Stolen spade and Mexican Orange

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Zouse, May 10, 2011.

  1. Zouse

    Zouse Apprentice Gardener

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    Firstly i am a mere amateur inspired by Monty Don and have a great love for italian gardens myself.

    I need to blow off steam about two things, firstly someone stole my favourite spade (an old relic of the fifties i believe) i leave it in the same spot usually in the back garden as i have a beautiful Robin that likes to perch there! :rolleyespink:

    Secondly and more important, i bought a Mexican orange and felt deflated when unwrapping it to discover it did not have the scent of Oranges ? AND now concerned if i plant it under my front window ( I want to smell the scent on a late summers evening as the wind wafts the leaves about) it will die from the ground frost ! :dunno:

    Any advice and the whereabouts of my spade welcome. Thank you.

    Feel slightly better already.
     
    Zouse, May 10, 2011
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  2. davygfuchsia

    davygfuchsia Gardener

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    Hi Zouse ..I assume you mean a Choisya (Mexican Orange) I would say it is the flowers that smell of orange blossom rarther than the leaves .. Others may have different ideas..
    Sorry to hear about your favorite spade
    Dave
     
    davygfuchsia, May 10, 2011
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  3. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    I think your spade is behind the shed, just on the side where the door opens, next to the empty cup of tea.:scratch:

    Thats where mine usually end up.:DOH:
     
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      Phil A, May 10, 2011
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    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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      Dave's right, our Mexican Orange (Mock Orange) is about to flower any time now, and will continue for 2 or three weeks. It's got beautiful fragrance from the flowers only. So you won't get any fragrance from it in late summer.

      Has the Robin pinched your spade?
       
      JWK, May 10, 2011
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    • ARMANDII

      ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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      My Choisya has been in flower for the last two weeks and with the present high temperatures I can catch the scent over 50' away, fantastic:thumbsup: Don't worry, Zouse, if you wanted a highly scented shrub, you've got the right one:D

      Sorry to hear about your cherished spade, Zouse, lets hope the B............ who took your spade get's Tetanus:heehee:, it's got to be somebody local:rolleyespink:
       
      ARMANDII, May 11, 2011
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    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      The flowering time of Choisya (Mexican orange) differs depending on the variety but most of them flower in late spring. With some well established ones they can also flower in the autumn - one of our's always flowers twice a year and one year it flowered three times. Quite a rewarding plant.

      I think the smell is nearer to vanilla than to orange.

      If you were thinking of summer flowering orange then Mock orange is a different plant (Philadelphus) and flowers later than Choisya - late spring through to late summer depending on variety. It is very highly scented.
       
      shiney, May 11, 2011
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    • Zouse

      Zouse Apprentice Gardener

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      Thank you

      Thanks for all your comments and advice, who said gardeners had no sense of humour.

      Glad i have some new friends that can pass on their knowledge, and sympathy.

      Alas my spade is gone forever....
       
      Zouse, May 11, 2011
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    • Phil A

      Phil A Guest

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      Some gardeners have a sense of humus.
       
      Phil A, May 12, 2011
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    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      But very down to earth :WINK1:
       
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        shiney, May 12, 2011
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      • theruralgardener

        theruralgardener Gardener

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        Everyone else has covered the whole scent/flowers/spring thing here already!
        Regarding the frost, Choisya does get frost damaged in a severe enough frost, (especially the golden ones) But you can cut them back to below the damage in late Spring and they recover well...you probably wouldn't get flowers that year?
        If you want summer scent too, plant something like a honeysuckle under your window too.

        I always find that along with a good sense of humour/humus, gardeners always call a spade a spade too.....(oops, sorry about yours!)
         
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          theruralgardener, May 12, 2011
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        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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          Strange, I've never thought Mex orange, Choisya, flowers to smell anything like orange blossom, I think it has a kind of musty sage like smell.
          I agree with shiney, mock orange, Philadelphus, is probably nearer the mark on scent.
           
          pete, May 12, 2011
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        • ARMANDII

          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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          You haven't got any old musty sage leaves stuck up your nose have you, Pete?:D:heehee:
          I've never heard the scent of a Choisya described like that before.:what: The beauty about a Choisya is that it blossoms in Spring giving you a really heavy sweet scent.:thumbsup:

          I agree with you about the Mock Oranges being really good on scent, but they're early Summer blossoming so the Choisya gets in first. I've got a Osmanthus Delavayi which flowers in Spring and that's another shrub you can smell from yards away, just brilliant.:hapfeet:
           
          ARMANDII, May 12, 2011
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        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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          It has a scent I agree, but more the kind you get from herbs in my opinion.

          Not a sweet scent, and nothing like orange blossom.

          I'm not saying its unpleasant, but at the moment I'm getting a much better scent from Laburnum, than from the Choisya.

          Philadelphus is flowering in the woods now.
           
          pete, May 12, 2011
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        • ARMANDII

          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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          I've got 3 Mock Oranges in the garden, Pete, and despite this recent warm weather, I reckon there's still about 3 weeks or more to open blossom, but where you live must be softer in climate.:scratch:
          It's funny how our noses interpret scents in different ways:D As a matter of interest let's see if we can get a vote of whether Choisya has a scent that's sweet or one that's like musty sage or herbs:D So how does everyone else think how the Choisya smell?????
           
          ARMANDII, May 12, 2011
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        • shiney

          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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          Like vanilla. :D
           
          shiney, May 13, 2011
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