The charm of the fragrant garden delights the senses and the soul.
Being in a scented garden, surrounded by trees and shrubs that not only provide colorful blooms but also delight the senses with wonderful aromas is one of the small joys of being a gardener.
This article has offered up a selection of shrubs that smell nice and have also included fast-growing guides.
What Makes Flowers Smell?
When you are provided the opportunity to enjoy the pleasant, stinky, or putrid smell made by a flower you are actually experiencing a really interesting chemical reaction between specific organic compounds that the flower makes in combination with your olfactory (or otherwise known as smell) receptors located in your nose.
Methylbenzoate is one of the many organic compounds that a flower creates to develop what is referred to as a fruity floral smell.
A flowers scent is created and stored as an essential oil placed in specialized cells which make up the flower petals.
As these oils bond with each other, eventually leaving the surface of the petals and evaporating, the scent from the flower can be dispersed throughout the environment.
Every flower species has a unique formulation it generates to attract the pollinators that are essential for the flowers to reproduce and survive.
The scent is enticing to pollinators such as bees, flies, hummingbirds, and butterflies, anticipating a rich reward of nectar and nutritious pollen offered at the surface of the scent.
Fun Fact: Some of the scent chemicals produced by flowers may signal toxicity in animals that may be considering consuming the plant.
Add Some Beautiful Aroma to Your Garden by Growing these 9 Shrubs That Smell Nice
Shrubs with fragrant flowers will enrich the sensory experience of your garden.
Seeing and then breathing in the fragrance of lovely flowers is so uplifting and rewarding for all of your work in growing and caring for your garden.
You may find that some of these shrubs will even have fragrant stems or leaves you can use in your cooking.
Here are some excellent shrubs to consider adding to your garden.
1. Daphne Odora
Also Known As: Aureomarginata, Daphne
Description
Daphne Odora is an evergreen shrub with origins in China and the Far East.
It is recognized for its attractive inflorescence and pleasant fragrance in late winter.
The Daphne shrub has clusters of pleasant pale pink flowers that have deep green leaves with yellow margin encircling them.
These will open in January and last through until March, ultimately developing into red fruits later in the year.
What Does Daphne Odora Smell Like?
You will enjoy the gentle, sweet and spicy scent of these pale pink flowers.
Growing Guide for Daphne Odora
Daphne happens to enjoy full sun and partial shade. Plant it in the ground with organic matter to feed this great ornament shrub well.
Daphne is slow growing, so is suitable for borders where its great scent can be enjoyed. It is hardy generally but might not survive extreme frosts.
Prune only very lightly as dieback can occur from more than edge pruning. Note: Daphne is toxic if ingested and can cause skin irritation.
2. Abeliophyllum Distichum
Also Known As: White forsythia
Description
This shrub, which is deciduous, produces many light pink star-shaped flowers hinting of a familiar fragrance. The blossoms persist from February until early April.
What Does White Forsythia Smell Like?
You will recognise the sweet honey almond scent of white forsythia.
Its green foliage is interesting too, as it will develop a rich purple shade before dropping its foliage in late autumn.
It can be grown on borders or trained to cover a wall.
Growing Guide for White Forsythia
Locate a sunny area with well-drained, fertile soil to plant your white forsythia.
Once the shrub has finished flowering, it important to prune it back and consider feeding the forsythia for denser growth and inflorescence in the seasons to come.
3. Lavandula Angustifolia
Also Known As: Lavender, English lavender
Description
If you want your garden to smell nice, a great classic is English lavender.
Each year, you will enjoy a wealth of small violet flowers that emit an incredible scent during the summer and fall.
Lavender attracts the pollinators to your garden, and it can be used in the kitchen as a culinary herb.
What Does Lavender Smell Like?
Lavender is known for its pungent floral smell that has a herbal element that is similar to rosemary.
Growing Guide for English Lavender
Lavender is easy to maintain. Plant in a sunny spot, water lightly and enjoy.
Once the flowers are faded, cut back the stalks.
4. Salvia Guaranitica
Also Known As: Sage
Description
Sage is a delightful perennial and culinary herb with an enduring fragrance through your borders and pathways.
It is a strong-growing perennial that will grow in full sun.
Sage will produce deep blue-purple flowers with black calyxes from August until October.
What Does Sage Smell Like?
Sage has a rich minty herbal smell. It is slightly different to the dried sage used in cooking
Growing Guide for Sage
To increase the life of this shrub, you’ll need to take precautions to protect it in the winter.
It will appreciate a decent mulch applied in late fall, to help keep its roots warm this winter.
You can also extend flowering well into the summer by removing flower spikes as they wither.
5. Salvia Rosmarinus
Also Known As: Rosemary
Description
Rosemary is a wonderful herb that brings a herbaceous scent to a garden.
This shrub is attractive evergreen and can happily exist in any garden.
It has blue-purple flowers from May to June that contrast nicely with the needle-like leaves.
What Does Rosemary Smell Like?
Rosemary has a powerful, almost menthol-like herb scent. It is often selected as a companion to meat.
Growing Guide for Rosemary
Rosemary thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It will need annual pruning.
6. Melissa Officinalis
Also Known As: Lemon balm, bee balm
Description
Lemon balm has a pleasant scent of lemon that draws bees to your garden. It also adds flavor to hot drinks and food.
This shrub grows quickly in the spring, bearing fresh green growth and pale-yellow flower spikes.
It is similar to mint in rapidity of growth, so keep it in a container.
What Does Lemon Balm Smell Like?
Its lemony-mint fragrance will definitely refresh you as you walk by this shrub.
Growing Guide for Lemon Balm
Lemon balm can also be planted in full shade if your growing environment is rather hot.
It is completely hardy and self-seeding so it is best to control it by pruning it right after it flowers.
7. Jasminum Officinale
Also Known As: Jasmine, common white jasmine
Description
Jasmine is loved by gardeners wanting to put fragrance all over their gardens.
The sweet plant provided whitish clusters of beautifully scented flowers until the gorgeous perfume of this climbing plant produces stunning petites flowers from June to August.
The flowering period is actually June to August and that’s 3 months of captivating fragrance to enjoy.
The variety of jasmine can be deciduous or evergreen, causing a vigorous growing habit so be prepared to manage the spread and climbing habit.
What Does Jasmine Smell Like?
Jasmine has a sweet floral scent that can be very strong when it is in full bloom.
Growing Guide for Jasmine
Jasmine flourishes best in sunny areas with fertile and well-drained soils.
Trim jasmine generously to manage its growth after it has flowered. Jasmine can also be given some winter protection.
8. Lonicera × Purpusii
Also Known As: Winter beauty, winter honeysuckle
Description
The attractive flowers and fragrance of this semi-evergreen shrub will be a treat in the cold dark days of winter.
Winter honeysuckle typically flowers from December to March and has decorative white tubular blooms which are displayed in clusters and have an incredibly strong scent.
The green leaves are really nothing special.
However, you will want to share this beautiful fragrance with your neighbours or anyone who is passing by so would plant your winter honeysuckle near pathways, doors or fences.
What Does Winter Honeysuckle Smell Like?
As the name shows it has a pungent honey-citrus fragrance that has spicy notes.
Growing Guide for Winter Honeysuckle
This resilient shrub will require as much sunlight as it can acquire, plus it should be planted in rich, well-drained soil.
Consider pruning after you’ve enjoyed its fragrant floral display.
9. Calycanthus
Also Known As: Carolina allspice, spice bush, eastern sweetshrub
Description
Carolina allspice is a shrub that bears large, fragrant purple flowers that are in the magnolia family.
The visual display Calycanthus produces is matched only by its sweet aroma that you’ll appreciate during the flowering months of May through September.
The leaves release aroma if crushed, and if you were in a pinch, its bark could even be used as a cinnamon replacement in cooking.
What Does Carolina Allspice Smell Like?
Carolina allspice has a sweet spicy and fruity smell reminiscent of pumpkin spice or apple pie.
Growing Guide for Carolina Allspice
This flowering shrub definitely prefers its warmth, but better if it appreciates shade.
Plant it in a sheltered and shaded location with well-drained soil but protect it in cold weather.
Calycanthus should be pruned in late winter.
Rounding up
This is a fantastic selection of exquisitely scented shrubs that will enliven any garden setting.
Select fragrances that you will enjoy; some floral scents can be very pervasive and intense.
Consider experimenting with the location of the shrubs, or creating a health-related physic garden — for the maximum impact and sensory experience from these delightful shrubs.