My Garden Smells

The title reads, My Garden Smells, not, My Garden Smells. Confused? This blog is a picture tour of plants in our gardens that qualify for a scratch and sniff book. There are times when I enjoy just going from plant to plant to rub and sniff or just to smell the daisies, so to speak. Of course I am not the intended target for these smells. Odors, both good and bad (according to us) are there to attract pollinators or to drive away herbivores. One way or another they provide an evolutionary advantage that increases the chance that the plant will live long enough to produce seeds to continue the species. Okay, enough Intro to Biology for now. Here are my top ten.

One could deduce from this plant’s name, Sweet William, that it would have a sweet scent, and it does. Some flowers use large, brightly colored flowers to attract pollinators and some use scent. This plant uses both!

English lavender flowers are certainly very pretty when they are in full bloom. But even more appealing (to the bees that are all over the flowers) is their scent. The scent not only emanates from the flowers but from the foliage as well!

Roses give off a classic scent, of course. But they also have another evolutionary advantage in that they have thorns to ward off herbivores. That seems to stop the deer and rabbits from eating them but they are prone to insect damage so they are not foolproof.

The peonies are almost at an end of their blom time. We have pink, red and white peonies with a newly planted yellow I have hopes for in the future. They have a mildly pleasant scent although their real claim to fame is their massive flowers.

Sweet peas have a wonderful scent and make great cut flowers. The down side is that they do not last long in a vase. The upside is that they produce new flowers for cutting every day during their blooming time.

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One is a vegetable and one is considered by many to be a weed, but both do have a nice scent. Potato flowers on the left and milkweed on the right attract bees and butterflies. I will admit the milkweed flowers are a stronger scent, but to their credit, the potato flowers indicate that in about two seeks time we will be able to begin harvesting new potatoes.

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If one rubs the leaves or flowers of the Anis hysop on the left, it gives off a pleasant licorice scent. The mint on the right is one of several different types growing in our gardens. Both of these plants can be a bother as they spread rapidly through the gardens.

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Here are two more culinary herbs with strong scents. The lemon balm on the left can be used in hot or cold drinks. The basil on the left is good in too many dishes to name. I love just bringing it into the kitchen to use as it fills the room with it’s aroma.