scent in pots
How to plant your aromatic container
1
CHECK that your container has at least one good drainage hole, then add a generous layer of peat-free compost. This container had extra horticultural grit added to suit the Mediterranean plants.
START adding your plants, gently teasing out any tightly bound roots. Choose your star attraction to sit in the centre or towards the back of the container – here it’s the lavender.
3
4
CONTINUE adding your plants, making sure any trailing varieties are close to the edge, where they can spill over. Fill in any gaps with compost and firm everything gently into position.
2
PLACE your pot into its final position then give it a good soaking to help settle everything in and get your plants off to a good start. Water regularly and occasionally add a liquid feed to boost flower production.
‘Gertrude Jekyll’ is one of the first English roses to flower, with a sublime scent
50
GardenersWorld.com
While we lucky gardeners get to enjoy the many magnificent scents that flowers produce, it’s not for our benefit that plants fill the air with fragrance. The scents they produce are actually a way of communicating: in the race to attract pollinators, powerful volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are created. These oils combine with the colour and shape of the flower to tell pollinators that food can be found here. When you notice a sweet floral smell, this is usually a signal for pollinators such as honeybees, bumblebees and butterflies, which love sugary aromas. A rotting or fishy smell is also a signal for pollinators, but this time for
flies and beetles. However, the fresh herbal scent of plants such as rosemary and mint play a different role. These scents are secreted by the leaves and the sharp smell is released when they are disturbed, with this bitterness acting as a defence against pests like aphids. No matter which flower you are sniffing, thanks to hundreds of VOCs at play, no two will ever smell the same.
WATCH Monty’s video guide
to planting for scent at Gardeners World.com/planting-aroma July 2022
PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; GAP PHOTS/FIONA MCLEOD
The science of scent
