Our sense of smell is a powerful tool, yet is often overlooked, because its subtle nuances cannot always be consciously recognised.  Smell is evocative and can be interpreted in different ways depending on the recipient, creating or influencing moods.  The power of scent has been harnessed commercially, and there are thousands of different perfumes available to buy.  Our emotional response to scent is exploited daily in supermarkets to encourage spending, or used in beauty parlours as part of soothing therapies.  Aromas conjure up associations, and can trigger memories of places, people, holidays, and events, and these memories can be recreated by finding those fragrances in nature and using them to enhance our surroundings.

The fragrance released by flowers and leaves in our gardens is natures own social networking site, bringing together plants and pollinators as a vital part of their life cycle. These smells have a purpose, attracting insects to the flowers or deterring pests from eating leaves.  Some flowers are highly scented, but some plants also produce oil in their leaves to help protect them from drying out in strong sunshine.  Some plants have unique scents that are perfume-like and pleasing, but not all. The Corpse Lily, for example, smells like decaying meat to attract the flies and beetles which are its main pollinators.  Perhaps not a plant to put near a patio! 

It is possible to harmonise the planting within a garden to achieve a balance of fragrances throughout the seasons.  By careful selection of scented plants and by choosing their placement sensitively, the garden can be enveloped in waves of fragrance all day long.  When thinking of fragrance in the garden, scented flowers spring to mind first of all such as roses and honeysuckle, but we should not overlook those which produce aromatic foliage, which can also have a big impact i.e. rosemary and artemisia.  With a little gardening experience a myriad of scent sensations can be created.  It is important to remember that a garden should appeal to ALL the senses and by gratifying each one, harmony and balance are achieved.

In order to create a full olfactory experience, remember to consider different tiers within the garden.  Just as form and texture are used visually, smells can be emitted from all levels, and can fill the space available.  At ground level, use plants with activated scents.  These are released when plant parts are crushed, such as Thymus serpyllum which smells sweet underfoot.  When planted between paving slabs, the heat stored in the paving during the day will help to disperse the scent into the surrounding air. 

At the next level, surround seating areas with lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia) for summer fragrance, backed by Viburnum farreri, for delicate aroma in the late winter.  Pergolas and other structures can be clothed in perfumed sprawling climbers such as Clematis montana or Wisteria sinensis.  These fragrant arches can give daytime and night time scent if planted with care, and also ensure that the source of the fragrance is hanging right by the noses of visitors.  Ornamental trees such as Prunus ‘Fragrant Cloud’  produce a scent which will float down from above and engulf the garden.

Container planting by doorways or under windows gives the opportunity to capitalise on summer perfumes and allow them to drift indoors.  For winter interest, Sweet Box (Sarcococa hookeriana), if planted by a doorway gives a blast of gorgeous heady fragrance when passed by.  Similarly, containers of hyacinths herald spring with their strong sweet smell, which becomes more potent with a little sunshine.

Here are a few ideas for different scented plants and their seasons, with careful placement, you can enjoy fragrance in the garden every month of the year:

Winter – Lonicera fragrantissima, Mahonia japonica, Viburnum bodnantense
Spring – Daphne odora, Choisya ternata, Malus floribunda, Clematis armandii
Summer – Cytisus battandieri, Jasminum officinale, Lonicera periclymenum
Autumn – Cercidophyllum japonicum, Itea ilicifolia, Myrtis communis

If you have any questions about this month’s article, or would like to ask us anything garden related, please contact Claire Bryant or Jackie Edwards via email at: info@downtoearthdesign.co.uk