12 Fragrant Flowers That Will Make Your Garden Smell Incredible
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
A garden should engage all the senses. While colorful plants and striking foliage are a must, including fragrant flowers adds another level of beauty and enjoyment to your garden. In fact, fragrance can evoke memories and bring a sense of peace to any garden setting, whether your garden's style is Mediterranean, cottage or a classic French potager.
Sweetly scented flowers attract and support pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden, too. And planting fragrant flowers near outdoor seating areas or walkways also enhances your enjoyment of them (if you've ever sat near a trellis of lilacs or blooming gardenia bush, you know exactly what we mean).
Scented flowers can include an array of annuals, which last one season, as well as perennials, which return for many years. Many fast-growing shrubs also can provide color and fragrance to the garden. With careful planning, you can enjoy fragrant flowers for the entire growing season by planting a combination of these types of plants.
When shopping, read the plant tag or description to make sure you plant in the right spot. Full sun means a plant needs 6 or more hours of direct sunlight, while part sun is half that. Shade means only a bit of morning sun. Don't try to cheat nature: If you don’t give your plant the right light levels, it will not bloom well. Finally, when planting perennials or shrubs, make sure to choose those that will survive winters in your USDA Hardiness Zone (find your zone here).
Here, the best-smelling fragrant flowers for your garden.
Peony
These queens of the garden have gorgeous, lush flowers with a sweet, old-fashioned charm. These spring-blooming perennials are tough plants which can live for decades. And don’t worry about the ants that visit; they’re not hurting the plant (nor are they necessary to make it bloom, which is a common myth). They’re just sipping the nectar.
Lilac
The intoxicating scent of lilacs wafting on the breeze is a true springtime delight. These sturdy bushes also live for decades. New cultivars, or cultivated varieties, bloom again later in the season.
Rose
No garden is complete without roses! Roses have a semi-undeserved reputation for being fussy, but there’s the right kind of rose for every garden. New hybrids are more disease-resistant and hardy, and they’re increasingly being bred for fragrance. Read the plant tag so you're sure to buy one that's scented to your liking—rose scent notes can run the gamut from green tea to old rose to myrrh.
Gardenia
Gardenias have beautiful glossy evergreen leaves and creamy white flowers that appear in late spring to early summer or fall, depending on the variety. Their delicate scent adds old-fashioned appeal to any Southern garden.
Lavender
This classic perennial is a must-have in any garden because it lasts for years, is deer and rabbit resistant and lavender makes a lovely cut or dried flower. There are many different types, so be sure to choose a variety that is hardy in your region.
Sweet Alyssum
This low-growing annual has a sweet honey scent that pollinators love. Plant it in mixed containers, tumbling over low walls, and spilling over the edges of window boxes and hanging baskets.
Honeysuckle
This summer-blooming perennial vine has intricate flowers that hummingbirds love. Be sure to avoid non-native or invasive honeysuckles, such as Japanese honeysuckle, which often are shrubbier in form.
Hyacinth
These spring bloomers last for weeks in the landscape. Plant the bulbs in the fall for blooms the following spring. These flowers will come back for many years, especially because they’re not appealing to digging rodents that like to devour many other types of spring-flowering bulbs.
Daphne Shrub
Daphne shrubs flower in late winter to early spring with a sweet, fruity fragrance like no other in the garden. They’re a wonderful plant for bridging the seasons from winter to spring, and they stay nice and rounded without needing pruned.
Sweet Pea
This delicate-looking annual comes in many hues, from pastels to hot pinks and purples. They’re also incredibly easy to grow from seed. Not all types are scented, so be sure to read the seed package to know what you’re buying. There are both mounding and climbing types, which benefit from a trellis.
Sweetspire Shrub
Fragrant white brushy flowers in spring attract pollinators. Most types also have pretty fall color, too, and it’s a deer-resistant shrub that's a good choice if Bambi is a frequent visitor to your garden.
Dianthus
Low-growing flowers make an excellent groundcover. Make sure to buy the perennial type, which blooms in spring with a mild spicy scent. Shearing after blooming may encourage fall re-bloom.
You Might Also Like
