It is easier to capture colour in the garden than to capture scent but scents can stay in the memory evocatively and vividly. As with most gardening a little forethought can help you get far better results from a similar amount of effort.
Getting The Best Garden Scent
- Choose plants that are known for their scent. Lighter coloured varieties often have more or better perfume.
- Scent is best when the pollinating insects are at their most active and that often means in the evening particularly for those pollinated by moths.
- Plant several identical plants together and try not to mix strong scents in the same area as they will conflict.
- Scent is best sampled on a warm, calm still day and you can help this by designing recesses, arbors, pergolas and hedges to create the still environment.
- Aromatic leaves and herbs should be slightly crushed to get the best scent. Do not be afraid to touch plants.
- Even bark can have a scent like cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica), Juniper virginiana or Betula pendula (Birch).
- Choose plants for succession Winter Jasmine, Hyacinths for spring, Lily of the Valley in May and Roses for June as examples.
Moody Scents
- Stimulating lively scents are found with basil, fennel, peppermint rosemary and Eucalyptus. Lemon verbena and some scented leaved geraniums alos fit this mood.
- For rest and peace you want calm balanced scent such as Clary sage, Chamomile, lavendar or rich exotic roses.
Five Top Scented Plants
- Roses and I will give you five varieites for the price of one Constance Spry pink, Leverkusen yellow, Madame Hardy white, Guinee deep red and the Damasck rose.
- Philadelphus Virginal the white flowered Mock Orange shrub.
- Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum Serotina for late summer and autumn.
- Syringa microphylla Superba the scented Lilac.
- Nicotiana sylvestris tobacco plants smell a lot better than burn tobacco.
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