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Beauty is in the _____ of the beholder
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Author: Staff Writer

In the manner of the popular game show “Who wants to be a Millionaire,” can you complete this popular old saying?

Beauty is in the _____ of the beholder ?

Of course, now I have to ask, “Is that your ultimate answer?”

Most people would quickly be able to identify a. Eye as the right answer. This adage underscores that we live in a highly visual world.

But, I would have to say that taking in the context of a garden, the correct answer would have to be All of the Above and I’d probably also add taste. Most people forget the other senses when planning what to plant for the upcoming season. We concentrate on all aspects of visual beauty, color, patterns, height, visual texture, while ignoring the rest.

Here’s how you could incorporate your other senses this year.

Touch:

Include plants that have an interesting texture; plants that your fingers can’t resist caressing.

Try velvety leaves such as the Abutilon theophrasti Medik, commonly called "velvetleaf" or "Malvaceae". Lamb’s ears have a wonderful fuzzy texture. Lady’s Mantle (alchemilla mollis) also has invitingly soft leaves with velvety hairs that catch the dew. The chartreuse florets are wonderful as well. (I love it so much that I had it in my wedding bouquet!) There are a lot of plump succulents that would be fine additions.

Of course, spiky and stingy are two other touch sensations that you might want to avoid. However, the thistle might be a beautiful addition.

Smell:

Corsican mint (damp, shady) Thymes, chamomiles (drier, sunnier), sorrel (some sun).
Choose old fashioned rose varieties. Some varieties seem to sacrifice scent for larger blooms. Try the gallica rose (Rosa gallica), alba rose (R. alba), and damask rose (R. damascena)
Summer bloomers include: Phlox, (Phlox paniculata) has lovely pink flowers, ranging from fushia to near while. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) has tiny, honey-scented white flowers.

Taste:

Lemon balm, sorrel, lavender. In fact, add herbs throughout your garden. Most herbs have a wonderful taste and fragrance and have lovely flowers to boot!
Nasturtiums - peppery flavor with the added bug repellent benefit!

Sound:

Adding plants that have leave that rustle adds a musical element to your garden. Other ways to add sound include:

• the addition of a water fountain (can be quite inexpensive)
• a full water garden with waterfall (can be very costly)
• adding plants that attract song birds by providing food and shelter.

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