Gardening

Making scents of beautiful garden aromas

Agarden full of scents is not always from the perfume of the flowers and blossom but often from the leaves that contribute to its mystery.

Many components - colour, height, form and Night scented stocks as the name suggests and phlox movement – make up a garden but smell is often show off their strongest fragrance on a warm summer overlooked. We often plant something because its evening. Over the months I’ve pointed out the virtues of fragrance reminds us of another place and time. Scent highly scented plants and no English garden is complete can take us back to a forgotten moment in our past and without sweet peas or the sage smell of Salvia hot lips. to remind us strongly of people and places. It is not always about the flower though and for any

Phlox always reminds me of my grandmother and her curious gardener keen to incorporate fragrant foliage, garden and it is sometimes by accident that we put a herbs can contribute to the show and awaken the senses. fragrant plant into the garden for other reasons. Try chocolate mint, pineapple mint and strawberry mint

A hidden unexpected perfume can be intriguing and and if you introduce them next to a pathway or near a arouse a curiosity to our surroundings so a carefully bench you can appreciate them when passing by. chosen plant that might not be so visually stunning can Along with roses, many climbing plants are perfect to be incorporated because of the scent alone. cover bare walls and fences. Other than Honeysuckle,

Scent is the secret weapon of the winter garden. With Trachelospermum is one of my favourite plants for its sweet so few pollinating insects around, the plant must work smell over a long flowering period. Philadelphus or mock exceptionally hard to attract them. Mahonia, winter orange is interesting as its cup-shaped white flowers remind flowering clematis, Viburnam bodnantense, Daphne, us of orange blossom from our holidays in warmer climates. Hammamelis are all perfect for attracting the pollinators. Think about adding more scents into the garden. It will

In the summer there are many fragrant plants, none entice you to linger longer and fully appreciate and enjoy more so than the rose but it is those plants trying to what the garden has to offer, not just on long summer attract night pollinators, including moths, that are the evenings but all year round. most fragrant in the evening.

Nicotiana sylvestris - the flowering tobacco plant with pure Karl Strawbridge white tubular flowers above the foliage - is perfect at the Wagon House Gardens back of the border so too is the sweet rocket, Hersperis, The Jinney Ring Craft Centre, which really can earn its keep for its heady evening fragrance. Hanbury, B60 4BU Tel: 01527 821421

August jobs in the garden

Prune back long new growth on wisteria Dead head perennials regularly to promote more flowers Trim lavender once flowering is over to maintain a compact plant Water any newly planted areas in dry spells Pick sweet peas to stop them going to seed