When well-designed and planted, a beautiful fragrance garden is as much a delight to the eye as it is for the nose. View and print a larger version of this design.

Imagine walking out into your back yard after a long, tiring day. It’s a nice evening and the perfect night to just to sit back and relax among the flowers. You stretch out in your favorite outdoor chair and close your eyes. Although for that moment you can’t see the beauty of your garden, you can still experience it in all its scent-sational glory.

When designed correctly, a fragrance garden is as amazing to look at as it is to smell. Certain upright, mounding and trailing perennials emit pleasing scents of all kinds – from light, sweet or floral to strong, spicy or musky – each with the potential to take you back to particular memories of childhood…or help to create new ones.

But a fragrance garden has more to offer than just a treat for the nose. With the right design and plant selection, your planting bed can be a delight for the eyes as well. Color contrast and texture provide great interest to any garden, as well as help define a space. And thanks to today’s wide variety of blooms and foliage available, the possibilities are nearly endless.

If your planting space is large enough, include stepping-stones through the middle of your fragrance garden to further surround yourself in glorious scent. Nearby hedge plantings or evergreen screening help enclose the space, creating a sense of privacy for more intimate reflection as you take the time to stop and smell the flowers during your stroll. (And because privacy in the garden is one of the top three criteria home buyers and realtors look for in a landscape, such a design can help the overall look of your yard, as well as your property value!)

Even if your yard doesn’t have the room for a large planting bed, you can create a small fragrance garden with big impact using containers and a few smaller plantings. As long as the plants you select are ones that fit the appropriate function in the design and will thrive under your particular property conditions (drought-tolerant plants for your drought-tolerant area, sun-loving species for sun-loving locations, etc.), there’s no reason why you can’t have an amazing fragrance garden. It just makes…scents.

Remember, when you shop for plants, pick the ones you like that match the functions identified on the plan!