Photo of Narcissus 'Thalia,' one of strongest scented daffodils.

The Six Scents of a Garden

I used to follow my brother on his jaunts into the fields and woods behind our home. At twelve, Jim was an intrepid adventurer and well versed in the wild landscape (college students bought correctly labeled insect trays from him for their taxonomy assignments). As a younger sister, I always felt safe with him, but he was not above pulling a few pranks. During one of our treks I was introduced to stinging nettles and skunk cabbage. I came to an immediate and intimate understanding that not all plants are pleasing, either to touch, or smell.

Gardens are mostly visual creations. People are drawn to them for the inherent invitation of a garden path, an eye-drawing plant arrangement or a welcoming spot of color. Alluring gardens engage the other senses. The sound of fountains or wind chimes, the feel of lamb's ear or astilbe spikes, the whiff of roses or crushed mint adds a tantalizing dimension to any garden's enjoyment.

Fragrance is how our minds interpret the chemical composition of inhaled essences. Norman Taylor, in his 1988 book, Fragrance in the Garden, claims garden plants have only six distinct types of (pleasant) fragrance. These scents, captured in essential oils, are the basis of the perfume industry.

The first scent type Taylor identifies as the Aminoid, the essential oil involved. Think of pears, hawthornes, spireas or elders and you recognize the scent. These plants are fertilized by different species of flies and other insects. This scent is found in few annuals and perennials that grow in this area, but the fragrance of tulips and English bluebells are of this type.

Heavy scents are the second type. These include the extremely sweet, heady, fragrances of jasmine, mock-orange, lilac, honeysuckle, linden trees, and some lilies. Many people find the strongest scented flowers in this group slightly unpleasant as the syrupy sweetness contains a hint of decay. Taylor says all these plants include various amounts of indol, a scent identified with the 'end products of animal putrification.' They are also the most sensual of fragrances. Madonna lilies (Lilium candidum), Narcissus such as 'Thalia' or the poet's narcissus (Narcissus poeticus) add this fragrance to your garden.

Aromatic types contain spicy smells like cinnamon and vanilla. Flowers like clove pinks (Dianthus), Hyacinth, Crocus, Primula, Heliotrope, Nicotiana, and many herbs such as lavender are included here. These scents are not so cloying sweet as the heavy scents.

Both the heavy and the spicy types are fertilized by butterflies or moths.

Violet, rose and lemon are the last three types of scent. Most violets grown in the United States are near scentless so to introduce this fragrance into your garden is almost impossible. Only the spring-blooming bulb plant Leucojum vernum (snowflakes) contains the violet essential oil irone. Orris root, the dried and pulverized root of Iris germanica var. florentine is said to contain this scent. I have some, but my nose hasn't detected the elusive scent of violets.

Rose scent is available among iris, peony and roses still containing fragrance. Lemon scent is found in four-o'clocks, lemon verbena leaves and many herbs such as lemon balm and French sorrel.

You probably already have scented plants in your garden, but after a hot afternoon of sweaty weeding, it's nice to know where to get a fresh, sweet smell.