My favorite tea rose, Pope John Paul II, died over the winter. Its replacement has little in common with PJP, beyond the pretty white flowers. It isn’t even a rose.
Tea roses need constant pampering. My PJP died because, instead of burying it, I took a shortcut and covered the roots with a mound of soil and insulated the canes with oak leaves enclosed by wire mesh.
Its replacement is not only hardy but also native. It thrives on neglect. Its flowers look more like the baby’s breath than the long-stem roses that take center stage in floral arrangements.
While it isn’t named after a pontiff, I’m counting on white valerian to breathe new life into my garden just as Pope Francis is invigorating the Catholic Church.
I first met V. officianalis in the garden of my friend Joan Duddingston. A few years ago, Joan’s front yard won Blooming St. Paul’s top prize for curb appeal. The only downside of creating such a spectacular garden is that passersby often linger to smell the valerian. Inevitably they ask its name. One plant leads to another.
I used to think red when the word “valerian” came up in gardening conversation. Red valerian (aka Jupiter’s Beard) is a lovely plant. Congeniality is its strong suit. Its rare coral-like hue has an uncanny ability to blend with every other color in the garden and even creates harmony among some that would otherwise clash.
It looks a bit like a dwarf version of Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpurea).
White valerian does, too, and its dark pinnate leaves are a lot more attractive than Joe’s coarse foliage. It’s the real deal. Red valerian’s botanical name is Centranthus ruber.
To me its heady aroma is its best feature. Apparently, I’m in the minority regarding white valerian’s hedonics. This is the word smell scientists use to refer to whether an odor is pleasing to a person or noxious.
Smell is entirely subjective. The scent of parmesan cheese and the scent of vomit have the same mole-cular formula. Our emotional associations with a scent have more to do with how we resonate to it than how it actually smells.
As I was burying my nose in Joan’s valerian, I noticed one of my companions was holding hers.
“What stinks?” she asked.
An herbal guide calls the scent “an olfactory contradiction.” Fans compare it to cherry and vanilla; detractors describe it as musty, sour and rank.
Like musk oil, another controversial scent, the essential oils in valerian play a critical role in perfumery. A little goes a long way, but that “little” can turn a bland fragrance sexy and irresistible.
Valerian grows to 5 feet tall and must have lots of sun and water to look its best. Bees and butterflies feel the way I do about its aroma. They can’t get enough of it.
Contact Bonnie at bonnie@gardenletter.com.
THIS WEEK’S TO-DO LIST
— Mark your calendar. It’s garden tour season. The popular Mahtomedi Garden Club Tour runs from noon to 4 p.m. today. Seven gardens in Mahtomedi, Pine Springs and North St. Paul will inspire novices to master gardeners. The fundraising tour supports beautification projects in Mahtomedi and adjoining communities. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 on the day of the tour. Advance tickets may be purchased on the club’s website (mahtomedigardenclub.org), at Lila & Claudine’s Yarn & Gifts in Mahtomedi and at the Mahtomedi Farmers’ Market. Day-of-tour tickets will be available at Triangle Park (88 Mahtomedi Ave., Mahtomedi) beginning at 11:30 a.m. For more information, go to the club’s website or call Kay Martin at 651-770-1141.
— Try adding a bit of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) dissolved in water to plants that are inexplicably yellowing and wilting. This chemical helps plants absorb critical micronutrients and can work wonders on container plants that haven’t been repotted in a while.
— Get yourself a rain barrel. Place it under a downspout for maximum efficiency. I use the water in mine for container plants. Just dip the watering can in the barrel and off you go. It’s a lot quicker than filling the can with the garden hose. Some rain barrels come with faucets to which you can attach a hose and sprinkler.
— Cut back perennials that are done blooming. This helps renew them and they may even bloom again.
— Water and turn your compost pile every week or so. Turning lets air get to every part of the pile and helps blend disparate materials as they decompose, some more quickly than others.
