Sweet viburnum

Are you a gardener? In the South? Do you need a life long literary companion, a Bible of shrubs? Then look no further than Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Referred to by students of horticulture simply as Dirr, i.e.

"Wonder what's wrong with this hydrangea?"
"I don't know. Have you checked Dirr?"

I don't have a copy of Dirr. But then again, I don't live in the South. Michael Dirr, I believe, is/was a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia (but we won't hold that against him). I did give my mom a copy many years ago. It's essential if you're planning to build up a garden of woody landscape plants, perhaps over a long time living with a garden.

When the Vol-in-Law and I toured RHS Wisley this weekend, one of the first plants that greeted us was a viburnum. I don't know what kind, but it was one of those early blooming sweet smelling varieties - not the giant leafy kind with great panicles of white blossoms (a snowball bush).

Oh, the fragrance was lovely. It's so sweet, but so strong. You may not want to stick your nose right in it.

I haven't laid my hand on a copy of Dirr in years - but I do remember this: Dirr said that no Southern garden is complete without a viburnum.