Fragrant plants that will make your garden smell amazing
These are the fragrant plants that will make your garden smell amazing.
GARDENIAS, murrayas and star jasmine. All boast sensual perfumes guaranteed to evoke memories of summers past for many of us.
Yet the beguiling clincher for me, the one that instantly whirrs me back to happy childhood times, is the humble tomato leaf.
A mere brush of tomato leaves on a summer’s day and I’m on a trip down memory lane: warm sun on bare skin, days of innocence, carefreeness and shrieking dashes through garden sprinklers.
MORE FLOWER FARMS OPEN THEIR GATES
For many years I presumed it was the newly emerging tomato fruit itself that pushed my nostalgia button.
Now I know better.
Plant scientists reveal it’s oils and secretions in those fuzzy growths of the tomato’s leaves, stems and sepals that trigger that burst of bewitching freshness.
Amazingly, they contend, it’s the plant’s way of warding off marauding insects intent on feasting on its tender foliage. The fuzziness, combined with the scent, sends interlopers packing.
I reckon those insects have it all wrong. They need a course in perfume appreciation.
Whatever, the bottom line is that whether it’s tomato plants or something else that floats your olfactory boat, no garden is complete without a selection of the seductive scents of summer. For mine, a garden without perfumed plants is like a person without a soul. The scentual selection is surprisingly large, yet a few stand out.
ANGEL’S TRUMPET (BRUGMANSIA)
THIS one, in its many forms and colours, oozes tropical charm with its pendulous flowers and haunting perfume.
Not all boast abundant scents so seek out ones that do.
Sadly, it’s got a dubious reputation due to its parts being poisonous. Though I’ve never tasted them (and don’t intend to), I’m told they’re so repugnant that few could be expected to consume more than a morsel. But, keep it away from areas children or pets frequent.
STAR JASMINE (TRACHELOSPERMUM JASMINOIDES)
THERE’S little not to like about this glossy leafed climber with its masses of sweetly scented, starry white flowers.
It’s not a true jasmine, but hey, who cares with a good looking perfume production unit like this one.
It can be grown as a climber working up trellis on a wall, on a pergola or even as a ground cover.
An added attraction is its delicate bronze leaves in winter. Copes well in both sun and shade.
GARDENIA
A WARMTH lover fit to have your patio or courtyard smelling like a Dior perfume. Once experienced, its wafting, oh-so-romantic scent is hard to forget.
Most gardenias do best in more northerly climates yet cope well in Victoria if treated to a little TLC, afforded protection from cold southerly blasts in a spot that retains warmth while sheltered from blistering bursts of the late-afternoon summer sun we often experience. The best option can be to grow in pots to be moved around according to the season.
A good variety for Victorian growing is Gardenia augusta “Florida”. Leaves can experience yellowing over winter but a helping of gardenia fertiliser in spring generally greens things up.
MURRAYA (MURRAYA PANICULATA)
ANOTHER personal favourite. While it’s not strictly suited to Victoria’s colder snaps, ours copes well in a large pot on a frost-protected veranda near a doorway, its heavenly scent a harbinger of warm summer days approaching.
White flowers can burst forth at any time, hitting a perfumed peak from December into January. Expect it to reach 3m in height.
For a more cold-tolerant alternative, consider Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata). It’s nearly as good and performs incredibly well in soils prone to drying out at various stages.
Don’t ignore the old-fashioned scented geranium, either.
A beauty is the peppermint scented one, a sprawling plant with pale green leaves and refreshing bursts of perfume whenever leaves are brushed or crushed.
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