Designing a Fragrance Garden You Can Smell Before You See
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
A fragrance garden you can smell before you can see is a powerful way to appreciate your space. Scents can help you instantly recall distant childhood memories you hold dear and create new ones.
For me, scent in the garden is so important. From the smell of the earth, to the smell when it rains, to the gorgeous flower scents – I love them all. Some take me back to my childhood and some I just enjoy.
I hate the smell of tomato plants and yet I plant them every year because I want to eat the tomatoes and the smell reminds me of my dad in his greenhouse growing tomatoes.
So how can you enjoy a fragrant garden? From placement to climate, here are some ideas.
Choose a Variety of Fragrant Plants
There is no downside to choosing plants for their scents rather than how they look unless you want to create a specific theme. Often you can achieve the look you want and gain some lovely fragrance.
Fragrant plants are well-suited to certain spaces and can elevate your home and garden. For instance, you can plant hyacinth bulbs for a guaranteed spring scent in addition to a stunning assortment of colours. These are great near your house doors or paths so that you smell them as you travel in and out of the house. They are also great to grow in pots so that the fragrance is nearer to your nose!
Of course, herbs are also excellent for creating fragrances in the garden, so consider sage, rosemary and basil. I also love growing mint to use in the kitchen and also to rub and enjoy the fragrance. A word of warning though, mint is quite the garden thug and is best kept in a pot. For me, rosemary is a reminder of my aunt’s garden because as a child I used to rub my hands in her plant until they smelt glorious!
Strategically Plant the Scents
Whether your garden is large or small, the placement of your fragrant plants is critical. There’s no point planting sage or lavender at the back where your nose can’t detect them! The best use of pleasantly-scented bloomers is in the areas you use frequently. For example, you can enjoy a fresh garden with herbs and flowers placed close to your garden benches.
If you have a garden you can walk, rows of scented flowers along pathways reminds you about the beauty of nature. Raised planters are always helpful unless the plant is tall enough to place the fragrance near to you.
If possible plant scented plants in sheltered areas so that the scent can build up and not get blown away too quickly by the wind.
This is a philadelphus shrub next to my front door. When in flower it is glorious!
A Garden You Can Smell Each Season
Seasonal gardening is a powerful way to get the most from what you have. In Britain, we enjoy vastly different seasons, all of which bring their fragrant gifts. In the UK, 53% of Brits grow their own herbs at home, either in the garden or otherwise. Most of us have at least bought potted herbs in the supermarket and kept them on the windowsill.
However, successful seed sowing isn’t as easy as you might think. If you need any help with growing your own plants from seed check out my article on that.
There are different plants that will bloom each season to give you fragrance. Obviously winter is the hardest time to find fragrant flowers but a witch hazel (Hamamelis) will give you flowers and fragrance in the depths of winter. I planted one last autumn and I am looking forward to it growing over the summer and providing lots of flowers next winter. You can also try a mahonia which will also add delicious scent in the depths of winter.
In spring, bulbs are your best friend as they can be very fragrant and you can change your display every year. Hyacinths are the most fragrant but you can also get fragrant daffodils too (check the packets). A great spring flowering shrub for fragrance is a magnolia. I have one and it smells beautiful when in full flower.
In summer there are loads of fragrant plants but my 2 current favourites are sweet peas and philadelphus. I grow sweet peas from seed every year and you can see how I do it and learn some tips here. Philadelphus is a family of shrubs that are often called ‘mock orange’. The reason being that the flowers smell of orange blossom. As I said before, I have one by my front door!
For me, autumn is a time of keeping summer blooms going for as long as possible. I have been known to still be harvesting sweet peas in October!
Consider the Climate
Like the seasons, each plant fairs better depending on the climate. Therefore, it is wise to choose plants that best suit your climate. Even within a local area you must be careful of climate changes. For example, 2 gardens in a street could have a different climate if one garden is much higher up a hill than the other one.
When buying new fragranced plants check the labels and make sure you have the right climate or can give them suitable protection.
Experiment with Different Layouts
Of course, your garden is your garden. Scents can be highly personal, just as much as the colour and texture of the plants. Try sampling different varieties at local garden centres to see what you like. I love pushing my nose into plants and stroking foliage to see if it has a scent.
Also, like colours, there are garden plant scent combinations that complement each other, such as the combination of lavender, jasmine and rosemary. Don’t be afraid to experiment with these. You can find yourself curating your own perfume!
Summary
A variety of fragrant plants will help you create a fragrance garden you can smell before you can see. It helps to think seasonally to get the best out of any scented plants you choose, but it also means experimenting with layered scents as well as colours to get the most from your ideal garden.
So next time you are plant shopping don’t just look at the plants, sniff them too!
I have a whole section on this website dedicated to gardening and if you are interested in apothecary gardens I recommend you learn all about making your own.
If you would like some raised beds to bring the fragrance nearer to you then check out how to make a raised bed here.
However large or small your space you can always include some fragrance so experiment.
