Garden Gate® TOP PICKS

There’s one detail of garden design that’s often overlooked but can add so much—fragrance! It can set a style and mood, help you slow down and relax, refresh and invigorate or bring back fond memories or emotions.

SCENT SOURCE Have you ever wondered just where fragrance comes from? Basically, it’s a combination of volatile compounds that are secreted from special scent cells in the flower, foliage or stem. Scientists have identified 1,700 different compounds. Some plants, such as a petunia, have as few as 10 while more complex fragrances can have more than 100. Scent is used to attract pollinators and is strongest when the plant is ready for pollination. Time of day is a key factor, too. If the preferred pollinator is most active in the evening, you’ll notice the strongest scent then. Young plants and those past their prime won’t have a smell.

There’s a lot of personal preference when it comes to flower fragrance. What one gardener might lean into and breathe more of, another might wrinkle her nose at. So if you can, it’s a good idea to shop while flowers are blooming to see if you like the scent they have. When you get them home, make sure you don’t have too many competing fragrances in one area—the mix may not be pleasing. Now let’s take a look at 11 fragrant plants you can use to add a whole new dimension to your