FRAGRANT POLEMONIUM (JACOBS LADDER) NORTHERN LIGHTS

I can hardly believe that I have been growing Polemonium (Jacobs Ladder) 'Northern Lights' for so long and have only just discovered how fragrant it is.  I was dead-heading some stocks, Matthiola incana (scented stock), cutting off spent stems with just a few flowers on top, and decided that I would put them in a small vase.  I looked around my garden border for something else to add to them and saw how floriferous the polemonium plant was, so I picked a few and WOW.  Who'd have thought it; the 'Northern Lights' flowers are highly fragrant.  Just telling you, just in case you didn't know either.

Polemonium (Jacobs Ladder) 'Northern Lights' 

The label says that Polemonium 'Northern Lights' is a clump-forming, compact, fully hardy plant with delightful pale-blue fragrant flowers from May to July.  It regrows from ground level every year.  It achieves a height of 35cm (14in) and spread of 30cm (12in).  It likes fertile, well-drained and moist soil in full sun or partial-shade.  when the flowers have faded, cut back to encourage a second flush of flowers. 

Polemonium (Jacobs Ladder) 'Northern Lights' 

Not only are the flowers so pretty on their tallish stems, and fragrant too, but the clump-forming leaves are bright green, and really eye-catching.  This is a hardy herbaceous so it'll disappear on you during winter but it more than makes up for it in warmer months.  

Polemonium (Jacobs Ladder) 'Northern Lights'