Enjoy the sweet smell of scent plant success

Scent comes into its own when you're sitting outside on a balmy summer evening, taking in all the delicious fragrances the garden has to offer.I have two neighbours to thank for the sweet scent of mock orange which fills the air in my own garden - the fragrance wafting quite a distance from where these flowering shrubs are actually planted.

There are fragrant plants for every garden throughout the year, from winter-flowering jasmine and mahonia to hyacinths, scented narcissus and viburnum in the spring, and summer-flowering lavender, rosemary, honeysuckle, roses, evening primrose, dianthus, nicotiana and stocks.

It's worth noting that the most strongly scented flowers are often white, or insignificant in appearance, but make their presence felt when you sniff the air.

While flowers tend to have sweet, heady perfumes, leaf scents tend to be spicy. Many plants with scented foliage need gentle stroking or pinching to release their perfume. It's likely that the scents evolved as a deterrent to insect pests, but gardeners love them.

New research from PlantforLife, an advice resource created by the Horticultural Trades Association, reveals 63 per cent of people in the UK purchase floral and herbal scented products to enhance their health and well-being yet, when asked, just 32 per cent realised the plants they grow in the garden can provide the same effects.

To address this lack of awareness and promote the benefits floral and herbal scents provide, PlantforLife has joined forces with aromacologist, Daniele Ryman, and celebrity plantsman Chris Collins, to show people how to give their garden a simple and healthy-scented makeover.

"Although colour is an important part of any outdoor space, introducing different scents into your garden is essential to creating your perfect outdoor haven," says Chris. "Having beautifully scented plants outside not only means you can reap the health benefits, but planting a scented garden is a great way to help the environment and attract wildlife, like bees, back into your garden."

Roses are believed to have a calming fragrance which can help ease nerves.

"When planting roses, consider the look and feel of what you would like to achieve, from creating excellent focal points to framing certain areas of your garden," he adds.

Lavender is well known for relieving stress, helping relaxation and aiding sleep. It is best planted in numbers, makes an ideal low hedge in the traditional cottage garden and doesn't need really rich soil. However, it will need plenty of sun.

Lily-of-the-valley, whose scent helps combat tiredness, only grows to 45cm and is ideally planted in moist shade under trees to make an effective ground cover. The Greeks used the herb rosemary to improve their concentration, but it is also known to be an energiser, and will thrive in sandy soil in a sunny position. Water it well in its first season and after that it should become reasonably drought-resistant.

Scented climbers can also add more atmosphere and romance to a garden, whether cottage or modern in style. Among the most popular climbing plants with fragrant blooms are Clematis montana var.

rubens 'Elizabeth', 'Jasminum officinale' and 'Wisteria floribunda'.

Fragrance is at its highest when it's calm, so place scented plants in a sheltered spot away from the wind. Indeed, perfume is best captured on a patio, so make sure your pots or nearby beds are awash with a range of fragrant blooms to make the most of those delicious scents in the summer months.

For more information visit www.plantforlife.info/scent to download a free guide with tips and advice from Daniele Ryman and Chris Collins for planting and using your favourite floral and herbal scents.

Astilbe

This favourite perennial brings colour and texture to the semi-shaded border with its feathery plumes - in colours ranging from creamy-white through lilac and pink to red - rising above neat mounds of deeply cut foliage in summer.

The wispy plumes can also be left for winter interest. Astilbes, however, do need moist, lightly shaded soil to thrive - they are ideally planted in woodland locations between shrubs or by a pond - and can make good groundcover plants too. While most like boggy ground, A. chinensis 'Pumila' and A. 'Superba' can cope with drier soils and can tolerate sun, but you'll need to keep the ground moist by mulching.

Plant in drifts 45cm-90cm (18in-36in) apart depending on whether they are dwarf or vigorous varieties and water them well until they are established. They make good companions planted between shade-loving foliage plants such as hostas and rodgersias.