Planting for Fragrance

			Planting for Fragrance Terry L. Yockey
			When we think of flowers, most of us associate them with our favorite fragrances. A problem with the newer varieties of flowers is the loss of scent. As they have made the blooms bigger and better, they have often lost the lovely fragrance of the old-fashioned flowers in our grandmother's gardens. If you use your nose at the nursery, you can still fill your backyard with sweet aromas. There are fragrance plants for all times of the season. You can select from trees, shrubs, bulbs, and annual or perennial flowers. The ideal place to locate fragrant plants is where you are the most. If you spend a lot of time on your patio or deck, plant the flowers in pots around your chairs and tables. Plants under your windows will waft their perfume into your home. Herbs release their scents when the leaves are brushed, so plant them along pathways or even between stepping stones. Remember, if you really like a fragrance, the more of that plant--the better! Annuals 1. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia marima)--An often (maybe over) used edging plant, that has a very sweet fragrance. It prefers full sun and comes in purple or white varieties. 2. Lemon marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia)--Unlike the other marigolds, this one has a pleasant citrus scent. It is a good edging plant with a mounding form and is also an edible flower. 3. Carnation and Pinks (Dianthus spp.)--Nothing compares to the distinctive spicy fragrance of most Dianthus. I grow mine in pots so I can enjoy them wherever I'm sitting. Try growing the very sweet-scented biennial Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) under your rugosa shrub roses for fragrance to the max. 4. Scented Geranium (Pelargonium)--The best scented plants! There are zillions of different varieties and scents to choose from. My favorites are: a. Peppermint (P.tomentosum)--It smells just like candy canes and it makes a good hanging plant. The leaves are fuzzy. b. Apple (P. odoratissimum)--It smells like apple "Jolly Rancher" candy, and is also a good hanging plant. c. Rose (P. graveolens)--One of the largest, very susceptible to whiteflies. An old- fashioned rose fragrance. 5. Mignonette (Roseda odorata)--One of my biggest failures. I haven't been able to get it to flower yet. This is supposedly one of the best fragrances in the garden. Plant the seeds where its going to grow (and hope for the best!). 6. Nicotiana (N. alata, N. sylvestris)--Tube-shaped blossoms that the hummingbirds love. The fragrance is most noticeable in the evening, so if you spend time outdoors after dusk then this is the flower for you. The dwarf 'Nikki' varieties have no scent at all. Perennials: 1. Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)--An herb that has a licorice scent. Another favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies. 2. Daylilies (Hemercallis)--Some do, some don't! My grandmother gave me one that has very small yellow flowers in the late summer. It isn't the best looking daylily I've ever seen--but the fragrance is incomparable! 3. Hosta (H. plantaginea)--'Royal Standard' and 'Honeybells' are particularly fragrant. 4. Lily of the Valley (Convallaria)--Every spring I look forward to my neighbor's large plot next to the house coming into bloom. They perfume the entire neighborhood. Generally, they like a moist, shaded area. If you can get them established, however; they will grow almost anywhere. 5. Lavender (L. angustifolia)--Not reliably hardy here, but worth trying in your garden. They were growing wild all over our backyard at one time, but have since disappeared. I grow the new 'Lavender Lady' from seed every spring because it will flower its first year. 6. Phlox (P. paniculata)--The white varieties such as 'David' are the most fragrant. 7. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)--An herb that is very useful as a groundcover in the moist shade under trees. Makes a good sachet when its dried, the leaves smell like freshly mown grass. Shrubs: 1. Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius)--A very sweet spring fragrance. Needs a lot of pruning to stay in good shape. 2. Clethra (C. anifolia)--Blossoms in mid-summer and lasts for a long time. Very sweet fragrance. 3. Roses (Rosa rugosa)--Unlike their more tender relatives, these are hardy shrub roses. The blossoms have a spicy scent and appear off and on all summer. 4. Lilacs (Syringa)--'Miss Kim' is a good choice. A more compact shrub. There are many other plants that deserve a place in your fragrance garden. If you plan wisely, you can enjoy fragrance in your yard all summer long. Remember, smell before you buy! My Long List of Fragrant Plants

			To find more information on planting for fragrance, try the book "A Garden of Fragrance" by Suzy Bales. Hardcover - 192 pages (April 2000) Regan Books. The author shows you how to increase the aromatic impact of your garden no matter what the season. If you can not pass a flower without burying your face in it--this book is for you!