A patio is a perfect place to grow scented plants. It's a spot you're sure to sit for long enough to really appreciate the fragrance.
To get the most out of your perfumed patio, you’ll want to use a variety of plants. Use ones with a long or nearly continuous bloom. Alternatively, use those that bloom in succession throughout the season so there’s always something scented the air. Go one step further by adding in a few plants that are especially fragrant at twilight and into the night.
Where to begin?
- Clad fences and walls with climbers so you’ll have fragrance that swirls around you.
- Build beds with medium sized shrubs and perennials that bloom in sequence for a custom fragrance mix throughout the season. (Such as roses + butterfly bush + orange blossom).
- Line paths or edge decks and patios with smaller shrubs. Alternatively, use a swath of lavender or rosemary that will release fragrance as you brush by.
- And finally, fill a few pots with fragrant topiary or standards such as gardenia or lantana.
There are plenty of really great plants that are ideal for scenting a patio. And don't shy away from plants that aren't hardy in your zone - patio pots are a great way to grow tropical plants that can be overwintered indoors. Here are just a few of our favorites. (Not sure of your zone? Map here.)
Phenomenal Lavender
Intensely fragrant, this is a perennial lavender for colder climates. Doesn’t die back in the winter and tolerates summer’s humidity, too. On a warm summer day, pet it as you stroll by to suffuse the air with rich scent. Up to 3 ft. tall and wide. Full sun. Zone: 5 – 8
Eau de Parfum™ Bling Rose
Many fragrant roses don't have the most attractive form in the landscape, but the Eau de Parfum™ series provides the classic scent of roses on an attractive shrub with lush, disease resistant foliage. Up to 4 ft. tall and wide. Full sun. Zone: 5 – 10
Sweet Summer® Fantasy™ Phlox
Border phlox has a memorable evening perfume. Butterflies drop in for a drink during the day, but it puts on its most perfumed performance in the evening to attract pollinating moths. Plant in groups of 5 or more. 30 in. tall, 22 in. wide. Full sun. Zone: 4 – 8
Little Darling® Lilac
During the heat of the day, wrap your patio in classic lilac fragrance with this reblooming cutie. Blooms heavily in spring, with a second lighter bloom in fall. Even better, this dwarf variety is perfect for smaller spaces, getting only 4 ft. tall and wide. Full sun. Zone: 4 – 8
Scent From Heaven™ Angel of Peace Dianthus
The finest perfumes are a blend of essences. Add a hint of spicy clove to your sweet-scented border with masses of frilly pink flowers with red centers. Use under taller shrubs, to surround a deck, or in pots, too! 8 in. tall, 12 in. wide. Partial to full sun. Zone: 4 – 9
Star Jasmine
The beloved sweet smell of this evergreen vine will perfume the garden, especially on warm evenings. This versatile twining climber can cloak a pergola, be left to ramble as a groundcover, or spill over the edges of containers. Partial to full sun. Stems up to 20 ft. long. Zone: 8 – 11
Goldflame Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is pretty much fragrant from dawn to dusk. Although, it really does it thing in the evening having been warmed up by the heat of the day. Use alone or let it twine through climbing roses. Twining stems up to 15 ft. long. Partial to full sun. Zone: 4 – 9
Sarah Bernhardt Peony
Not only are these huge, fully double blooms stunning, they also have a delicate, sweet fragrance. Bring the scent inside by adding this cut flower favorite to bouquets and arrangements. Up to 3 ft. tall and wide. Full sun. Zone: 4 – 8.
Banana Split® Daphne
An early blooming Daphne will be the first to kick off your seasons of fragrance. This evergreen shrub opens to sweetly-fragrant flowers above variegated foliage in late winter to early spring. Up to 4 ft. tall and wide. Full shade to partial sun. Zone: 7 – 9