Smells and Upside Down Bells

I was wandering around with my camera yesterday wondering what I might find to write about in the garden.  Far from the labyrinth, in the North Garden, sometimes called the Secret Garden, I was surprised by a strong perfume, similar to a gardenia.  It took some time to find the small flowers which sit back from the ends of the branches on the Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki.'

The bush has had a long and hard life, first planted down on the side of the steep bank.  It was tough, living in almost pure sand for about two years.  When digging it out to move it up near the house, the soil fell away from the roots, leaving them bare!  Now six feet tall and living for five years next to the fence, it has been treated royally, watered, mulched, and fertilized regularly.  It pays its rent by providing wonderful sprays of leaves to mix into the Christmas greens, enthusiastically growing new ones to replace those taken.  It has been so successful, two cousins were planted on the opposite property line, where they will provide screening and a barrier to the wandering deer.

Now for that upside down bell!  I know it is a stretch to do a word play for the common description of Anglo-Catholic services having "smells and bells."  But look at the picture to the left.  If you turned this Iris upside down, and it had a clapper, wouldn't it look like certain types of bells?

This reblooming German dwarf Iris "Baby Blessed" has been a long time favorite.  While researching it, I should not have been surprised that it won three different awards in the 80's. 

Long planted at the edge of the Viburnum (discussed in the last entry), it had become heavily shaded by the shrub.  After moving it to a new flower bed, it is now in a very favorable site.  With lots of sun and no competition, the previously struggling plants have surged forward in size and bloom.  Sited next to the labyrinth entrance and providing color both in the spring and fall is doubly nice.  Growing only about a foot tall, they invite a pause to stoop and enjoy.

It will be interesting to see how well the new bulbs planted nearby will complement or compete with it.