Garden Fragrance in Spring

When we talk about a ‘fragrance’, we are usually thinking about a pleasant or sweet smell which we enjoy, such as describing something we like as having a ‘fine fragrance’. When we think about the fragrance of our garden in spring, it will be a combination of many pleasant smells which we associate with being outside...so the different smells coming from the plants in flower... the smell of a freshly cut lawn... the smells from pine trees, tree blossom...even the smell of freshly turned earth.

The fragrances in your spring garden will provide a number of benefits—both to the plants producing those fragrances and to us, as we smell them.

So, let’s take a brief look at what these benefits are before we consider which plants we should have in our gardens to enhance our outdoor space.

Why do plants have fragrances?

For plants the fragrance which they produce is a vital form of communication which they use for two opposing purposes, one to attract pollinators and the other to deter pests.

By producing a fragrance to attract pollinators, such as bees or butterflies, plants are ensuring their survival. Using these ‘visitors’ to transfer pollen from one plant to another results in them being able to produce seeds that will eventually germinate to become more plants. Pollinator powerhouses which you may want to include in your garden include lavender, peonies and roses.

Plants which are well known for using fragrance as a way to protect themselves from pests include chrysanthemums, marigolds, nasturtiums, scented geraniums as well as many popular herbs such as basil, dill and mint. This means many of these plants are used by canny gardeners to act as ‘companion plants’ to help shield cropping plants from pest damage.

Rose

Although plants use fragrance for survival, we enjoy having fragrant plants in our gardens as scent travels straight to our brain’s limbic system, which controls both our emotions and our memories.

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”

- Courtesy of William Shakespeare

One of the most famous phrases from Romeo & Juliet it illustrates how the scent of roses is closely associated with romance, with roses being amongst the most romantic and celebrated of flowers. By planting a rose in your garden it’s summer scent could remind you of a romantic event in your life.

Bring the soothing scent of roses indoors with this gorgeous Rose Hand Care Set from Kew. Featuring a nourishing soap bar, luxurious hand cream and invigorating hand wash from Kew, this set is ideal to treat yourself or makes the perfect gift for a gardening friend. 

Lavender

Whilst other fragrances are good for reducing stress, such as basil, coriander, mint and lavender. These plants include a compound called ‘linalool’ which is well known for its calming effects and its ability to reduce elevated stress levels to almost normal conditions. So having a seat in your garden where you have lavender growing could be the perfect spot to sit back and relax after a long day.

Featuring seeds so you grow lavender yourself, this ‘Grow Me - Stress Less’ set is ideal for a friend or loved one who is often stressed and wants to use scent to naturally reduce stress in their daily lives.

Which plants will add fragrance to a spring garden?

When planning a new garden or enhancing your existing one, the fragrance of a plant is just as important as its appearance. However, plants are not often in bloom when you buy them, preventing you from appreciating their fragrance when you make your selection. To help ensure your outdoor space is a haven for your senses we have found you some of the best plants that will quickly fill the spring air with their gorgeous scents.

Daphne

Well known for its fine fragrance, Daphne is a compact, evergreen shrub which is perfect to grow next to your garden gate or door so you can appreciate its scent everytime you walk by. With small clusters of flowers in shades of white, pink and purple, these blooms have a sweet, citrusy scent which intensifies if cut and placed in a vase indoors.

Make precise, clean cuts as you gather stems to take indoors with these Sophie Conran Precision Secateurs. Perfect for both soft green growth and woodier stems the pointed tips of the sharp blades will make gathering flowers a doddle.

The most fragrant variety of Daphne is believed to be ‘Perfume Princess’ whose blooms are larger than other varieties which could account for its powerful scent, making its stems perfect for filling a room with fragrance.

Our top tip when growing Daphnes is to get the location right. Choose a spot where they will be in partial shade and prepare the ground by digging in lots of organic matter like compost or leaf mold, to improve the structure and moisture retention of the ground as well as increasing acidity levels which Daphnes prefer. Once established they need very little care or attention yet will still reward you with their intoxicating, citrusy fragrance when in bloom.

Lily of the valley

With it’s lush green foliage and small, white bell-shaped blooms on delicate, arching stems, Lily of the valley is a tough little plant known for its potent, slightly musky scent and is believed to bring good luck in love - it’s often used in bridal bouquet, most notability for the famous brides Grace Kelly, Queen Victoria and Kate Middleton.

A hardy perennial that thrives on neglect after it has been successfully planted - once it’s in the correct location and suitable soil it will quickly spread, forming an attractive ground cover - so may need to be controlled like mint if you don’t want it to overtake your garden.

Lily of the valley likes to grow in shady areas of your garden - however partial shade is best if you want to enjoy its blooms and fragrance as the flowers will be limited if the plants are in full shade.

Peony

If you are looking for a refined fragrance reminiscent of an expensive French perfume then don’t look for dainty blossoms, rather select the bountiful blooms of a peony. With blooms which pack a punch in the Spring, their globe shaped flowers can measure up to 10 inches wide depending on the variety and once established peonies will outlive their gardener, blooming for a 100 years or more with very little care or attention.

The best tip with peonies is to get the planting depth right at the start when burying the tuber - any deeper than two inches you are unlikely to get any flowers. Although not critical, many gardeners also soak the tubers for up to 4 hours prior to planting to give them a hydration boost which should help them become established when planted.

Our favourite variety by far is the dreamy ‘Duchesse de Nemours’, with its huge, creamy-white blooms that have a wonderful rose-like fragrance and make the ideal cut flowers, adding their fine fragrance to a room for up to a week.

Hyacinth

The abundant aroma of the hyacinth when it has been forced and brought into our heated home as a Christmas decoration can be overwhelming, but when left to flower naturally in Spring in your garden, their aroma will be stunning.

Available in a wide range of colours, from the bright yellow of the ‘City Of Haarlem’ through to the more subtle, pastel tones of ‘Pink Elephant’ these bulbs will thrive in soil which is free draining and not too rich - if your soil is too rich the stems will droop rather than being straight and strong to support their mass of bell-shaped flowers which form their distinct blooms.

One of the easiest Spring bulbs to grow, they should be planted 4 to 6 inches deep and watered well when in position. For the best effect in your garden plant hyacinth bulbs in large groups, spacing the bulbs between 3 to 6 inches apart - in this way when in flower they will provide an intense aroma for you to enjoy outdoors.

To make planting your hyacinths quick and easy our bulb planting set from Burgon & Ball includes a robust bulb planter with depth indicators, wide dibber, cosy gloves to protect you as you work and a stylish trug to keep everything in place.

Wisteria

With it’s stunning, fragrant, cascading clusters of pea-like flowers in a wide range of shades from white through to mauve, wisteria is a strong growing climber which can be used to cover garden walls, pergolas and arches or, with care and attention, trained to be a free-standing ‘tree’. The Japanese wisteria ‘Lavender Lace’ with its long, sweetly-scented racemes of lavender to violet flowers is ideal for this type of training, placed in a large pot.

Wisteria will thrive in a sunny spot in your garden where it will receive full sun and has soil which is rich in organic matter and has good drainage. For healthy growth and abundant blooms you will need to prune wisterias twice a year. Apart from controlling its vigorous growth with pruning, wisteria are easy to grow and care for.

These superior stainless steel pruning shears will be ideal for the task - with their ergonomic ashwood handles pruning your wisteria will be a pleasure rather than a task.

In terms of fragrance, there are two distinctly different fragrances, musky or sweet. Some of the most sweetly scented varieties include wisteria brachybotrys ‘Murasaki Kapitan’ with short clusters of purple flowers and ‘Shiro Kapitan’ with sweetly smelling white flowers. Or if you prefer a more musky scent select wisteria floribunda ‘Kuchi Beni’ which produces long clusters of pale mauve-pink flowers tipped with purple.

Final Thoughts

This blog post has been created using personal knowledge, insights from conversations with other gardeners and manufacturers in the gardening industry, and by drawing on information from gardening magazines, books, and online resources. We aim to be as informative and accurate as possible—but if you spot a mistake, please remember we’re only human!

We’d also love to hear your thoughts on this topic. We’re continually learning about plants and gardens, and we believe the best way to grow is by sharing each other’s expertise and know-how.