A well-planned fragrance garden exudes a wonderful fragrance from spring to autumn. The choice of the plants used plays an important role.
A blooming garden pleases the eye. A scented garden can be experienced with all your senses. The scent of the plants beguiles the senses and attracts bees, bumblebees and insects to the oasis of well-being. Last but not least, when creating scented gardens, it depends on your own preferences. The effect of the essential plant oils unfolds best in sunny and windless locations. Below we reveal how a scented garden can be planned and which plants can be combined with each other.
What is a scented garden?
The term fragrance garden, also known as the English term "fragrance garden", describes a garden or garden area that focuses on the scents of the plants. The plants are not primarily selected for their growth height or flower colour, but planted according to their scent properties.
Scented plants are plants whose flowers, leaves or bark release aromatic scents. A fragrance garden is a place of relaxation that invites you to see, smell, feel and taste.
Planning a scented garden
Everyone absorbs smells differently. Some scents are special to us, while others really repel us. Your own sense of smell is crucial for the selection of the plants, which should enrich the later fragrance garden.
First of all, it is advisable to make a list of all the aromatic plants that are perceived as positive. These are then included in the planting plan and harmoniously arranged on the available space.
When arranging the plants, it must be taken into account that the scents have different strengths and that the intensity can vary between the times of the day and the seasons. These components are discussed in more detail below.
Tip: If you only consider intensely fragrant plants and place them close together in the bed, you can look forward to new fragrance compositions.
Should the scents of the individual plants have their own independencepreserve, it is advisable to create individual scent areas, so-called scent niches or scent corners. The plant scents are concentrated there and are perceived with corresponding intensity.
Cultivation in a raised bed is recommended for herbs and other low aromatic plants. In this way, the aroma rises directly into the nose and does not evaporate on the floor.
Criteria for planning
- Fragrant Notes of Plants
- personal sense of smell
- Range of fragrances
- Fragrance time of day
- Season of Fragrance
The size of the fragrance garden depends on the space available. In principle, anyone can create a scented garden. This ranges from a fragrant herbal corner on the balcony to a separate area in the front yard or a spacious scented path through park-like grounds.
Find the right location
Before choosing the location, there is the question of what demands are placed on the scented garden. A classic scented garden is laid out not far from the seats so that the scent can be easily perceived. If there is little space available, trellises or raised beds running over different levels are ideal.
If there is a larger property, trees, hedges and bushes can give structure to the scented garden. Smaller beds or balcony gardens are stocked with fragrant flowers and herbs.
The location should be bright and sunny. Plants develop their aroma best when exposed to sunlight for several hours a day.
Which plants enrich the fragrance garden?
The following plant groups are available for the scented garden:
- Scented Trees
- Scented Shrubs
- Scented Hedges
- Scented Flowers
- Scented herbs
Plants can spread a wide variety of scents. The palette ranges from delicate and light scents to heavy and intense smells that take some getting used to. The careful selection of the plants forms the basis for the subsequent fragrance composition.
Tip: Not only flowers are fragrant. Leaves or buds also release odors.
It depends on your own preferences. Scented gardens with Mediterranean charm are particularly popular. Herbs such as lavender, thyme, rosemary or sage feel at home here. These can be combined with citrus plants, cherry laurel or clematis.
If the scented garden is to remind you of a walk through the local countryside, then scented trees like fir or pine are usedplanted. Lily of the valley, hyacinth or magic flower thrive in their shade.
Create a fragrance garden - step by step
Creating a scented garden is roughly comparable to building a house. The garden is also planned in several floors. If the area is large enough, trees and larger bushes are planted first. The aromas at nose level are perceived most intensively. In addition to the natural growth height of the plants, you can also use fences, walls or trellises. The bottom can be filled with different scented herbs.
In order to fill the entire garden season with fragrance, the choice of plants must be based on this. The witch hazel blooms as early as late winter. Spring can be heralded with woodruff, tulips or snowballs. Lilac and lily of the valley follow. Summer is the time for roses, which can be arranged on trellises and trellises not far from the seating area.
An overview of the right plants for the scented garden
Examples of trees in the scented garden
Pine (Pinus) - © Pixs:sell / Stock.adobe.com
Fir (Abies) - © Mpix-foto / Stock.adobe.com
Amber (Liquidambar Styraciflua) - © Matteo Ceruti - Fotolia.com
Spruce (Picea) - © Vaivirga / Stock.adobe.com
Examples of hedges in the scented garden
Honeysuckle (Lonicera ) - © Marc / Stock.adobe.com
False Jasmine (Philadelphus Coronarius) - © Anna / Stock.adobe.com
Potato rose (Rosa Rugosa) - © max5128 / stock.adobe.com
Bridal Spirea (Spirea Arguta) - © Olyasolodenko / Stock.adobe.com
Examples of shrubs in the fragrance garden
Japanese Honeysuckle ( Lonicera Japonica) - © Marc / Stock.adobe.com
Rock pear (Amelanchier) - © Gartentipps.com
Snowball (Viburnum) - © Kvdkz / Stock.adobe.com
Magnolia (Magnolia) - © Branko Srot - Fotolia.com
Examples of flowers in the scented garden
Rose (pink) - © Digitalpress / stock.adobe.com
Carnation (Dianthus) - © hcast / stock.adobe.com
Violet (Viola) - © Marc / stock.adobe.com
Vetch (Vicia) - © Hanstography - Fotolia.com
Examples of herbs in the scented garden
Peppermint (Mentha Piperita) - © Jutta Adam - Fotolia.com
Thyme (Thymus) - © Madeleine Steinbach / Stock.adobe.com
Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) - © Martin_P - Fotolia.com
Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) - © HVPM Dev / Stock.adobe.com
The fragrant flowers are of particular importance. These can be used in many ways and are also suitable for smaller scented gardens or a scented niche on the balcony or terrace. Furthermore, fragrant summer flowers attract many beneficial insects into the home garden.
Tip: Many flowers use the secretion of fragrances as protection against predators.
When choosing plantsit is important to distinguish between continuously fragrant plants and flowers, which release their aroma mainly at night.
scented throughout
- Lily of the Valley
- Hyacinths
- Peonies
- Candytufts
- Vanilla Flowers
- Chicory
- Carnations
- Chocolate Flower
scented only at night
- Silverleaf
- Levkojen
- Magic Flowers
- Carnations
- Soapwort
- Forest Honeysuckle
- Gold lacquer
- Gemshorn
Scented garden throughout the year
When creating a scented garden, the priority is on intensive aromas, which accompany us throughout the garden year.
The following table shows how the plants can be combined accordingly.
| Season | faint scent | intense fragrance |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | • Lilac • Cherry Laurel • Woodruff • Clematis • Peony | • Violet • Lily of the Valley • Hyacinth • Sweet William • Vanilla Flower |
| Summer | • Laburnum • Hydrangea • Butterfly Bush | • Spice Bush • Honeysuckle • Clove • Lavender • Sweet Pea • Lemon Balm |
Fragrance Gardens in Germany
A walk through the most popular German fragrance gardens can serve as inspiration to start designing your own aroma oasis.
Scent garden on the island of Mainau
The Bodenseeinsel is a must for all plant lovers. The fragrance garden of the flower island is connected to the butterfly house, which is open all year round. 150 different types of plants can be admired.
Scent garden in the Eberswalde family garden
The family garden in Eberswalde near Berlin was created in the course of the Brandenburg State Garden Show in 2002. The area on the site of a former rolling mill has become an outstanding leisure facility. The sensory and scent garden corresponds to the shape of an oversized head and thus follows the apothecary garden, which was laid out in the form of a body.
Fragrance Garden Bad Wörishofen
The he alth resort in the Allgäu offers more than 250 different aromatic plants on an area of 3,500 square meters. Shrubs limit the area, which can be walked on winding paths. A special feature is the gallery for the blind, a scent garden especially for the visually impaired, which can be experienced by tasting and touching.
Scent garden in the Burghalde in Kempten
In the middle of the popular Upper Bavarian shopping town is this fragrance oasis, which was launched by the nearby train station pharmacy, the city of Kempten and other regional companies. All of the 110 plant species presented serve as a starting material for naturopathic applications.
Scent garden in the Rhododendron Park in Bremen
More than 600 species of rhododendrons grow on an area of 46 hectares in the Bremen Rhododendron Park. This is the second largest collection in the world. The adjoining fragrance garden is laid out in the form of round beds. Cozy blue pavilions lined with rose bushes invite you to linger.