Irises Revealed!

A year ago, I bought two large buckets of irises for a dollar. It was a blind buy: I was hoping for purple and strongly scented blooms. After a long wait, my flowers have been revealed:

Bearded Iris, either Perfection (1880) or Amas (1885),  Fragrant grape-like sweetness

Bearded Iris, Unknown Wine Coloured, Meduim-Short, Citrus/honeyed floral scented

I am so pleased. I can’t believe my luck in getting two different scented bearded irises. How lucky would I have to be to adopt a black or blue tall bearded next?

Ornamental Cherry Blossoms Begin!

This tree is right outside my window. I took advantage of this unexpected less-than-cloudy break to get a photo. In a few days, these will be full force. For those of you from elsewhere, Vancouver has blocks and blocks lined with these trees. It’s amazing.

It’s Raining Again

Yes, that is my yard. I live in a wet wet place. Big pink ornamental cherry blossom bloom all over East Vancouver is 2-4 days off and the forecast is nothing but rain. I’m more distressed about this than the obvious upset of my outdoor Easter egg hunt plan for tomorrow.

Observations: The Five Best Scents of the Week

I love lists. It think this has to do with my lack of love for creative writing. Lists write themselves, which is really what I want. This first list is the five best scents of the week. I could do this all spring and early summer, as the West Coast really does smell amazing when it’s not raining.

1) Joss sticks and plum blossoms at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Burnaby

Many of North Burnaby’s Asian and Greek Orthodox residents visit the graves of their ancestors and loved ones on Sunday. They burn joss stick, paper offerings, and leave flowers. The lerge cemetery, where my grandparents rest, is full of willows and blossoming plum trees.

2) Hot, dying daffodils on my table

No really- the heat and the slight decay make them smell almost edible, like something I would want to bake into a cake.

3) Bee Balm (bergamot mint)  new growth at my garden

Bee balm is  one of my favorite herbs to crush between my fingers. It smells so beautiful and bright. The new grow is especially pungent. This year’s shoots are coming up rosy and violet right now, and will turn green in a month.

4) Scented violets in our lawn

Most of the violets in our lawn are unscented, but over near the old water access point I found a patch of scented ones. They are like little purple candies hidden in the grass. I fear they are not long for this world, as our landlord loves to mow.

5) Giant magnolia Petals all over the sidewalk on upper Victoria drive

Otherworldly large and delicately scented petals coat sections of sidewalks all through Southeast Vancouver

Observation: Warm Wet Soil

Last night I prepped soil plugs for starting kale and beans. To soak the potting soil, which had been sitting open on the porch for a while, I poured hot water over the plugs. The scent was massive, deep and powerful. Like a face full of sweet, rich earth short through with red cedar chips. It is something you could bury your fingers in, something you could sleep on.

I love spring.

Scent Reflection: Spring in the City

It’s early spring in Vancouver, and that means a riot of every kind of blossom. Apple, cherry, Magnolia, and Plum. While some are softly scented, others are rich and creamy, like waking through pollen. Plum blossoms are almost fruity sweet. Apple, like the feral apple above, are delicate and ephemerally sweet with more pollen than anything. There is a vine-like bush with the best blossoms of all. I’m going to make a point of remembering where they are so I can ID it when the leaves come out. It is absolutely blossom heaven.

Most of all, I love the way the blossoms mix with wet moss, soil, and the fresh new greeness of the spring.