To pause and breathe in a fragrant bloom is to savor life more sweetly.  Since childhood, many of us have shared a flower with someone special after it stopped us in our tracks with that breathtakingly sweet scent unlike anything else. Fragrance has a way of tying memory to place, and when you plant a garden designed for scent, you create those moments again and again, right outside your door.

Bringing fragrance into your garden doesn’t require acres of land or years of experience. Start with spring-blooming bulbs like fragrant Oriental lilies, and peonies, or richly scented hyacinths. We also have many varieties of scented bearded iris, and many of those are re-blooming varieties that you can enjoy twice each year! Planted along a walkway or near your front door, they greet you with perfume every time you come home. Tuck them into borders or containers for a gentle reminder to slow the hustle-and-bustle down.

Roselilies are a win-win variety for fragrance. They are completely pollenless and therefore offer a softer, more refined fragrance than a traditional stargazer. TXGma says that her Samantha roselily is, “Lovely, large and fragrant! Easy to grow!”

As the seasons shift, layer in summer bloomers grown from seed. Spring-into-summer blooming sweet peas climb trellises and fences, producing delicate blossoms with a powerful, nostalgic scent. Summer-loving lavender fills the air with its calming, herbal sweetness and thrives in sunny spots. Even low-growing creeping thyme or Corsican mini mint can transform a garden path by releasing a gentle aroma each time it’s brushed by your hand or stepped on lightly.

Don’t overlook herbs when planning a fragrant space. Spearmint, rosemary, sage, and lemon balm offer delightful scents that intensify in the sun. Plant them near patios or garden benches so their fragrance mingles with warm air while you work or relax.

A fragrant garden invites you to slow down and to “stop and smell the roses.” It turns everyday mundane tasks like watering, weeding, and harvesting into sensory experiences. Though modern hybridizing efforts are usually spent on creating bigger blooms and stronger stems, fragrance too often has been left on the cutting room floor. Nevertheless, there are still so many varieties whose fragrance is its crowning glory. With thoughtfully chosen seeds and bulbs found in our Fragrant Flower Bulbs & Seeds Collection, any gardener can create a space that smells as beautiful as it looks. Plant what you love, wander often, and let your garden remind you to pause, breathe deeply, and savor the sweetness of the season.