This is my favourite time of the year for taking an evening stroll or pottering about in the front garden watering or deadheading .
The linden trees (also known as lime or tilia or basswood) are in blossom- not conspicuous flowers, granted, but oh! the perfume, far more powerful this year than for several in the past. One very poor summer, two, or was it three, years ago, all residents commented that they had missed the perfume entirely. In any case, it lasts no longer than a fortnight. When at its best, one forgives the trees their tendency to block up gutters and drains with leaves in Autumn and drop twigs and small branches onto cars in all year round gales.
Most tall linden trees, like the ones in our road are remnants of the Victorian era. Nowadays many councils do not regard them as suitable for urban planting.
I am told that there are two dwarf varieties of linden 'Green Globe' and 'Lico, that look like lollipops on sticks and usually grow to know more than 15' in height. If their blossom is as well perfumed as the species lindens they may well become desirable street plants.
For a fuller account of Linden trees, botanically, pharmaceutically and historically see the article in Wikipedia
