One of the great pleasures in life is enjoying the sweet fragrance of a flower in your own garden. There's no perfume in the world to compare with the warm, sun-kissed fragrance created by nature.
Plant fragrant flowers close to paths so you can enjoy them as you walk by. Some plants have fragrant leaves, which are fun to rub. I have a potted herb garden by my front door. I enjoy rubbing the leaves of the herbs while I'm watering them. The herbs come indoors for the winter, where I continue to enjoy them long after the rest of the garden has gone dormant.
"It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
Fragrant Flowers
Alyssum - Masses of tiny white, pink or purple flowers with a light, sweet fragrance. Easy-to-grow annual.
Dianthus - Most dianthus species have a sweet and spicy fragrance.
Four O'Clock - Sweetly fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers in a wide range of colors.
Gilia tricolor - Annual wildflower with delicate, lilac and white, trumpet-shaped flowers that smell like chocolate. Easy to grow from seed.
Hesperis matronalis - Sweetly fragrant, violet or white flowers. Self-sowing perennial. Easy to grow from seed.
Lunaria - Fragrant purple or white flowers followed by showy seed pods. Shade-tolerant biennial.
Moonflower Vine (Ipomoea alba) - Huge, 6" wide, pure white flowers with a sweet fragrance. Night-blooming, annual vine. Tender perennial in zones 8-11.
Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco) - Fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers. Annual.
Oenothera (Evening Primrose) - Yellow to orange-red flowers that bloom in the evening, releasing their sweet fragrance.
Penstemon palmeri - Large, light pink flowers that smell like grapes. Drought-tolerant, native perennial.
Petunia - Fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers on trailing plants. Blooms in shades of pink, red, purple and white. Easy to grow from seed.
Phlox - Native annual with lightly fragrant flowers in shades of pink, red, rose, magenta and white.
Siberian Wallflower - Lightly fragrant, bright orange flowers in late spring.
Sweet Pea - The powerful fragrance can be smelled from several feet away.
Virginia Stock - Sweetly fragrant, small flowers in pink, purple and white. Quick to bloom from seed.
Yellow Columbine - Delicate, honeysuckle fragrance. A rare aquilegia species.
Fragrant Foliage
Agastache - Perennials in a range of colors and forms. The leaves have a minty or licorice fragrance. Each species or variety smells different.
Basil - Highly fragrant herb for cooking and ornamental gardens. Each variety has a different flavor.
Chamomile - Sweetly fragrant foliage. Small, white daisy flowers for tea.
English Thyme - Fragrant herb for cooking or potpourri. Pinkish-white flowers. Drought-tolerant perennial.
Greek Oregano - The pizza herb. Yummy fragrance. Spreading perennial.
Lavender - Fragrant flowers and foliage. Good for potpourri.
Lemon Balm - Strong, lemon fragrance. Nice for teas. Has a sedative effect. Easy to grow from seed.
Lemon Beebalm - The crushed leaves have a mild, citrus fragrance. The lavender-pink flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) - Spicy herb for poultry seasoning. Lavender flowers.
Recommended Books
Sweet Pea School: Growing & Arranging the Garden's Most Romantic Blooms by Marryn Mathis