Planning a Fragrance Garden

By B. Rosie Lerner
Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist

Many gardeners complain that modern-day flowers have lost their sweet fragrance compared to old-fashioned varieties. It is true that some hybrid flowers have been bred for larger blooms, bolder colors, disease resistance, and other improvements at the expense of fragrance. However, there are still plenty of choices for planning an aromatic showcase.

The source of fragrance in plants depends a bit on the species; some plants' flowers produce scent in specialized glands to attract potential insect pollinators. Other plants may have aromatic oils in their foliage, only to be released if bruised or crushed.

Your fragrance garden should be planned with lots of study and personal experience. Like other gardens, you'll want to design a scheme that will have something of interest throughout the season, rather than having all of the fragrance at the same time. Some scents may complement each other, while others may clash. Beauty here is in the nose of the beholder, since what may be enchanting to one person may be offensive to the next.

To get you started on your plan, the following plants have earned their fragrant reputations. Cultivars and varieties of plants may vary in their potency, so be sure to do your homework, and don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations. You can always rearrange the planting should you find your design to be lacking.

Annuals

sweet pea
sweet alyssum
evening stock
nasturtium (some)
scented geraniums
heliotrope
santolina

Perennials

hyacinth
poet's narcissus
artemisia
daylily (some)
chrysanthemum (some)
hyssop
red valerian
lavender
peony
thyme
sweet woodruff
sweetautumn clematis
lemon verbena
sweet sultan
lily-of-the-valley
sweet rocket
hosta (some)
iris (some)
lily (some)
bee balm
evening primrose

Trees/Shrubs/Vines

lilac
mock orange
rose
snowball viburnum
clethra (summersweet)
honeysuckle
Carolina allspice
linden (basswood)

Last updated: 11 April 2006
Questions about this page should be sent to homehort@purdue.edu