Top 5 Fragrant Perennials

Those outdoor spaces such as patios, pools and decks that are the hub of activity, are perfect places to add fragrant plants for ambiance. ,Fragrant shrubs and perennials will remind both you and your guests why it’s so enjoyable to spend time outdoors instead of in, and help create long lasting memories.

There’s nothing like closing your eyes and breathing in the scent of fragrant blossoms wafting through the air.

There are many places to utilize fragrant plants to optimize their scent. Plant fragrant perennials near anyplace you spend a lot of time. Near the entry to your home is a great spot for guests to enjoy fragrant plants while they wait for you to greet them. Did you ever think about outside your bedroom window, or even outside a window that’s in a room you spend a lot of time in? These are all advantageous spots for fragrance.

I’ll start with my personal favorite. Oriental lilies (Lilium). These lilies offer striking

color and large, upward facing blooms. They have a deep, sensuous and long-lasting fragrance that makes you stop in your tracks as soon as you catch a whiff. Cut flowers will last in a vase up to two weeks and they’re easy to grown in the garden or container. Choose a selection of early, late, and mid-season varieties for fragrance from June through September. If deer are a problem, you may have to protect them with a spray.

Peonies. A great ,spring blooming perennial, they are beloved for their sumptuous

flower heads and delicate fragrance. They’re easy to grow, but it does seem to rain as soon as they bloom, knocking off all their petals. Consider a peony umbrella or other form of protection from the rain. Peonies come in both single and double flowers. Blossoms of the double flowers can become heavy and may need staking or caging, but they’re bountiful blooms and sweet aroma make it well worth while. Peonies with single blooms are great for pollinators.

Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a stunner. Delivering tall, airy spires of lavender-blue flowers on highly textured silver-gray foliage. Performing beautifully in hot, dry conditions, this plant thrives in full sun. Refreshing sage-like fragrance wafts from these magnificent plants and is a great addition to the garden.

Hummingbird Mint (Agastache) are showy, fragrant, long-blooming perennials that

as their name suggests, are highly attractive to hummingbirds. Agastache are great for pollinator friendly gardens and have excellent resistance to both deer and rabbit. Tall spires of spicy-sweet fragrance in a rainbow of colors make this an excellent choice for any landscape.

Lavender is of course on our list! What list of fragrant perennials would be complete without

. There are over 40 varieties of lavender. Among the most fragrant are several cultivars of English Lavender (Lavendula augustifolia). It is worth noting that other varieties of lavender such as lavendula x intermedia are also highly praised for their scent. English lavender (Lavendula augustifolia), which is my favorite variety of lavender, tends to be compact in habit and have grayish-green leaves. The flower spikes are relatviely short and compact. This lavender is great toward the front of the bed. Lavender is considered a woody perennial and does need to be pruned.