TOP 10 Scented Plants That Will Make Your Garden a Fragrant Paradise

Plants add color and texture to a garden, but they can also turn it into a fragrant paradise. By adding scented plants, you can give a new dimension to your garden.

Scented gardens are an amazing experience and will definitely make you spent more time outdoors. There are so many fragrant plants out there, from shrubs, vines to beautiful annuals.

Most of them are a true gift of nature with their lush foliage, mesmerizing flowers, and irresistible perfume. We encourage you to add scented plants to your garden and enjoy their fragrance throughout the seasons.

Our list of 10 scented plants that are already popular choices for a fragrant garden will surely inspire you and help you choose your favorites. But do not stop here, research, read, because as we said, there are so many scented plants out there, and you will surely find the perfect ones for your garden.

Garden Phlox

Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) is one of the most favorite plants for every gardener. It is a breathtaking 4-foot shrub that mesmerizes with its small candy-colored flowers that come out from mid to late summer. But the garden phlox is not only a fast-growing and good looking perennial; it has one of the sweetest scents ever. The fragrance comes from the flowers and is most potent during warm sunny days.

English Lavender

This is a no-brainer. We are all very well aware of how beautiful English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) smells. The smell of lavender leaves and stunning purple flowers is one of the things that make this plant such a popular choice not only for herb gardens but for every garden, including balconies. The highly aromatic leaves and flowers are widely used in culinary, medicine (dried or made into oil), insect repellent, and decoration purposes.

Lily-of-the-Valley

This little beauty called Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria selections) has the most lovely smell ever. Its small bell-like flowers will fill the whole garden with the sweetest perfume when they appear in spring. If you love its smell, then let the plant spread, so it becomes even more potent. Lily-of-the-Valley makes a great ground cover and will spread pretty fast. It also makes a beautiful cut flower – make a small bouquet and put it in a vase so your whole apartment would smell amazing.

Lilac

Lilac (Syringa x ‘Declaration’) is yet another plant with stunning fragrant flowers. When the star-shaped purple or white flowers appear in early spring, they immediately start to share their sweet, spicy smell. Lilac is a deciduous shrub that makes a beautiful addition to every garden. It can reach 6 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide. Plant it in a sunny location in cooler climates and light shed in the hottest climates.

Bridal Bouquet Abelia

Bridal Bouquet Abelia (Abelia mosanensis ‘Monia’) is one of Spring’s most fragrant plants. You can smell the fragrance from 15 feet away. Abelia’s pink buds will open into tiny white trumpets in late spring and spread their mesmerizing smell until early summer. Abelia can grow 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide and prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.

Gardenia

They call her the Queen of fragrant flowers. Gardenia (Gardenia augusta) is a popular evergreen shrub that produces white rose-shaped flowers throughout the warm months. You can grow gardenias in your garden or home as a house plant if you live in cold-winter climates. Plant your gardenia in the shade in moist, well-drained soil.

Oriental Lilies

Oriental Lilies are a true classic when the fragrance is in question. Suppose you want a scented garden, then the more lilies, the better. Their irresistible scent is most potent in the afternoons when the sun has warmed the flowers. There are many popular varieties of fragrant oriental lilies, like the white ‘Casa Blanca’, yellow ‘Conca d’Or’ or pink ‘Star Gazer.’ Plant your oriental lilies in full sun and well-drained soil, and enjoy fragrant afternoons in your backyard.

Hyacinth

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus selections) is a favorite spring bulb that will fulfill your garden with a potent, mesmerizing scent. It is probably one of the most fragrant spring flowers. Hyacinths thrive in any well-drained soil in full to partial sun. Plant them in autumn. You can grow hyacinth in containers as well. They come in different colors – purple to pink, red, white, and yellow.

Iris

This beautiful hardy flower was named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And iris does come in all kinds of flowers, in almost every color of the rainbow. Its characteristic flowers consist of three upright “standard” petals and three drooping “fall” petals. But the beautiful colors and flowers aren’t the only reason iris is a favorite member of any garden – the perfume it spreads is fascinating. Irises come in different heights, colors, and scents. Their fragrances can vary from anise to floral to fruity—plant iris in part or full sun.

Peony

Peonies are the ultimate flowering perennials. They will honor your garden with beautiful flowers and adorable scent for many years, with very little care. But have in mind that not all varieties of peonies are fragrant. Check whether a variety is scented before you buy it. Some of the best fragrant varieties are ‘Shirley Temple’ Peony with its beautiful big flowers, the double-flowered variety ‘Felix Crousse’ Peony, ‘Big Ben’ Peony with its rose-red flowers, and many more. Bring the beautiful perfume of your peonies into your home by arranging them in vases as cut flowers.