A beautiful garden is nice, but a beautiful and fragrant garden is something else altogether. Scent can add another rich dimension to the way we experience and enjoy a garden. And if you position fragrant plants close to your front gate or door you can give guests a truly sensory welcome upon arrival.
If you’re a bit underwhelmed by the usual, obvious choices (gardenias, roses, frangipanis and jasmine), there are lots of other lesser-known fragrant plants which are just as worthy of a spot in your garden – if not more so. It’s just a matter of research and personal taste.
Here are our top three favourite perfumed plants:
Osmanthus Fragrans (aka Sweet Osmanthus)
Ask Phil what’s his absolute favourite perfumed plant and he’ll tell you that Osmanthus Fragrans is the sweetest of them all. This Asian native features small clusters of inconspicuous flowers (usually cream but sometimes yellow) which smell amazing. This plant’s perfume is unique and rather hard to describe, but definitely worth sniffing if you get the opportunity. Sweet Osmanthus is an evergreen shrub. It usually flowers in spring and sometimes in early summer.
Heliotropium Arborescens (Cherry Pie)
Ah, Cherry Pie (sigh). This enchanting plant is a classic and rather old-fashioned charmer. It has striking purple flowers and a luxurious vanilla scent. It flowers between spring and autumn.
Quisqualis Indica (Rangoon Creeper)
Who wouldn’t want to smell good and be known as the Rangoon Creeper? Hmm? Well, maybe that’s debatable. But nevertheless this honeysuckle vine is a lovely choice when it comes to both fragrance and flowers. However it does have some thorny spikes, so remember to allow for some extra elbow room when choosing a suitable position for it in your garden. Perhaps it shouldn’t be too close to your front door or pathway. The Rangoon Creeper emits a strong exotic perfume. Its flowers start out white before gradually developing into a pink and finally deepening into a rich red. It flowers in early summer.