Creating a Fragrant Perfumed Garden

Flower scents—volatile oils—are best enjoyed on still, warm evenings from a comfortable seat, ideally in an arbor of roses, 'Zephirine Drouhin', and honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica 'Halliana'). Surround the seat with a raised bed (2–3 ft high) to lift fragrance closer, planting musky flowers: nepeta, stocks, wallflowers, sweet William, nicotiana, Madonna lily, evening primrose, plus aromatic herbs like lavender and rosemary. Thyme and pennyroyal (Mentha) release scent when crushed—plant them along paths to be trodden on.

Shrubs and trees with sweet fragrance include Buddleia globosa, Sambucus canadensis, Viburnum fragrans, Mahonia japonica, Magnolia soulangeana, and mock orange (Philadelphus 'Beauclerk'). Add sensory layers: rustling bamboo (Arundinaria murieliae), Japanese wind chimes, a tinkling fountain, and the hum of bees drawn by the perfume.

Preserve garden fragrance indoors with lavender bags (cotton/muslin filled with sun-dried lavender heads) or simple potpourri: dried wallflower petals, rosemary sprigs, 30 g orris root, 1 tsp nutmeg. Potpourris sweeten rooms, scent linens, and fill pomanders. Orris root acts as a fixative to prolong scent life.