Red Butte is awash in spring splendor

Like a dear friend, Red Butte Garden is always welcoming. Earlier this week, I once again walked the paths and marveled at the beauty that has evolved there in only a few short years.

Although I have lost track of how many times I have visited these gardens, seldom, if ever, have I been treated to such a plethora of fragrances. The garden was awash in spring-flowering trees and shrubs, perennials and bulbs.

Around every curve, the explosion of color and delightful smells gives each visitor an unforgettable treat. Because the garden is slightly higher in elevation, the spring plants are still outstanding.

One of the first plants to catch my eye — and my nose — was Viburnum carlesii, also known as Korean spice viburnum. This deciduous plant is hardy to zone four and has sticking clusters of white blossoms.

The Compactum cultivar is a compact, slow-growing, rounded, deciduous shrub that typically matures to 3 to 4 feet tall with a similar spread. The pink buds open to sweetly fragrant white flowers arranged in snowball-like clusters some 3 inches across.

Look for other fragrant viburnums, including V. x bodnantense Pink Dawn, V. x burkwoodii, V. x carlcephalum, V. x judii, V. odoratissimum, V. farreri and V. bitchiuense.

Size and hardiness varies, but all are showy.

I could not help thinking of both of my grandmothers when I walked near the lilacs as both had the common lilac — or Syringa vulgaris — growing on each side of their front walks. Red Butte's extensive selection, however, will introduce you to more modern types.

Lilacs are one of Utah's most cold-hardy plants. The common form has a height of 8 to 15 feet and a span of 6 to 12 feet, but other sizes are available. The plants bloom best in full sun. Grow them as a specimen or massed together or as a privacy screen or hedge.

Malus sargentii, also known as Sargent crab apple, has a profusion of pale pink buds that turn into white flowers. The flowers are followed by small, red crab apples (one-fourth of an inch in diameter) that mature in the fall.

The flowers on these and some other varieties are only slightly fragrant, but that doesn't mean they're not suitable for your landscape.