Gardening Tips: It's all about the fragrance

I will admit it, I am a fragrance addict. I love to stick my nose into scented flowers and ‘pet’ plants with fragrant foliage. My personal favourite is Woolly Thyme; the foliage is both fragrant and incredibly soft.

The fragrance of foliage and flowers does certainly influence new additions to my garden. I planted hardy shrubs roses that have strongly scented flowers: Theresa Bugnet, Hansa and Blanc de Coubert.

There is a fragrant Northern Lights Azalea in both my front and back gardens. I placed hybrid OT (oriental/trumpet) lilies in both gardens.

I have a Summersweet shrub by the front porch beside a Minuet lilac. The lilac blooms in June and the Summersweet perfumes the air in late August into September.

That same garden has lilies that bloom in midsummer. I also have Mockange in two of my gardens. The white flowers smell like orange blossoms.

If you love lilacs, try one of the Bloomerang series of compact shrubs. They have a main bloom in June and a lighter batch of flowers in late summer. Pink Perfume is the newest addition to the lineup.

Some fragrant perennials include: dianthus, peony, carnations, bearded iris, tall summer phlox, Lily of the Valley, Sweet Woodruff and lavender.

When I choose annuals for the pots and window boxes, I make a point of including some plants in each area that will scent the air or have fragrant foliage.

There are so many to choose from: Sweet Alyssum, Heliotrope, Petunias, Nicotiana, Nemesia, Lantana (the foliage is citrus scented), Moon vine and Sweet Peas.

Another way to enjoy both fragrance and an edible component to the garden is to grow herbs. I enjoy the scent of the foliage as much as I do using them in the kitchen.

The hardy perennial types can be planted right in the gardens: onion and garlic chives, oregano, various thymes, sage, fennel, tarragon, spearmint, peppermint and lemon balm.

The last three are all members of the mint family and are very aggressive plants. If planting in the garden, give them lots of room to grow or plant them in a deep pot sunk into the ground.

Cut numerous drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and leave the lip of the pot several inches above ground level. This method will help contain the plant.

As a side note, the mint family has plants identified by their square stems. They are all pretty aggressive. The perennials Monarda (or Bee Balm) and Obedient Plant are also members of this family.

Herbs are also perfectly suited for container gardening. I always have several pot filled with fragrant foliage basking in the sun near my deck and back patio.

Be sure to choose a container with drainage holes. Use a good quality potting mix. Since you are consuming the foliage, an organic soil is a good choice.

I have found that basil always grow best by itself in pots. Remember this plant does not like the cold! Don’t put it out too early. Along with the traditional large leaved basil, there are many other types to try.

I like the Spicy Globe Basil for its abundant small leaves. Columnar Basil is another great plant and is the best variety to grow indoors on a sunny kitchen windowsill.

Keep several parsley and cilantro plants on hand so you always have a fresh supply to harvest from. Italian Parsley is best for cooking and Curly parsley is the perfect garnish.

I grow Bay Laurel in a container and take it indoors for the winter. I love making stocks, soups and stews during cold weather and can pinch off bay leaves to add flavour.

I have had the same plant for 4 years now. It goes out for the summer and sits indoors, near a sunny window, all winter.

As you can see, there is a wealth of fragrant plants to choose from.

To add a few trees to the list, consider Linden, Ivory Silk Lilac or any of the French hybrid lilac standards. They all have fragrant flowers!