We bought our house in the late summer, so it wasn’t until the next spring that I was surprised by the beautiful white blooms on an overgrown bush in our side yard. To say it’s overgrown would be a bit of an understatement because it’s literally falling over to one side under its own weight. I wasn’t sure what it was, but my keen-eyed Instagram followers told me it is a mock orange bush. They are apparently prized bushes for their fragrance and beautiful blooms, and I can see why! I feel like having a mature one in our yard is such a gift. Jeff wanted to take it out, but I am willing to lie on top of it in protest to prevent that, if need be. It won’t be necessary, though, because he has heard my pleas to keep it, but it does need to be trimmed back. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while and clean up the weeds around it, but it just hasn’t been a priority.
We’re planning on doing it this year, but we wanted to wait until after it bloomed. I’ve been watching the buds eagerly, and the little white flowers finally burst forth earlier this week.
I headed out with a basket and pruning shears to cut off some branches to bring into the house.
And now, mock orange blossoms will be in every picture!
I cleaned off the bottom of each branch and put them in a clear vase with water. Don’t they look so beautiful? I sort of love wild bouquets that aren’t too fussy.
Since there are blooms all along the branches, so kept the ones I pulled off to make a little bouquet.
And the mock orange arrangement because like the new baby in the house. We’ve got to get everyone’s picture with the baby/arrangement. The kitchen with the arrangement, the dining room with the arrangement, and the new guest room table with the arrangement… I just carried it around the house, shedding petals, and quickly followed with my camera and tripod.
And I took some styled still life vignettes for the Artist Reference Photos site…
These will be uploaded soon, and I plan to paint a few of them as well.
Mock orange blossoms, like lilacs and snowball viburnum, are fleeting. Here one day and gone soon after. I’ve come to enjoy these little seasonal markers and have learned to stop the busyness, cut some flowers, make a bouquet, press them for my gardening notebook (you can read about that HERE), and enjoy them while I can…
17 Responses
Gee, your kitchen really, really looks so spacious! I could only dream to have mine like that, boy! I could be baking the whole week…
Thank you for sharing this info about the Mock orange blossoms…don’t think we have that here in Australia 🧐
Annie, the do grow in Australia . I goggled it, you may find it under the name Philadelphus.
lovely gift from the garden…
Beautiful! I would love to know how you keep your kitties out of them! Mine would have them all over the house!
the mock orange bushes smell heavenly
Oh Marian, this brings back so many memories of my dear sweet mother, who also had a mock orange bush and just loved the fragrant blossoms!
Next Spring treat yourself to planting a Korean Spice Viburnum bush. The Blooms are sp pretty and tbe smell is Devine. It is the first to bloom each Spring and I cut lots of branches to bring inside to help make the tolms smell so good and fresh. I bought mine at Terrain in Glen Mills PA. years ago. VERY difficult to find.
Mock orange bushes are easy to renovate when they’re overgrown. Don’t just cut it back- cut your way in underneath it and start removing the oldest branches as far down to the ground as you can. Also cut the smallest new whips and branches that are growing across and through the inside. The goal is to end up with a more open and vase-shaped habit. Finally, you can head back what is left to take some height off. It will put out lots of new growth once it gets over the shock and will be beautiful for next spring!
Look for Double Mock Orange….the smell is divine!!!
so happy every day to see and hear about your homes you renovate. we purchased a lemon during covid 19. enjoy your posts to dream about – -someday. thank you so much.
My favorite is the bunch in the mold|
What treats nature has in store for us!
I’ve never even heard of a Mock Orange before. I remember driving through Florida years ago when the orange blossoms were in season and I’d never smelled anything like it before. Prior to coming back to Ohio I bought a tiny vial of Orange Blossom perfume oil. Until this post of yours I haven’t thought of that in a lifetime. Do Mock Orange smell like regular orange blossoms then?
So lovely.
That is absolutely beautiful. I have honey suckle, very well established, been on our fence forever. I am going to check out our plant places and see if I can find Mock Orange. It has to be a relative plant to honey suckle.
I’ve had a Mock Orange shrub for about 10yrs outside and have loved the beautiful blooms and sweet smell. Other than pruning it no real care needed ,till this year when some tiny larvae of the Orange saw fly ate every leaf and defoliated it overnight!!. Not sure if I should cut it down and remove the entire bush and replant one next spring. Maybe I need to plant a Korean sweet spice viburnum like someone mentioned. Any ideas from your readers would be welcome.
Lovely! It just happens that we have an old bush to replace so will see if it grows well here in Boulder where we have tricky soil and high altitude. Love the arrangement, just mt style.
Thank you! Our neighbor’s bush bloomed with these and we didn’t know what they were. So beautiful!