Fragrant Plants
The Many Advantages Of Planting Fragrant Plants
Few things bring more pleasurable than a garden full of sweet-smelling flowers and plants. Indeed, the plants do not have to smell sweet. The fragrances of herbs such as thyme, sage, and rosemary aren’t fresh, but they are alluring. A conscientious gardener might blend and contrast aromas that are sharp, soft, subtle and earthy to create a garden that’s like a perfume, with top notes, bottom notes, and middle notes. Best of all, most fragrant plants not only smell good but are uncommonly beautiful and useful. Here are some flowers for a pleasant smelling garden:
Roses — Rosa species
Of course, roses are prized for their beauty and fragrance, but some roses are more fragrant than others. Indeed, there are roses grown mostly for their good looks and whose scent is slight. Roses with a strong aroma include:
Louise Odier, a Bourbon type rose that is disease resistant and winter hardy
High Noon, a hybrid climbing tea with a spicy fragrance
Marigold, a golden shrub rose
Fragrant Cloud, a red hybrid tea with an intense, classical rose fragrance
Roses need soil that’s very well drained and slightly acidic and full sun.
Sweet Shrub — Calycanthus floridus
The flowers of this beautiful shrub have a smell that reminds many people of bubblegum. The flowers are brown or reddish brown and resemble the blossoms of the magnolia. The fragrance lasts a long time, and the flowers can be dried and used for potpourri. The shrub grows between 6 and 10 feet tall and does well in shade or full sun in hardiness zones 4 to 9. It prefers fertile, loamy soil but can do well in soil with more clay.
Lemon Verbena — Aloysia citrodora
This is an herb with not only a lemony fragrance but a lemony taste. Bruise some leaves and put them in a tall glass of ice water and sugar and it tastes better than lemonade. Lemon verbena prefers well-drained, fertile loam and full sun. It needs to be fertilized every month if it’s outdoors and every two weeks if it’s indoors. It does best in hardiness zones 4 to 9.
Carolina Jessamine — Gelsemium sempervirens
The state flower of South Carolina, this vine erupts into masses of golden flowers in the late winter in the south and gives off a fragrance like hot candy. It does best in full sun though it will also bloom in partial shade. It prefers rich loam and flourishes in hardiness zones 6 to 9.