The Sunday Mail
THE reason we buy perfumes is because we enjoy the pleasant scent they bring and we want to ward off odours. It is the same scenario in the garden.
Nothing beats being greeted by the sweet smell of fragrant plants or even relaxing in such a garden filled with the goodness of nature.
Top on the list of such fragrant subjects of nature is none other than the queen of the night, cestrum nocturnum. Queen of the night is a plant of the solanaceae (tomato) family, which exudes a strong fragrance during night time.
Plant it near your veranda, for those hot summer nights you want to relax outside. Position it in a full sun or half sun position.
Another notable group of sweet smelling plants are jasmines singling out jasminum multiflorum or the Arabian jasmine. It flowers during the summer months.
The unique thing about this plant is that its blooms will cover most of its leaves, a sight to marvel especially if it has been trained over a fence.
For me it was love at first sight beholding heliotropium arborescens, cherry pie. It flowers all year round rewarding you with mauve fragrant flowers. It grows up 60cm in height and can be positioned in a full sun or half sun site.
The garden plant has been with us for generations, these are gardenias. We also have an indigenous species of gardenia called gardenia spatulifolio, an elegant specimen producing scented white single flowers. Gardenias dislike alkalinity and dry conditions so satisfy them accordingly.
Equally slow growing as gardenias are magnolias. Rare plants to grow, doing well in cooler areas with moist soils. You must water well during the dry season.
Magnolia soulangeana produces beautiful large cup shaped deep pink or white flowers which are fragrant as well. Grows up to 4m in height so should be considered as a small tree.
Last but definitely not the least, rather saving the best for the last, are roses. This plant has captured the imagination of many.
Your garden will do well with a few of these high maintenance plants rewarding you with the best that nature has to offer, beautiful fragrant blooms.
Consult your nursery man for the best hybrids for a more fragrant outdoors with roses. Other good fragrant bloomers if you can find them are michelia figo, aloysia virgata and michellia alba.
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