At the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, it was the Copper Canyon daisy that was guaranteed to put all visitors under a spell from the smell. It happened on a regular basis. After a class, I would take the students or clients on a personal tour of the garden. We would exit the side door of the conference center right into the Mediterranean Garden and instantly, they became fixated on a shrubby marigold with a tantalizing fragrance.
Oddly enough, it makes no difference whether the plant is blooming. The fragrant foliage was like a Pied Piper, drawing them in. It would take several minutes before I could get their attention and point out the other terrific plants or the nearby hummingbirds or butterflies.
Woe be unto me if I couldn’t tell them all of the particulars about this plant. This hypnotic effect on visitors made me much more appreciative of its amazing attributes. I need to add one caveat with a question: Does your nose know what my nose knows? Occasionally, I did find someone who didn’t like the aroma.
