Most garden designs are focused on the visual characteristics of individual plants and their arrangement. However, the best gardens take into consideration all of a plants qualities, including its fragrance. Fragrance, the sense which evokes memory better than any other, is easy to incorporate into your garden design.
Though hybridization (the growing and manipulation of plants), has resulted in larger flowers and plants which resist disease its effect on a plant’s fragrance has been detrimental. However, there are still many plants which are great for planning fragrant gardens whether its lilacs with their fragrant flowers or herbs such as rosemary with its scented foliage.
Some of the best trees and shrubs for the fragrant garden include swamp magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) and butterfly bush (Budlea davidii). Fragrance varies within each plant species. The Koreanspice viburnum has a wonderful scent, however, other viburnum species may have no scent at all. Some native shrubs are wonderful in the fragrant garden. The late blooming flowers of summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), for instance, are quite fragrant.
Ideally, fragrant trees, shrubs and flowers are planted where people can smell them, alog walkways and adjacent to sitting areas, such as terraces or decks, for instance. Include pots of fragrant annuals, such as heliotrope, on decks, porches and patios. Line the edges of a patio with a low border of lavender or rosemary. Plant them around a bench or line path with fragrant herbs, such as mint and thyme. Some of the most popular spring bulbs are quite fragrant, including hyacinth and narcissus, as is the early blooming perennial, lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis).
Entry ways are enhanced when their design incorporates fragrant plants. Lilacs, fragrant roses, wisteria, Daphne, jasmine, and sweet autumn clematis are all wonderful additions to the entrance garden.
Vines, such as Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens), a native, non-invasive vine and the autumn-blooming clematis (Clematis virginiana), are impportant elements in the fragrant garden and can be trained to grow on a garden structure.
Fragrant shrubs, such as lilac (Syringa vulgaris), when planted near window can be enjoyed indoors as their scent drifts inside. Window boxes are also a great way to add fragrance to the indoors.
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