Scented bushes and flowering plants are great for landscaping with flowers because they provide a focal point for your flower landscape. You can accentuate the focal point with lighting or landscaping borders to blend in with your home’s exterior color scheme. Many scented bushes like the evergreen shrub or the spectacular choisy will give scent AND color to any area. The fragrance of scented bushes and flowers can be relaxing or energizing, depending on the plant and its aroma. Choosing the correct choice of scented bushes, in addition to the correct selection of flowers, can insure almost yearly color and scent throughout the entire flower landscape.
Gardenias and clematis, two scented shrubs are among the most popular and common of all flowers used in landscaping with flowers. These plants are extremely easy to maintain and grow, providing an abundance of choice for designers and gardeners who desire a variety in their garden design. Gardenias are long lasting, requiring only regular watering. A quick pruning trimming of the thick and old growth leaves, combined with daily feeding with a balanced fertilizer, will ensure that your gardenias stay strong and vibrant.
Spring bulbs are another exciting option for landscaping with scented shrubs. Bulbs are available in both hardy perennial cut flowers, as well as a multitude of fragrant blooms that bloom for the entire season. In addition to offering color and fragrance, bulbs are useful for creating a variety of gardening challenges, from privacy screens and stepping stones in the spring to borders and walkways in the fall. Plant them accordingly and in spring, the flowers will be up and about. In summer, the fragrance will become a part of your summer landscape. Fall will welcome the colorful bulbs in all their glory, with a harvest of rich colors in early autumn.
In early spring, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are one of the most popular choices for scented shrubs. These flowers are available in a wide variety of colors, including pink, yellow, purple and orange. Tulips are highly fragrant, making them an ideal choice for blending with other flowers or spreading throughout your landscape. Daffodils and hyacinths are equally attractive with the addition of cut flowers, which will add to their alluring fragrance.
Evergreens are another group of highly scented shrubs with springtime blooms that are extremely durable and hardy. Many types come in both single and double blossoms and can be planted anywhere in your garden. Evergreens are also very drought friendly and grow well even in the driest of conditions. Loosely rooted evergreen plants make a beautiful border along a fence, decking, walkway or as a colorful centerpiece in your home.
Spring bulbs such as crocuses and daffodils are another favorite flower for plant mums, which have wonderful scents that remind people of times past. The scent of crocuses wafts through the air as the flower opens up, attracting bees and butterflies. Daffodils and other traditional spring bulbs are easy to grow, making them great plants for the novice gardener. Pansies, too, are another great choice when it comes to flower scents.
White flowers are usually a better choice than the more fragrant, grassy varieties for a number of reasons. For one thing, white flowers have less of a scent to them. They are much less noticeable and don’t create the same visual impact as their counterparts do. Also, a white flower in your garden doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with your landscaping, or that you haven’t done your job very well. A shrub planted in just the right spot will look great and smell great.
In general, there are two types of fragrant plants: those that have strong fragrances and those that have more subtle scents. Sweetpeas, for instance, are highly fragrant because of their volatile oils. If you want your guests to think you’re baking pie, make sure to spray the food with a cooking spray before serving! Or, if you love spicy food and you want to give it a little kick, pick up a bottle of Cayenne pepper spray right next time you head out for the night. These are just some of the ideas available for fragrant shrubs.