When purchasing plants, it is our natural instinct to smell them before buying them. We all enjoy smells for different reasons, whether it’s a nostalgic smell from our childhood or simply a smell that reminds us what time of year it is.

Most natural fragrances come from plants like roses, fresh-cut grass, lavender, sandalwood, etc.; we can all picture how they smell without them in front of us. Planting for fragrance brings another level of sensory to the garden rather than just the way they look. If a certain scent sends your smelling sense soaring, then start planting!

Tip – Plant quite a few plants and group them together by variety to fill your yard with a powerful punch of sweet aroma.

Here are some seriously stimulating fragrant shrubs worth smelling and planting in your own scented garden:

Osmanthus- Evergreen shrub that blooms in late summer or early fall. Photo Credit: Monrovia
Close-up :: Credit :: Doreen Wynja
Gardenia- Small evergreen shrub that blooms spring to summer. Photo Credit: Monrovia
Full Shot :: Credit :: Doreen Wynja
Lavender- Evergreen shrub with very aromatic foliage and flowers. Photo credit: Monrovia
Daphne- extremely fragrant flowers smell like a floral perfume
pink flowers with green leaves
Lilac- a garden favorite for the big, fragrant flower clusters that bloom in the spring
Close-up :: Credit :: Dummen Orange
Buddleja- butterfly bush not only has a sweet fragrance, but butterflies can’t resist visiting!
selective focus photography of yellow-petaled flowers
Daffodils- a classic spring bulb brings hope for a new season and smells delightful.
red and yellow flower field
Roses- another classic scent, roses fill the air with fragrance on especially warm days. An excellent cut flower, so you can also bring the fragrance indoors.
white flowers
Jasmine- one of the most fragrant vining plants to add to the garden.
white and yellow flowers under sunny sky
Chamomile- a classic summer garden staple. Wonderful for drying to make your own tea!
sweet peas scented garden
Sweet Peas- another vining plant, but grows only in spring as an annual. Another excellent cut flower.

Learn how to grow sweet peas here.

scented garden
Honeysuckle- another vining plant, Honeysuckle atttracts hummingbirds for their long, tubular flowers.

I hope you’ve been inspired to add at least a few of these fragrant plants and create your own scented garden. It is truly worth the thought and work put in once you have that first bloom at home!