Roses
Roses are classic for a reason. Their perfume ranges from soft and sweet to rich and heady, depending on the variety. Many modern types are hardy and with well-prepared soil they thrive in garden beds, along fences or in feature pots.
Jasmine
This classic favourite offers glossy leaves and masses of soft white flowers. It works as a climber, ground cover or compact shrub and suits a variety of garden styles.
Frangipani
Frangipanis bring a warm, summery perfume and come in shades from creamy whites to vivid pinks. They have eye-catching sculptural branches, and their flowers have that unmistakable tropical scent that many gardeners adore.
Lavender
Lavender offers a calming fragrance and thrives in sunny spots with good drainage. It’s perfect for pathways, borders and pots, and adds gentle colour while attracting bees and other helpful garden visitors.
May bush
May bush produces graceful cascades of tiny white flowers with a soft perfume. It loves soil that has been improved with compost or organic matter and looks particularly striking when planted in groups.
Sweet viburnum
Sweet viburnum grows well with good soil preparation and offers both scent and structure to garden spaces.
Osmanthus
Osmanthus produces tiny flowers with a surprising apricot-like aroma. It suits hedging, courtyards and entrances and needs soil enriched with organic matter to support steady growth.
Sweet alyssum
Sweet alyssum creates a noticeable honey-like scent despite its small size. It’s perfect for edging, rockeries and pockets between pavers and responds well to soil that has been lightly enriched.
Heliotrope
Heliotrope delivers a vanilla fragrance from its rich purple clusters. It grows well in improved soil and is ideal for pots or raised beds.
Hardenbergia
Hardenbergia is a hardy climber with sprays of purple or white flowers and a soft scent that appears during its main flowering flush. It grows reliably in improved soils and brings colour and perfume to vertical spaces.
Citrus
Citrus blossoms carry a sweet fragrance in spring, and even the leaves smell lovely when lightly crushed. With improved soil and consistent watering, these trees deliver a double whammy of scent and produce to your garden.
Michelia (magnolia michelia)
This evergreen magnolia hybrid offers glossy foliage and creamy, sweetly scented blooms that appear through the warmer months. It responds well to improved soil and a sheltered position.
Port wine magnolia
Known for its distinctive, fruity fragrance that some people describe as a bit like bubble-gum. Port wine magnolia is an evergreen shrub that’s perfect for courtyards.
Night-scented stock
This cheerful annual produces small, colourful flowers that release a surprisingly strong perfume at dusk.
Crepe myrtle
Crepe myrtle offers a light, sweet fragrance from its summer blooms. While the perfume is subtle, the flowers are plentiful and create a soft scented presence in the warmer months.
Penstemon
Penstemon varieties often carry a faint honey scent and produce tubular blooms that attract bees and small birds. They do well in improved soils and add long-lasting colour.
Myrtle (myrtus communis)
Common myrtle carries fragrant leaves and dainty white flowers with a sweet aroma. It makes a lovely hedge or feature shrub and responds well to pruning.
Scented geranium
Scented geraniums are grown mainly for their leaves, which release perfume when lightly touched.
Violet
Violets offer a delicate, powdery fragrance and perform well in semi-shaded spots with improved soil. They make a lovely ground cover or edging plant.
