Forrest Rose
Information Specialist
573-882-6843
RoseF@missouri.edu
March 9, 2004
Fragrance gardens make good
scents, MU horticulturist says
“Planning a fragrance garden is much like mixing aromas to create a perfume,” said David Trinklein, MU professor of horticulture. “Adding fragrance to a garden requires only a modest effort and can turn an attractive garden into an unforgettable one.”
Most fragrant flowers emit volatile oils to attract insect pollinators, Trinklein said, while other plants with foliage we consider fragrant “might actually be attempting to ward off insects. For example, the mint fragrance most of us enjoy from members of the genus Mentha is a fairly effective deterrent for several harmful insects, and the same can be said for a number of herbs commonly grown in gardens.”
A careful selection of plants with fragrant flowers and aromatic foliage “can heighten our enjoyment of the garden while serving as a method of biological pest control,” Trinklein said.
He urged fragrance gardeners to “start with a few of your favorite plants and work from there.” Sweet alyssum, roses, sweetpea, mints and lavender are popular sweet-smelling plants that thrive in Missouri gardens.
Some plant fragrances are heavy and pungent, while others are “lighter but linger longer in the garden,” Trinklein said. “Build the color theme of your garden around this basic core of plants and mix similar fragrances to emphasize a special effect. For example, mix the fragrances of lily-of-the-valley, old roses and heliotrope to create a nostalgia theme, or plant lavender with a few of the pungent herbs for an edible effect.”
Placement is nearly as important as plant selection, he said. “Enhance and protect the effect of a fragrance garden by planting fragrant evergreens to form natural windbreaks, or ‘fragrance pockets.’” Planting fragrant prostrate plants such as creeping thyme along the edges of walkways is an effective technique as well. “As the plants spread and tend to be stepped on, their fragrance is emitted.”
Plants that give off their fragrance after dark should be located “where evening activities in the garden are enjoyed,” Trinklein said. “These can be some of the most delightfully scented plants because they rely primarily on their fragrance to attract nocturnal pollinators.”
Commonly used fragrant plants include annuals like basil, gardenia, jasmine, nasturtium, pansy and petunia; and perennials such as garden phlox, hyacinth, lily, mint, peony, sage, sweet violet and tuberose. Fragrant trees, shrubs and vines include American allspice, black locust, butterfly bush, flowering crab, lilac, magnolia, wisteria and witch hazel.
“All of these are fairly content in any good garden loam when provided with at least six to eight hours of sunshine and adequate amounts of water,” Trinklein said. “Fragrance is an ideal way to add to the enjoyment of any garden, from the spicy scent of herbs on a spring day to the rich fragrance if a tropical flower on a warm summer night.”
Source: David Trinklein (573) 882-9631
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