Fragrant Plants to Add to Your Garden

article by P. Allen Smith

Blooms are great for adding visual interest to a landscape and attracting those all-important pollinators. When I’m planning my garden, I like to incorporate fragrant flowers and herbs. Not only are they beautiful but they entice us to spend more time in our outdoor spaces.

I encourage you to place these fragrant plants in areas of the garden where you spend a lot of time or grow them in containers on your deck, patio, or porch.

Here are 10 of my favorite fragrant plants.

English Lavender – This aromatic herb looks beautiful planted in a large swath in the garden. It also grows well in containers. The dark, lavender-blue flower spikes are very attractive to butterflies as well. Lavender thrives in growing conditions similar to its native habitat along the Mediterranean coast. They prefer moist, cool winters and hot, dry summers. Well-drained soil and a full day’s sun are also essential for robust plants and plentiful blooms.

Peonies – Prized for their form, stunning range of colors and exceptional hardiness, few other plants once established bloom so reliably year after year with such little care. Their large, glorious flowers add bright splashes of color to beds and borders and their intoxicating fragrance make them a wonderful cut flower. As if there wasn’t enough to love already about peonies, they’re also deer resistant.

Lemon Balm  – Part of the mint family, this herb has a lemon flavor and smells of lemon with a hint of mint. Lemon balm is great in teas, salads and even cut to use in bouquets. Lemon balm can quickly take over in your garden, if you’re not careful. Unlike mint, the roots are not the problem here. It’s the seeds. The best course of action to prevent lemon balm from taking over the garden is to remove its flowers as soon as you notice them.

LILAC – This plant produces fragrant lavender blooms. Lilacs bloom best when planted in full sun and well-drained, alkaline soil. Plants should be fertilized with a general fertilizer in early spring and then again after the bloom cycle. To encourage blooms, substitute the general fertilizer with super phosphate, or a fertilizer high in phosphorous, for your early spring feeding.

Champneys’ Pink Cluster – You will find these throughout the rose garden at Moss Mountain Farm. Champneys’ Pink Cluster is a Noisette rose, the first class of American roses. The clusters of pale pink blossoms have an intoxicating scent. Champneys’ Pink Cluster can be trained to climb with the right support. Pruning will allow you to grow it as a shrub as well.

Gardenia – Very few plants can top the sweet smell of gardenias! And those gorgeous white blooms pop against the glossy, deep green foliage. Grow gardenias in a protected area that gets full sun to part shade. The plant thrives in consistently moist, well-drained soil. Feed the plant in the spring, before new growth starts using an all-purpose fertilizer.

Honeysuckle – You can’t go wrong with honeysuckle! It will thrive in most conditions and is a perfect choice for attracting wildlife to the garden. Honeysuckle grows best in full sun but can take a bit of shade. Plant honeysuckle in well-drained soil amended with organic matter for best results.

Tuberose – With good drainage and ample mulching, these Mexican exotics are quite rewarding. They are prized for their tall sprays of pearly white, tubular, perfumed flowers. Plant them near a patio, walk, deck or other living space to enjoy the spicy-sweet fragrance. Grow tuberoses in organically rich, well-draining soil. Plant the rhizomes 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart in spring after the threat of frost is past. Provide consistent moisture throughout the growing season.

Catmint – At the peak of spring, the 30-inch tall plants are lush with gray-green, scented foliage and literally covered in spires of soft purple blooms. If you struggle with growing the herb lavender, I suggest you try nepeta ‘Sixhills Giant’ as an alternative. Catmint does best in full sun, planted in soil that is moist, but well-drained.

Oriental Lilies – These fragrant flowers are late summer bloomers. They need to be planted in well-drained soil in full sun. Water moderately once they start to bloom. These lilies are so easy to care for, but a word of warning: deer will love your lilies as much as you do!