There is just nothing better than strolls through your garden on spring and summer evenings. It is my fave part of the day to take a leisurely stroll to see how the garden is progressing, what is newly sprouting, and what is ready to be harvested. It is common for my husband or I to excitedly inform the other about what wondrous things we have discovered.
It is also a joy to “smell” the garden. I love walking outside to be greeted by the smell of roses, hyacinth, or honeyvine milkweed. It is a bit of heaven on earth.
Of course you need to plan a bit and pick fragrant flowers and plants. Here are some of my favorites:
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) – Always a favorite and much hardier than french or spanish lavender. It smells so good is it any wonder it is popular in perfumes and beauty products?
Lemon Balm – Great citrus scent and you can use it for cooking. Get some of these lemon balm seed balls and disperse through your yard for an aromatic delight.
Rosemary – Smell the lovely fragrance and cultivate it for culinary uses. I cannot walk by my rosemary without grabbing a small sprig to smell and enjoy.
Peonies – Not only are they a gorgeous flower to grow they smell really good too. Try Felix Crousse or Shirley Temple…lovely, pink, and fragrant.
Daylily – These are very regal and lovely. Like flowers for royalty. They also smell royal. We have a variety of these lovely flowers in our garden.
Catmint – Looks similar to lavender and smells wonderful when you walk by it.
Gardenia – I have to mention what is probably one of the most famous garden fragrances. The lovely white flowers pack a punch when it comes to scent.
Sweet Pea – This is a vine with delicate flowers and a heavenly scent if you get the right kind.
Lilac – I have been obsessed with lilacs ever since reading the Nancy Drew book Mystery at Lilac Inn as a kid. You just can’t get anymore gorgeous than these conflowers and the scent is out of this world.
Heliotrope – Smells like cherry pie and it has gorgeous dark purple flowers.
Honeyvine Milkweed – A vine that smells incredible. The scent carries long distances and monarch butterflies adore the stuff so you get lots of butterflies too. Careful where you plant though. It is very invasive.
Enjoy your garden!
Rosemary is my favorite – I just bought a plant to put outdoors for my girls to take care of. I love cooking with it as well . I may try some Lemon Balm too that sounds heavenly I love the smell of lemon
Mmm.. delicious smells. We do a flower garden, some fruits and veggies, some herbs, and trees every year. Just a little. I love the idea of Heliotrope smelling like cherry pie!
Those are great plants that have wonderful scents. I love lilac…we have it planted along our back fence. I wish those beautiful flowers and wonderful scent would last all year long.
Me too but it makes spring and summer extra special I guess.
The day lilies remind me of my mom. She always had many in her yard. I love peonies. They have an old fashioned look to me.
Yes, peonies are classic. :)
I can’t wait to have a garden someday! Oh how I would love to have my own peonies!!
Great suggestions! I’m heading to the garden center this weekend to get some plants…now to just keep them alive once I plant them!
A garden that smells good is the best kind. I am working on planning our spring additions right now.