The scented garden

[andy]

Wherever possible, i try my hardest to grow plants that not only look good but smell good too.

Whether that's a shrub, climber or bedding plant, the addition of scent to a garden is invaluable.

As mentioned on here in the past, i grow loads of night scented stock. The smell in the late evening is just heavenly. I also adore blue petunias which are scented during the day. Coupled with sweet peas and nicotiana, it really is a recipe for a devine garden....particularly in the evenings. Pansies, polyanthus, wallflowers and Antirrhinum all smell when the sun's on them. Try some normal white Allysum....it smells of honey and night scented phlox will fill the garden with the smell of vanilla

Mix in some of the shrubs too.....philadelphus, Rosa rugosa, spartium Juncium....and some climbers such as Honeysuckle, trachelospermum and jasmine and life really can't get much better.

And then there's the devine smell of roses. I'm not a big rose fan but you really can't beat the smell of an old English rose.

Of course you don't have to rely on scented flowers. The smell of Lavender and other herbs after rain is magic as is choisya.

I'm a serious leaf crusher....i will crush any leaf i come across. Black walnut (juglans nigra) has a lovely orangy smell when crushed....as has sweet flag (Acorus calamus). Myrtle (Myrtus communis) is devine.....Houtynnia is disgusting....in my opinion of course....some people love it and if you manage to get hold of an outdoor Clerodenderon, the leaves smell like roast beef.

And then there's what i call "the typical smell of summer"....just 3 plants that fit this description....the tomato, the geranium and the marigold. I think those three epitimises everything about a summer garden.

So start using your nose a bit. For me, scent is probably more important than looks.

[Chuckles]

I love scent in the garden too Andy, one shrub that amazes me is Weigela. Although very pretty, and a little blousey maybe, the scent if lovely. I have several in the garden along with other scented plants and shrubs. Lavender, Oriental Lillies, Jasmine, Mock Orange, climbing and shrub Roses, Evening Primrose, various herbs, Wallflowers, Honeysuckle to name a few.

Which reminds me I have a packet of Night Scented Phlox to sow the plan was to sow them in the Lily pots, what a scent combination that will be.

[andy]

Do you know chuckles that in 25 years of profesional gardening, i can honestly say i'd never smelt Weigela....until i walked past a large shrub in the garden i look after this year and thought "what on earth's that lovely smell"....so i started hunting but could not find....only to be faced with a beautiful Weigela smelling superb.

If you want a stunner...try Spartium Juncium. We have some at work and they can be smelt 500 yards away

[4pygmies]

Ooh, you're making me soo jealous! I have very little sense of smell - each time I've been pregnant I've lost a bit more and after years of terrible hayfever and blocked sinuses I can only smell herbs and some of the stronger scented flowers now.......you're so lucky!

[JennyWrenn]

I also sow lots of night scented stock Andy- these can be sown anywhere - they dont look very pretty but I dont think there is any flower in the world that smells as nice - you dont have to bend down to smell them either - the perfume wafts on the night breeze

Cant wait for mine to flower

[weedorcas]

One of my favourite scents in the garden is Lilium regale, especially planted amongst roses.I find their scent too powerful in the house, but outside they are glorious.

[Shrubrose]

Do you know, I didn't know weigela was perfumed. I have a few around the place and have never noticed. Soon put that to rights - they'll be gone tomorrow. No, only joking ;D Have one in flower - lovely pinky red - will test it tomorrow.

[Deleted]

I had the pleasure of experiencing Night Scented Stock last year, but none have germinated this year I'm envious!

[Deleted]

Apart from the usual suspects, I love the smell of the garden after a huge summer storm. All the plants have opened themselves up to get as much rain as possible and you can smell each individual flower - the smell of wet lavender is close to heavenly for me.


BTW, is it too late to sow night scented stock now? I always sow some and just couldn't be bothered this year because of the lousy weather and the fact that we've not spent a single evening in the garden!

I know on the packet it says to make succesional sowings but thought I might have missed the boat.

[andy]

I would say that it was too late i'm afraid. I usually sow some in late March indoors and they flower by late june so about 2 months from sowing to flowering which would take us to end sept.

Might be worth chucking a packet in and see what happens. I must admit that a lot of mine has gone over. I might cut it back and give it a good feed to see if it'll come back again.

[Deleted]

I might do that Andy as I've got an old pack of seeds that I think need to be used this year and I can't bear to throw anything away!

I'm very much of the 'chuck it and see' mentality!

[Barbara]

privet does it for me, the smell of the flowers is just great.