by Cynthia Hight November 24, 2025
When you put your nose close to a plant and breathe in, sometimes its scent is expected. Gardenias, honeysuckle, and jasmine are well known to have the soft fragrance of perfume. Rosemary, basil, mint, and other herbs are expected to have their own certain spicy, earthy, or crisp fragrance.
But sometimes the scent can be unexpected. My sister walked underneath the arbor in my garden the other day. She stopped and said, “Something smells so good here.” It was the sweet autumn clematis blooming on top of the arbor. She says she’s also been surprised by the sweet fragrance of four o’clocks in her own garden.
Sometimes our impression of scents change. Lantana is a scent I hated when I was young. They were planted around the school I attended and I tried to avoid getting near them. But as an adult, I love their scent. I enjoy it so much, I even appreciate weeding around lantana where I can breathe in their spicy aroma as I try to rid the soil of unwanted sprouts.
Some scents can delight, surprise, or disappoint. Roses are expected to have a fragrance, and when you press your nose into its bloom, if it does not, it can be disconcerting. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, breeders were interested in making roses bigger and more colorful. Suddenly, roses were well known for being scentless beauties. In the 80s, David Austin began breeding roses for fragrance. Other rose breeders followed, and now you can find roses which give off a perfumed bouquet, a fruity essence, or even a musky aroma.
No matter what kind of scent you like, find some plants with it and add them to your garden. It can make your chores more enjoyable, fill you and guests with delight, and bring joyful moments to remember for years to come.
Henderson County Master Gardener Association provides multiple resources at its website: https://txmg.org/hendersonmg/ or direct questions by calling the county extension office at 903-675-6130.
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