Picture of Souvenir de St. Anne's

by Lydia Holley September 30, 2024

One of the pleasures of gardening is enjoying the various scents of the plants. Some grow herbs for cooking. Others put them in their garden to smell as they work or weed around. Fragrant rosemary, for instance, can grow to a large size and become a beautiful evergreen that blooms bright blue—at least, until one of our extremely low freezes kills it. Basil may reseed itself. Mints can smell like peppermint, spearmint, chocolate, or even orange.

Roses have a reputation for having a sweet aroma. My favorite rose for its scent is ‘Souvenir de St. Anne’s.’ Its soft, sweet perfume is what I imagine a rose should smell like. However, if you grow a rose specifically for its scent, it is best to smell it before you place it in your garden. Some roses have no fragrance at all, and some appreciate sweet scents, while others prefer a spicy bouquet.

Gardenias are another favorite plant grown for its scent. Once when I went to the plant nursery, the fragrance from their cluster of gardenias wafted over the parking lot. I expect they sold several gardenias that day from people being drawn to its wonderful fragrance.

Jasmine also has a reputation for its perfume-like bouquet. Grow it near the front door if possible so others can enjoy its fragrance and enter your home with a smile already on their faces.

Magnolias have a lovely lemony smell. I recommend picking a bloom to bring indoors so you can enjoy its aroma throughout the house. If you like lemon scents, look for lemon grass, lemon verbena, or lemon balm.

When I was a child, I hated the spicy smell of lantana. Now that I am older, I love it, and it is possibly one of my favorite plants to weed around. If you have not been around a particular plant for a number of years, try smelling it again. You might find you now like it.

There are many scent-filled plants I did not name, and you may have other favorites. When you add a plant to your garden, in addition to size, shape, color, or bloom time, also consider its fragrance. It would be a delight to have a garden where every plant brings a smile to your face from its delightful aroma. It would be scent-sational.

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