Fragrant climbers that can be planted right now, for knock-out scent all season long
There is a tendency to think about gardening as an entirely visual art form: a pursuit that is all about playing with the colours, forms and textures of the natural world. However, to me the most dramatic impact that being around plants has on my mood usually comes not via my eyes, but from my nose. Instantly triggering emotions and memories more than any other, our sense of smell is somehow often overlooked when it comes to talking about gardens – and even more so when designing them.
The number of times I have seen plants with the most incredible fragrance growing right at the bottom of the garden where we tend to spend the least amount of time – as opposed to around seating areas, patios and by entrances to the house where people linger far longer to take it all in – is unbelievable. You don’t have to have acres of space or ninja-level horticultural skills to surround yourself with botanical fragrance, either. With perennial, scented climbers almost anyone can get years of gorgeous aroma in the tiniest amounts of plot space for the 10 minutes it takes to plant one.