North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Hilborn.E@epamail.epa.gov]

Eddie,

I am in zone 7a and greatly enjoy my gardenia's scent in midsummer.
Mine blooms over a few month period, approximately June through August.
It seems that zone 6 may be right  on the edge of where they may survive
unless you have a suitable microclimate to offer.   I believe that they
have bred hardier varieties in recent years and they are now offered for
sale in many areas.  Unknowns include the suitability of your soil and
specific hardy varieties and their bloom periods.  A plant to
investigate anyway...

Another suggestion would be Oriental lilies and some varieties of Hosta
(old-fashioned August lily is my favorite) have lovely scents midsummer
and are hardy in zone 6.

No vines that I know of have intense midsummer fragrance. Sweet autumn
clematis will give you a powerful late summer scent, and I appreciate my
hardy jasmine for intense spring/early summer fragrance, although again
it may be tender for zone 6.

Betsy Hilborn
7a NC