Leafy Scent!

When considering scent in the garden, it is the flower which we tend to think of most but there are many plants which concentrate their aroma on deeply scented leaves. While plants with scented foliage may not have very showy flowers, their fragrance can be more intense, particularly when temperatures rise, concentrating their perfume.

Recently I visited Cambridge Botanic Gardens and walked around their scented plant zone, which is a cleverly sunken path between raised beds full of aromatic plants. All of the planting is heavily scented and as a result of the garden design, the garden visitor is fully immersed in the plant zone, with heady aromas of salvia and geranium, plunging the observer to the point of intoxication. It was divine. I have always been an advocate of scented planting but following my experience in Cambridge, I’d highly recommend planting them at a raised level by raised pots or hanging baskets or if you are re-designing your garden, consider a sunken pathway between scented raised beds and your nose wont regret it.

Deirdre’s Favourite Plants with Scented foliage:

Read more in the November issue…