Plant these fragrant perennials to perfume the garden

Phlox paniculata ‘Starfire’ – paniculate phlox

Phlox paniculata ‘Starfire’ is a small marvel that brightens the garden all summer, and even into autumn if the weather is mild. This perennial forms panicles over 10 cm in diameter, forming tubular corollas. They display a vibrant cherry-red colour, which will undoubtedly brighten the garden. Well scented, they exhale a blend of floral and spicy notes. This is a melliferous bloom that attracts many insects. Don’t hesitate to incorporate them into your summer bouquets, so you can also enjoy these fragrances at home.

The plant grows to 70 cm tall and 40 cm across. It features bright green foliage with serrated margins. Each leaf measures about ten centimetres long. They are deciduous.

Easy to grow and hardy (down to -25°C), they will only require soil rich in organic matter, well-drained and kept moist (which never dries out completely). Give it a sunny position that will perfectly showcase its colourful flowering.

For its qualities, this old variety, over 60 years old, was awarded the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

To learn more about growing phlox, read our article “Phlox: planting, growing and care“.

Dianthus plumarius ‘Cranmere Pool’ - dainty carnation

Dianthus ‘Cranmere Pool’ graces us with a very refined display of flowers. It blooms in late spring, from May to July, and may reappear in September. This Dianthus then reveals its pretty, beautifully double white flowers, reaching 6 cm in diameter. They consist of dentate petals in immaculate white, simply enhanced by a magenta-streaked heart. Strongly scented, they release sweet and spicy notes.

The plant forms a small, compact cushion about 30 cm across. It has evergreen, linear and tough foliage, green tinged with blue-grey.

This fragrant perennial will fit in anywhere, whether in containers, a sunny rock garden or a romantic garden beside small roses. Easy to grow, it can be cultivated even by beginner gardeners who wish to add a touch of fragrance to their garden, or on patios and balconies. This tolerant carnation will withstand sunny, dry exposures, but also hard frosts (down to -15°C). Plant it in well-drained soil, even gravelly and calcareous.

For more on carnation cultivation, read our article “Carnation: planting, care and sowing tips”.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Red Charm' – herbaceous peony

Herbaceous peony ‘Red Charm’ is a real gem. A favourite in old gardens, it already brings colour and fragrance there toward the end of spring. Its flowers bloom in May and remain visible for about two weeks. They are large, double blooms, reaching over 15 cm in diameter. Their heart, formed of pointed petaloids, is surrounded by a corolla of broad, flattened petals, giving volume and texture to this pompon-like bloom. In terms of colour, it’s ruby-red, deep red that brightens the garden. The almost spicy fragrance emitted by the flowers lasts a long time, persisting even when the flowers are cut.

The flowering is enhanced by dark green, finely cut foliage, purple when young.

At maturity, the plant will reach about 90 cm across.

Easy to grow, this peony will establish in loose, fertile, moist soil, in full sun or partial shade. Plant it in the ground (container cultivation is not recommended as peonies need space) and avoid moving it.

For more information on growing peonies, read our guide Peonies: planting, pruning and care.

Erysimum alpinum - Alpine wallflower

Don’t be fooled by the compact size of this alpine wallflower, which grows to about 20 cm high by 35 cm wide: it will make an impact in the garden! This perennial flowers generously from mid-spring to mid-summer. It can be repeat-flowering in autumn if spent blooms are pruned. Sun-loving, the flowering reveals clusters of adorable little flowers in a warm yellow-orange.

Its dark green evergreen foliage, dagger-shaped, stays in place all year round. Its bushy, compact silhouette will brighten rockeries, well-drained borders, maintenance-free pots or the tops of walls.

Give it a sunny exposure in soil that is perfectly well-drained, even if poor and calcareous. It proves hardy down to -20°C. Even though its lifespan is short, its ease of cultivation makes it an interesting plant to grow in dry, sunny areas, even for inexperienced gardeners.

For more on growing wallflowers, read our feature “Wallflowers: sowing, planting, growing and care”.

Viola odorata 'Plena' – sweet violet

Scented violet ‘Plena’ stands out from the classic scented violet, native to our country, thanks to its double flowers. They are composed of many blue-mauve petals, contrasting with a white centre. They appear from March and reward us with a long flowering period until July. Its fragrance blends sweet and green notes, quite floral. The flowers can also be used in cooking.

This violet quickly forms a pretty spreading groundcover about 20 cm across. The heart-shaped foliage is evergreen, remaining decorative year-round (unless summers are too dry). The plant spreads easily over time, thanks to the production of stolons.

This woodland plant will establish itself in partial shade or shade, in ordinary soil that stays cool and moist, for example at the base of trees or shrubs. It is also a good choice for fragrant flowering containers.

Hemerocallis ‘Chicago Sunrise’ – Daylily or Lily of the Day

It is true that this Hemerocallis ‘Chicago Sunrise’ is a real little sun! Between June and August, it bears large flowers about 10 cm across. They are funnel-shaped and display a bright, luminous golden-yellow, slightly darker at their centre. Each flower is ephemeral and lasts only one day, which explains the other name for this plant: daylily. But this generous flowering repeats almost continuously throughout the summer. These fragrant flowers are edible.

This perennial reaches about 70 cm across. It forms a clump of long, slender leaves, delicately arching, with bright light-green foliage. They are deciduous.

Plant this Hemerocallis in fairly fertile soil, which may be a little clayey, in sun or partial shade. Be sure to keep a relatively moist substrate to support flowering. Easy to grow and hardy, this is a plant that fits as well in a summer-flowering bulb bed as in a mixed border or in sufficiently deep containers to brighten terraces and balconies.

To learn more about growing daylilies, read our guide Hemerocallis: planting, growing, division and care.

Iris pumila 'Smell The Roses' - a dwarf or rock-garden iris with repeat flowering

An iris with a perfectly evocative name: ‘Smell The Roses’ indeed graces us with a true floral, sweet rose fragrance. This dwarf variety unfurls quite early in spring, around April. But it comes back for a second flowering in late summer, in September.

The flowers of this iris display a blue-violet shade typical of the genus, bright and vivid. Each flowering stem bears between 2 and 3 flowers, made up of 3 petals and 3 sepals, with this small pilous-looking patch characteristic of the bearded iris. The flowering is highlighted by a clump of sword-shaped, glaucous-green leaves. They die back in winter.

Its dimensions are only 35 cm tall with a 25 cm spread. This compact plant will fit easily anywhere, whether in a rock garden, along a border, in a mixed border, or in a flowering container.

As vigorous as it is generous and easy to live with, it is a rhizomatous perennial that enjoys the sun. It will establish itself in soil even if it is dry and calcareous, perfectly drained to avoid stagnant moisture.

To learn more about iris culture, read our guide ‘Garden irises, bearded irises: planting and care’.