Tuesday, April 16, 2013

ABC Wednesday

The Letter is N

The flower is Nicotiana


 
A truly elegant flower, and intensely fragrant
 
This particular species is called 'Only the Lonely'
and it is said it is the tallest and most graceful of all the nicotiana plants
available, growing to four feet with six inch long candelabra-like sprays of
sweetly scented tubular white flowers.
 
The fragrance is released at dusk and continues through the night,
attracting all those fabulous humming bird moths, hawk moths and other species of moths with
long tongues and a yearning for sweet nicotiana liquor.
 
A genus of the family (Solanaceae), indigenous to the Americas, Australia,
south west Africa and the South Pacific
 

Several species of Nicoliana are grown as ornamental plants, including the
 Domino series and 'Lime Green', but in my opinion
nothing compares with a clutch of these beautiful white flowers, swaying in the garden as dusk
begins to fall, spreading this most beautiful jasmine-like fragrance
through the garden and the open windows where people
dine, or sleep, or read or just relax in the richness of the scent.
 
On 10th Avenue where I grew a large cutting garden
I planted the nicotiana in short rows and they came back year after year,
glowing in the darkness like fragrant white spirits.
 
I have grown the Dominos, but their fragrance is less spirited.
 
In my seed basket today I have a package of 'Only the Lonely'
Two hundred and ninety five seeds, it says on the package.
 
I will plant them, along with Cleome, at the back of the bed and surely out of
all those seeds I will have a moth or two visiting
in the backyard,  enjoying the heady fragrance with me.
 
 




 
 
For more takes on the letter N click here to visit Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday, with thanks to her and her Nifty helpers.
 

12 comments:

Leslie: said...

Very NICE! It's good that the weather seems to have turned into spring Now so we can turn ourselves to the gardeN.

Leslie
abcw team

carol l mckenna said...

Beautiful flower photo for N and lovely other flowers too ~ Great post for ABC ^_^

Roger Owen Green said...

They don't look lonely, they look lovely.

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

photowannabe said...

Lovely. I hope you have a lot of success from those 250 seeds.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

A beautiful flower! It sounds even more wonderful when you talk about the beautiful fragrance...and that it "glows" in the dark. What a lovely thing to have near that window.

Unknown said...

Nicoliana I have never seen, and it's an incredibly elegant flower! I think I've seen the red flower you posted. An extremely interesting post, Hildred!

uberrhund said...

Absolutely Beautiful! You painted a lovely picture for us all of these flowers swaying in the night, scenting the air.
I am sure your seed planting will go well and produce many flowers, enough for you AND the moths!

magiceye said...

Fragrant take!

Reader Wil said...

Your garden must truly be a haven of rest! Your love of flowers is so comforting. You make people happy with all those beautiful plants.
Have a great week.
Wil, ABCW Team.

Reader Wil said...

Dear Hildred,I realise now that you lost your dear husband last year. You are so brave to continue writing on this blog. I am so sorry that you have to do all things by yourself. I know how this must be. Still you make us happy with the beauty of your garden.

Carver said...

Wonderful shots and great information too. Carver, ABC Wed. Team

Nanka said...

Lovely flowers and beautiful colors!!Love them all bunched together!!
My N - Nightingale