The Most Aromatic Plants To Plant In Your Garden

A really good garden is not just going to be a feast for the eyes; it will offer visitors the most incredible sensory experience for the nose as well. The added benefit of filling your garden with fragrant flowers is that you can then cut a few, bring them into the house, and freshen the air back at home with the same fragrances that waft through the garden.

There are any number of different fragrant plants to choose from, but there are a number of popular classics that many people tend to gravitate towards:

1. Lavender

Is there a scent more soothing and relaxing than lavender? There’s a reason it’s used in so many soaps, shampoos, and burning oils. Indeed, there is even scientific research showing that this isn’t all just a mass placebo among flower fans; lavender scientifically calms and soothes people when inhaled. The lavender flower is also gorgeous with its deep purple colour, and adds an essential vibrancy to all gardens.

2. Jasmine

As an ingredient for use in products, jasmine is as common as lavender, and for similar reasons; research also proves that Jasmine is . Better yet, with over 300 varieties of the plant, it can find a home in almost all gardens; just make sure you find the right variety for your soil and temperature conditions, and you’ll be set.

3. Roses

The most romantic flower of all is not just beautiful to look at. Roses add rich, vibrant colour to any garden, but many varieties also fill the air with rich aromas that can be just as seductive all by themselves.

4. Juniper

Juniper is a really useful plant to use as the hedge around your garden boundary. It’s low maintenance, saving you the need to constantly prune, and it contributes a lovely, spicy aroma to the garden itself. A lot of people use juniper foliage in their homemade potpourri. As yet another benefit, the juniper shrubs attract birds, who then feed off, nest, and shelter in the shrub. Their twittering will add a lovely sound to your garden, to go with the sights and smells.

5. Eucalyptus

The quintessential Australian plant, the Eucalyptus is a sturdy tree with bark that smells of menthol and sage. In addition to smelling like Australia in the garden, you can also use your Eucalyptus tree’s leaves in potpourri. The scent helps to relieve congestion (it’s a homemade cough remedy, too), and keep insects out of the home.

6. Rosemary

Rosemary is more than just a lovely smelling plant. It has the proven ability to reduce anxiety, boost mental clarity, and improve memory. Its scent also helps to keep mosquitos and other pests out of the garden, so people often plant it near their vegetables to protect them. But above and beyond all of that, it’s also a delightful herb for cooking all in itself, and you can harvest your rosemary to add a fresh flavour to your cooking. It is especially useful for seasoning meat.

7. Mint

Mint is another useful herb with a very powerful scent of its own. It’s a truly famous flavour, and while the plant itself isn’t necessarily beautiful, the smell that it generates can help relax, relieve sinuses, and ease headaches. Adding it to your garden can help make a walk through the garden incredibly therapeutic, in other words. And, of course, you’ll find yourself using this one in your cooking all the time.

8. Basil

Basil is a delicate plant; even a light frost can kill it, and it needs maximum sunlight and plenty of water (with drainage). It’s worth figuring out how to provide the plant with this, however, as the herb has a powerfully strong (but pleasant) peppery aroma, and is simply dynamite for using in your cooking. If you like Italian food on any level, be that pasta through to pizza, then you’re going to want to add the taste of fresh basil to your dish.

Plants for a gorgeous smelling house

Of course, because there are so many different aromatic plants available, when designing the garden, you should also take into consideration how the combination of smells will work. As with the aesthetics, if the aromas clash poorly, the overall sensory experience of the garden is impacted on. Take your time to fully investigate the different aromas available to you, and then plan the garden so that flowers or herbs with complementary aromas are planted near to one another. Plant flowers with contrasting aromas in other parts of the garden. That way, when people go for a walk around the garden, their noses will take them on a beautiful journey!