Garden designer Kirsty McLean sniffs out the best plants for a scent-sational garden…
The waft of scent coming from a plant as you brush past can bring back memories and emotions of childhood, holidays or loved ones. Scented plants can be therapeutic, inducing feelings of pleasure, reducing stress, promoting relaxation and even improving sleep.
Sun and warmth bring out the scent in plants more, but we have many plants that grow in the north-east of Scotland that smell wonderful throughout the seasons, if you know what to look for.
In summer the herbaceous border is starting to push up with perennials of such variety, colour and scent, there are too many to name! Climbers too are coming into their own, such as Jasminum Officinale (Summer Jasmine) or if you have very sheltered spot against a wall or fence, try Trachelospermum Jasminoides (Star Jasmine) which is semi-evergreen, both are highly scented.
Later in the season, as we move into autumn, we have honeysuckles such as Lonicera japonica Serotina, Belgica or Halliana and climbing roses such as Rosa New Dawn, The Generous Gardener, or the thornless climber Zepherine Drouhin all of which have strong and individual scents and often flower right through to the first frosts.
Just imagine sitting under an arbour surrounded by lanterns and evening scented blooms filling up your senses on a warm summer evening. There are plenty of night-scented plants available. Try Japanese wisteria if you have a very sunny wall or fence. Night Phlox and Trachelospermum Jasminoides, both need shelter as they are tender, evening scented Stocks, Dianthus, Hesperis matronalis (Sweet Rocket), Honeysuckles and many more pour out their scent as the sun sets.
Even the depths of winter bring the promise of scented blooms. In January, Sarcococca confusa (Sweet Box) has the most wonderful fragrance. Such a treasure for any space because of its compact nature and perfect to grow in a pot. Mahonias offer masses of sweetly, scented yellow flowers that cheer up the back of any border and start flowering around the end of Autumn often until the following March.
Lonicera x purpusii, ‘Winter Beauty’ (winter flowering honeysuckle) is covered in beautifully delicate and intensely fragrant creamy-white flowers in February, while Viburnum Tinus ‘Eve Price’ flowers from December to April. It has the sweetest scent coming from blush-pink buds in clusters.
As we move into spring, Hamamelis Mollis (witch hazel) produces spidery blossoms with a citrusy scent. Pieris japonica, Forest Flame & Flaming Silver are dripping with the most amazing panicles of hundreds of creamy scented, bell-shaped cream flowers and copper-coloured new leaf.
Snowdrops such as S Arnott, Atkinisii and James Blackhouse have the scent of honey and are quickly followed by Daffodils such as ‘Peach Cobbler’, ‘Jonquilla Peublo’ or Narcissus ‘Yellow Cheerfulness’. Osmanthus burkwoodii with its glossy evergreen leaf and abundance of fragrant white flowers. It’s a versatile and forgiving plant, growing in most conditions in both sun and partial shade. Daphne Retusa has pale pink clusters of deeply scented blooms that remain until end of May only to return later in the summer for a short burst, followed by red berries.
Late spring brings the heady-scented lilac (Sryinga vulgaris) and laburnum trees quickly followed by Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’, with its delicately coloured, white flower spikes and beautiful ‘orange-blossom’ fragrance. For smaller gardens there is a compact version called Philadelphus ‘Manteau d’Hermine’ and if you want a compact flowering Lilac, look no further than Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’
How lucky are we to have so much to choose from and all available here in our local garden centres or at the click of a button!