My ‘Virginal’s have taken three years to bloom. They flower on sideshoots off sideshoots and not on new, upright growth. And the first flowers have just opened and have demonstrated that these are not what they are supposed to be. The flowers are small and single, though fragrant and they may be simple P. coronarius. It is not the end of the world but it is quite annoying.

And this spring I added ‘Manteau d’Hermine’, a compact (1m) semi-double philadelphus that I always recommend and that like and wanted to have in the garden again.

Well it has flowered and it is not the right plant either. It looks, and smells like P. microphyllus, a lovely, Mexican species that smells like pineapple (a bit). I would not be so bothered but P. microphyllus is one that I like so much that I planted one two years ago. So now I have two.

Philadelphus coronarius, the common species, has two fine variants. ‘Aureus’ has bright yellow leaves that scorch in sun and turn lime green in shade. I have it in a spot that is shaded in the morning and gets afternoon sun and it seems happy. The flowers don’t show up much against the foliage but it still smells good and I like it a lot. And then there is ‘Variegatus’ sometimes associated with E A Bowles. He grow both in ‘Tom Tiddler’s Ground’ (and I grew them when I was at Myddelton) and it is reputed that the flowers gave him terrible hayfever and that the gardeners had to pick off all the flowers before they opened. Luckily ‘Variegatus’ is such a bold plant, with white-edged leaves, that it is a good-looking plant even when not covered in white flowers. My plant is young but still looks good and is blooming and smells lovely.

Another that I added to ‘Tom Tiddler’s’ was ‘Innocence’ and I have planted it here too. The flowers are rather small, but scented, and the small leaves are splashed in yellow. It is not as impressive as the other variegated kinds but I like it and it has a neat habit.

And then there is ‘Belle Etoile’, probably the most deserving of a place in the garden.

It has a neat habit, flowers profusely, is fragrant and the flowers have a pinkish blush at the centre. It is everything you cold hope for and mine is making a neat mound so far, with lots of flowers but it will soon produce some strong stems that will make it taller.

And lastly, this spring I added ‘Starbright’, a relatively new variety with single, white flowers with the usual fragrance. What sets it apart is the deep purple stems and the purple-flushed new growth that seems to really accentuate the pure white flowers and make them sparkle. It has flowered in the first year so that is a nice treat, and I am already fond of it.

And that is the list for now, and I am sure I will add more, but I will give up on ‘Virginal’ – I can live without her.

This weekend is Garden Show Ireland and, once again, I will be there all three days (16-19th).

For those that understand these things here are:

#gardenshow
#gardenshowireland
#GSI2023
#antrimcastlegardens
#flowersfoodfun
#anborough

and Instagram: @gardenshowirl
Facebook:  @GardenShowIRL
Twitter: @GardenShowIRL

I can just about cope with websites

http://www.gardenshowireland.com

belle etoile, philadelphus, philadelphus belle etoile, philadelphus innocence, philadelphus microphyllus, philadelphus starbright