Pink peony

Grow scented plants for wellbeing

Scented plants improve our wellbeing and are also beneficial for wildlife, drawing in pollinators far and wide.

Out of our five senses, scent is the only one directly linked to the emotional part of our brain so planting a scented garden really can have a profound effect on our mental health, emotion and wellbeing. 

After spending time in our gardens, we really do feel uplifted and reconnected with nature. Planting scented flowers and foliage can create a very personal, sensory experience within our garden sanctuaries.

We can all appreciate the importance of getting outside and having a close relationship with the soil, plants, trees and wildlife. It has long been proven that gardening can reduce negative emotions, recharge and boost our energy levels and promote happiness. 

Planting tips

Try not to overwhelm your senses by crowding an area with multiple scented plants but give each plant space to infuse your world with fragrance. Choose a sheltered spot in a courtyard, walled garden, hedged border or near a window; keep plants contained so the sweet scent can waft your way.

Warm summer evenings beckon us outdoors so plant night-scented blooms like tobacco plant (Nicotiana sylvestris), stocks (Matthiola longipetala), and sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis) or climbers like jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) or wisteria close to a sheltered seating area for fragrant alfresco dining.

Scented honeysuckle
Grow a climber like honeysuckle close to a seated area. Image: Debi Holland

Five scented plants for wellbeing

Lavender

Introduced to the UK by the Romans, lavender originates from the Mediterranean and North Africa. This low maintenance, drought-tolerant perennial favours poor well-drained soil, full sun and loathes being waterlogged.

Popular English lavenders are ‘Hidcote,’ ‘Munstead’ and ‘Folgate’; all these strongly scented vibrant varieties are hardy to temperamental English weather. Lavandula dentata and stoechas, the French and Spanish lavender are not as hardy as their English cousins.

There is always the summer quandary – cut flowers to dry and keep or leave them growing for the pollinators? If you can’t make your mind up then do a mixture of both!

A posy of lavender
Lavender loves to grow in full sun and poor well-drained soil. Image: Debi Holland

Lavender’s essential oil reduces anxiety and stress. Its uplifting properties can relieve headaches and help with depression. Having trouble sleeping? Place a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow to aide a restful night’s sleep.

Sweet peas

There is nothing more evocative than the smell of freshly cut sweet peas and with so many varieties to choose from good luck trying to narrow down your choices. Spencer types tend to have large frilly flowers and long stems and Grandiflora are highly scented. Many modern varieties are bred to combine both. 

Its Latin name, Lathyrus odoratus, means fragrant pea and many varieties live up to their name. For intense scent grow ‘April in Paris’, ‘Butterfly’, creamy-coloured ‘Cathy’, ‘Almost Black’ or ‘Painted Lady’ or try L. ‘Matucana,’ reportedly the strongest scented sweet pea in the world.

A posy of sweet peas
The keep your sweet peas flowering, you need to keep picking them. Image: Debi Holland

For long straight stems cut off the tendrils as is will stop stem distortion. The key to an endless summer floral display is to keep cutting. This annual climber will continue flowering if cut and will stop if it goes to seed so an easy way to extend your season is to keep filling vases with sweet peas. Put a smile on someone’s face with the gift of homegrown flowers and enjoy the mindful experience of picking a posy of sweet peas.

Peonies

The enormous ruffled flower heads of peonies radiate joy and exude a romantic sweet fragrance making them a must for scented gardens. Native to China these breathtaking blooms open up to three times the size of the original buds. Known in China as ‘mǔdān’ (牡丹 ), peony symbolise love and honour.

Pink peony
Beautiful peonies also make wonderful cut flowers. Image: Debi Holland

Peonies love full sun so aim for a planting spot that gets at least a half day of sun; too much shade will promote foliage rather than flowers. Don’t be afraid to snip flower stems of this herbaceous perennial; they make striking long-lasting cut flowers so bring the summer scented garden indoors.

Try ‘Claire de Lune’, ‘Starlight’, ‘Madama Claude Tain’, ‘Belgravia’ and ‘Nancy Nora’. They may have a relatively short blooming season but there is no ignoring their presence when they have arrived, however fleeting.

Rosemary

Originating from the Mediterranean, rosemary is a low maintenance herb that virtually looks after itself. Position in full sun but resist feeding with fertiliser as it thrives in poor, preferably slightly acidic, soil. Ensure soil is well-draining and gritty as rosemary detest being water logged but will happily grow in pots or the ground. 

Relish stunning varieties such as ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’, ’Majorca Pink’ or a white rosemary Salvia rosmarinus f. albiflorus; just keep an eye out for rosemary beetle.

Rosemary in bloom
Plant rosemary along a path so it releases its fragrance as you brush past. Image: Debi Holland

Planted along a path, the scent will waft up as you brush alongside it. Run your hand through the stems to enjoy the aroma and of course its evergreen leaves taste great in recipes – fresh or dried.

This aromatic, uplifting herb has many medicinal properties. Rosemary makes a great herbal tea and is famed to improve concentration, memory and lift spirits. As a symbol of remembrance, rosemary often features at weddings and funerals.

Roses

The first thing that springs to mind when we talk about roses is their scent; soothing aromas can range from warm and spicy to sweet floral tones. These exquisite English garden flowers never fail to rouse romantic feelings of the past, from balmy summers as a youth exploring grandparent’s gardens to making rose water perfume. Roses have an alluring appeal and certainly have earned a reputation as a feel-good flower.

Rosa Graham Thomas trained along wall
Rosa ‘Graham Thomas’ growing along a wall. Image: Debi Holland

This woody perennial has over 300 species and thousands of cultivars to choose from so you are spolit for choice with climbers, ramblers, miniature to shrubs. Deliberate between the opulent aroma of damask roses like ‘Ispahan’, the striking dual colour of perpetual ‘Ferdinand Pichard’ to the heady scent of  ‘Charles Darwin’, ‘Gertrude Jekyll’, ’Gabriel Oak’, ’Harlow Carr’ and ‘Munstead Wood’. Rest assured there is a rose to suit every garden colour scheme and location. Inhale and relax.

*Lavender contains linalool and linalyl acetate, peonies contain paeonol and sweet peas contain aminopropionitrile, which can be poisonous to both cats, dogs and horses if ingested. Keep these plants out of reach of curious furry friends. Please seek veterinary advice urgently if you are in any doubt.

Lavender scented garden
Image: Debi Holland
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