October is mid-spring here. We've had the most beautiful fragrance coming from Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian Olive) and our roses, the best so far being Graham Thomas and Blackboy. Sombrueil also, though the rain stopped it halfway through, little as we've had. Zephirine Drouhin has the best fragrance of all, however was a bit of a failure this spring, along with many other roses, because the kangaroos were so hungry they ate most of the shoots. I was pleased to find that the Soloman's Seal has a lovely fragrance up close. And just at the end of this month, my Viburnum odoratissimum has finally opened its buds, and this is the first year it has flowered so I've been eagerly waiting to see what the fragrance is like. It is definitely the best smelling Viburnum of any I've put my nose to, and goes on my list of top fragrances in the garden. It only has a few stems of fliwers on the huge shrub, but the fragrance is strong enough to catch you as you walk by, and up close it is not cloying or chemically like other Viburnums. I think it's like jasmine, orange blossom and honey!
