Some of my favorites are lilacs and lily of 6the valley for the spring season. Murraya paniculata is great with a citrus blossum smell just about any time of year. Thank you for asking the question; I look foreward to seeing what other people have to recomend. Jerry

Cestrum Diurnum known as Day Blooming Jasmine.

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Ankrara's Hobby Corner

Osmanthus fragrans
jasminum sambac
diosma pulcherimma (fragrant leaves)
plumerias

I second on the murreya

How about some orchids, some of which could live all year round outdoors?

dendrobium anosmum, speciosum
encyclia tampensis
epidendrum conopseum (magnoliae)
sedirea japonica

One of the best ways to find good plants is a trip to a local nursery or botanical gardens -- nothing like a personal sniff test!

Jim

Not all of these would work in your zone, but since you asked:
Lilac
A good-sized patch of dianthus 'Rainbow Loveliness'
certain roses
some lilies
passiflora 'Incense'
jasmine sambac 'Maid of Orleans'
Bouncing Bett
Buddleia alternifolia
some magnolias
stuff I'll think of later

I think you definitely need more jasmines! :) 'Mare

I knew I would forget some plants. I do have a murraya paniculata, Osmanthus fragrans, butterfly ginger and a jasmine. I also have a brunsfelsia and a stemmendia(sp?) but I haven't got to smell them yet.

I am also thinking about getting mandavilla laxa, Desmos chinesis, and a few other fragrants I just can't remember which ones off hand. I have quit a long wish list. But don't we all?!
Ariel

Rosa Souvenir de la Malmaison, Rosa Double Delight, Rosa Frederic Mistral, Apothecary's Rose (once blooming), osmanthus fragrans thunbergii

clove pinks (dianthus)
Korean Spice Viburnum
curry plant
lavender - particularly Grosso and Provence

Here is a link that might be useful: my gardens

hosta plantaginas

Solomon's seal! Gosh, mine throw out a ton of incredible scent both day and night....I actually cannot think of another plant (besides maybe korean spice viburnum) that is strong no matter what time of day like this plant is. I also just planted a mini rose called Sweet Chariot this weekend. I cannot believe how strong and beautifully scented these little roses are! I have some fragragnt roses , but this rose wafts 5 feet away, and all of that is coming from only two very small blooms!

Speaking of which, does anyone have a mature Sweet Chariot? And when it is in massive bloom can you smell it two blocks away :) ?

Psoralea pinnata ( purple kool-aid plant ), Agastache varieties of course, Buddleja "Lochnich", "Red Plume", "Pink Perfection", Asclepias incarnata "Ice Ballet", Hierochloe odorata "Vanilla Grass", Dianthus "Firewitch", "Crimson Treasure", and Corydalis varieties....

JimShy,

Wouldn't is be interesting to see a cross between Encyclia tampensis and Epidendrum conopseum (magnoliae)? Maybe you could end up with a fragrant North Carolina hardy hybrid orchid?

Lonnie

White gingers
winter sweet

Yarthkin,

Both species have been used in hybrids with other epidendrum and cattleya alliance orchids, but I've never heard of a cross between the two -- it'd probably have very small flowers, like the conopseum, and be less hardy than the pure species.

My conopseum sure seems almost bulletproof, I'd love to see more crosses made with it!

Jim

All of my viburnums (5 burkwoodii's, Korean spice, Juddii, carlessi,)
All of my clethras (a 15' long alnifola patch, Hummingbirds, and a half dozen Ruby Spice)
Native Azaleas (arboresens, antlanticum, austrinum, bakerii's, canescens, prunipholium, schlippenbachi, vasyea, viscosums,) and the 30-50 fragrant hybrids in between (from Lady Barbara to Lemon Drop)
Lilly of the Valley
Vaccinium 'High Sierra'
Magnolia 'Goldstar'
Saracocca
Daphne 'oblongonta'
Peonies
And I'm sure that I've overlooked a few as I take mental inventory this late December evening.

Scent is as important as seeing in the garden.

I'm new to fragrant plants and enjoyed reading this post. I'm getting my orders ready for Select seeds and Fragrant Garden. I'm also looking for The Fragrant Path's address so I can order their catalog, which I hear is well worth the 2.00

Maureen
p.s. I'm really into roses and I have heard that Sweet Chariot is the most fragrant of the mini roses.

Can't beat oriental lilies- especially Stargazer- for daytime fragrance, and scented roses of course.

I want to put in a word for narcissus poeticus and chinese sacred lilies, lily of the valley, phlox divaricata dirigo ice, phlox pilosa (pink), azaleas atlanticum (& choptank), lilac President Grevy, corylopsis (the one with the silvery leaves --glabrescens?), mimosa, loropetalum, eleagnus angustifolia, philadelphus beauclerk, and cystus battandieri. Viola columbine has great fragrance, too. Dianthus superbus white lace, buddeleia cornwall blue -- are a few more! The scots rose Kakwa is also heavenly.

Some plants I haven't seen posted here yet:

Rhododendron Edgeworthii
Rhododendron Fragrantissimum
Daphne Odora
Witch Hazel
Magnolia wilsonii
Sarcococca
Clerodendron trichotomum
Clematis armandii
Clematis viticella 'Betty Corning'
Mitriostigma axillare
Citrus
Lilium 'Gold Eagle'

Old faithful Honeysuckle has long lasting fragrance under bright sun. I let mine growing freely to climb and to spread on trees in natural setting. It also reminds me when I was four-year old.

Sweet Autumn Clematis for the fall, and Ribes Odoratum (clove currant) for the spring.

The clove currant has got to be my favorite smell, though.

~Chills

Lots of great scents listed here, gardenia, Stargazer, jasmine, honeysuckle. How about wisteria? gorgeous flowers and a wonderful scent. I planted hawthorne last fall and I understand it is fragrant but it isn't blooming yet. I love this list- there are some plants I've never heard of. I'll have to do some research :) and dream for fall. Brandy

The most fragrant plant I have in my garden is a Korean Spice Viburnum.I have it in my back yard but I can smell it as soon as I pull up in my driveway,it is a glorious fragrance.