As a new homeowner, I finally have all the space I need to do what I want with my gardening prowess. One of the many things I have been wanting to do for a long time is plant a ‘scent garden’ near an outdoor sitting area. There is nothing like the onslaught of heavenly aromas one encounters as you make your way down a garden path or sit with a good book while being enveloped in a euphoria of brightly colored flowers emitting nirvanic odors. The cause could be the winds gently nudging the viburnum branches or the oils of a scented geranium leaf being released by the brush of a sleeve.
Instead of enjoying a scented garden a friend’s house or the local botanical gardens, why not specifically plant a scented garden that includes some of your favorites at your house? With a little planning and a few seeds or plants, you too can turn your patio or balcony or bare patch of ground in the corner into a bower surrounded by aromatic plants that will make your gardening experience all the sweeter!
A few tips on designing your scent garden:
1) Place the garden in an area that either gets frequent foot traffic or is next to a seating area so you and your visitors can enjoy it.
2) A south-facing garden will not only allow a wider variety of plants, but the sun can release additional scents more so than a shaded area.
3) Use an assortment of each group of plants below for season-long blooms and scents.
This list is just a bare-bones starter — there are many more plants that can be found regionally with equally wonderful scents. Check your local garden scent to find out what grows in your area. (Note: some annuals can be perennials in more southern climates and some perennials are annuals in more northern climates.)
Annuals:
Dianthus
Heliotrope (Blue/Purple varieties)
Nicotiana
Petunia
Stock
Sweet alyssum
Tuberose
Perennials:
Agastache
Autumn Snakeroot
Creeping Phlox
Daffodils
Hyacinths
Iris
Lavender
Lily-of-the-Valley
Phlox
Shrubs:
Azaleas
Gardenia
Lilac
Mock orange
Roses
Viburnums
White forsythia
Vines:
Honeysuckle
Jasmine
Moonflower
Sweet Pea
Herbs:
Basil
Mint
Parsley
Rosemary
© Mertie Mae Botanics LLC and Horticulture Talk!, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mertie Mae Botanics LLC and Horticulture Talk! with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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