During the summer I always cycle up to my plot early in the morning - nothing too professional about this - I'm no Victoria Pendleton - just a T-shirt and shorts and a pair of plimsolls - oh and a bucket to bring back any produce. This morning as I pedalled through the village the church clock struck seven and I was stopped in my tracks by the fragrance eminating from the churchyard. The blossom on the Linden trees was so beautiful it was almost overwhelming. As I carried on my nose was in overdrive, sniffing and breathing in the fragrance of the gardens as I passed.
Back in my own garden I wandered round photographing my own fragrant flowers. Each season of the year has a few plants that I wouldn't be without. In summer there is Lavender.
Sweet William and Lilies are other favourites. If someone gives me a bunch of flowers, the first thing I do is put my nose into them hoping for a lovely fragrance - sadly that isn't always the case. But give me a bunch of sweet-smelling roses or sweet peas and I'm a happy bunny.
Are there any other fragrant flowers that you have in your garden that you think I should include?
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| lavender |
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| the lilac petunia with purple veining always smells sweet |
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| sweet peas - no fragrant garden should be without them |
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| Philadelphus or Mock Orange |
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| Rose - this one is Gertrude Jekyll |
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| geraniums with scented leaves |
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| honeysuckle - this one weaves through the ivy on the front of the house |
Are there any other fragrant flowers that you have in your garden that you think I should include?
You're lucky to be able to grow sweet peas. It's usually too hot for them here. I've been enjoying Phlox, of course, which are blooming with some of the new coneflower cultivars, some of which smell like roses.
ReplyDeleteThis heat is making everything smell extra strong! The two honeysuckles over my arch are amazing. I've never noticed before, but the cream one smells quite different to the red, more like jasmine. I love my pinks too, really sweet smelling. xx
ReplyDeleteWe have roses, mock orange, pinks and honeysuckle and one the plot more roses, broad bean flowers, lavender, sweet peas and not forgetting the herby smells in both places too. WE have lilies and sweet williams but neither are in flower just yet.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about some phlox too
I wonder if all phlox are fragrant - I have some in the garden but as far as I am aware they don't have a fragrance, maybe because they are in the vicinity of the mock orange they get overpowered.
DeleteI've just ordered a collection of 10 from Hayloft at £1 each and they claim that they are fragrant. No doubt they will be just small plants - we will see.
DeleteI love lilac blossom and wallflowers - both of which are earlier in the year but take me right back to my childhood and wonderful memories. Your flowers are gorgeous Elaine.
ReplyDeletePatricia x
We have freesias (I think) just coming out, which I hope will be fragrant. If you like chocolate, you'll love the chocolate cosmos, it really does smell like the real thing!
ReplyDeleteI have a pineapple broom that really does smell like pineapple and other than that I'm with you, roses and lavender!! Must haves.
ReplyDeleteAs you probably know my sense of smell isn't very good but I always hopefully smell flowers. I grow lavender, roses and sweet peas, along with common fennel all of which I can smell. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteYour photos are wonderful! I think I have the same fragrances as you in the garden, sweet peas, honeysuckle, philadelphus, roses, lavender and pinks. Also herbs and scented geraniums indoors. Like you I wouldn't want to be without lavender in the garden:)
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures Elaine and excellent post.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos. I've been enjoying the scents in my garden, too, especially in the evenings. This is when I miss not planting sweet peas this year, I do love their scent and I usually grow enough to bring some into the house as well.
ReplyDeleteLovely post - you can almost "scratch and sniff"!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite smells in the garden are much earlier in the year, when there is not much around - from the inconspicuous flowers of Pittosporum in spring and Sarcococca confusa (sweet box) in winter...
What a lovely picture you paint. I can see you peddling on. Your flowers are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteThe photos are just beautiful. My mother has a mock orange and I just love the fragrance!! :)
ReplyDeleteOh.....I could almost smell the early morning scent as you cycled past the churchyard! How very romantic!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the honeysuckle as well and the petunia's....I have very fragrant lilies too and always love the smell of the buddleia which is just coming into bloom.
I do wish I had some of your mock orange!xxxx
Sweet smelling posies are the best, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI'm really drawn to scented roses this year. That's going to be the addition to my garden in the autumn. Some Lavender too I think.
ReplyDeleteScent is something I wish I had more of in the garden. So far the lavender I planted stubbornly refuses to bloom. There is still a month of good weather though, and fingers crossed, I will get a few fragrant wands of fragrant blue flowers before the summer fades.
ReplyDeleteFragrance is so important to me. I'm always trying to add as many fragrant flowers as possible. Our summers are too hot for sweet peas. :(
ReplyDeleteIt's meadowsweet for me at the moment, Elaine. It is spreading along the ditches and ponds at The Priory and its scent is just gorgeous and very strong. Not suitable for smaller gardens though! Dave
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty good selection Elaine. I am missing the scent of wallflowers, as I didn't have any this year, and I adore the scent from wild garlic, though you might not want to grow that in your garden given its rampant habit! I've planted a sweet box hoping for a waft of scent early in the year, and am currently relishing the scent from the escallonia in the front garden, but finding well fragranced but trouble free plants is always tougher than I think it is, I love the scent from mock orange, but don't like the overall habit of the shrub. Choisya is a favourite though.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed how perfumes are elusive? Some flowers will have a very strong smell early in the morning (when you were doing your cycling) and be without any smell at other time. I have often noticed that a plant has a nice smell and then, the next day, when I am pointing it out to a visitor, it turns out it does not have a smell just then!
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