I just decided the same thing this year. I want a fragrant garden. So I'm restraining myself and any new additions to the garden must be fragrant. But it's not working as well as I'd liked. So far there are seasonal gaps. I've got a few spring shrubs - lilac and broom, that give spring fragrance. Lily of the valley is good but fragrance doesn't carry. Then roses in JUne, but their first flush is over and I'm waiting for the second bloom. Planted Viburnum this year but won't have blooms until next year. Disappointed with annual nicotiana - no fragrance there. Waiting for Russian sage to grow up. Waiting for annual corkscrew vine to bloom later this summer. I'm looking for fragrance that wafts through the air but I don't have it yet. I think a huge bed of roses would do it but I just don't have the room. Mrs. Emily, what do you find is giving good fragrance?

In another thread I asked that very question and many excellent suggestions prompted me to research those plants and decide which ones would fare well in my particular spot. I'm like you, even tho my sister swears to the fragrance of Necotiana, I found it left my senses flat. I'm in the deep south, so I can grow Gardenia, which I love. Someone told me tuberose out-smells even Gardenia, so I'm giving it a whirl, tho I haven't traded for any yet. And finally, I'm planting licorice mint. I haven't tested either of the last two yet. Down here there's a shrub that smells so sweet and hangs so heavy in the air, which just ended a few weeks ago. I need to check around to see if I can find out what it's called. After I get my aromas set, I think I will try a "ti" garden just for the exotic look of it.

Jersey girl, check out the FAQ in the fragrance forum--they have a list of fragrances that waft.

Mock orange is another good one for June, (I have one and love it--perfumes the whole backyard) but some of them are not fragrant so make sure you buy it in bloom so you can check. You can get ones that have golden or varigated foliage. Honeysuckle vine is another good one--again, some species are very fragrant, others are not.

Oriental lilies would be very, very good for you. Big wafting scent, different varieties bloom at somewhat different times, but generally around July/August. Lots and lots of good ones here--recommend Stargazers and Casablanca lilies, but there are dozens of varieties. Some flowering hostas are also heavily fragrant (July/August bloomers). Peonies don't really waft, but have a nice fresh scent (June).

Another idea are silver-leaved artemesias. The foliage has a spicy scent, and while it doesn't waft, you will smell it every time you brush against it. There's a couple of kinds that are invasive, but others are very well-behaved.

Hyacinths and some daffodils are fragrant too. I haven't had luck with hyacinths though, nor tried the fragrant daffs, but it's another option for early Spring for you.

Nicotiana sylvestris is supposedly the fragrant one, but Nicotiana alata is not. Both are annual, but the former is taller, and has white flowers--do a google search for a picture.

I love fragrant flowers too... still experimenting with them. There seems to be a lot of variability in how fragrant any plant will be, so you'll have to try a few and find out.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fragrant Gardens Forum FAQ

Star Jasmine has worked well for me. I am growing a type of honeysuckle called Lucinera Brownii...I will post when it blooms and tell if it's fragrant. (it's supposed to be )I also like the scent of italian basil, and it grows like crazy! It seems to me that climbing sweet peas also smell good. My great grandma always had them in her garden, and they are soooo beautiful. I don't know much about their seasonality, though, as I was quite young when she grew them and I haven't yet tried them myself:)
Jennifer

Say what you will about the plant everyone love's to hate, Japanese honeysuckle, but I tell you what, nothing smells sweeter on a hot summer evening. I often ride my bike in the evenings around here, and whenever I am anywhere near a Jap. honeysuckle, the smell begins to waft and I cannot help but allow a moment to take in the wonderful fragrance of it. And it reminds me of Mom.

Mrs_Emily

I'm an herb lover because of the fragrance of herbs. I grow lots and lots of herbs and have a greenhouse full of herbs. The fragrance of herbs is intoxicating. With over 2,000 herbs to choose from, your list is endless. First select your theme and then do a little research and you will find that the fragrance of fresh herbs is wonderful. Also just in case you didn't already know it, roses and citrus trees are herbs too.

The following are just a few herb theme gardens:

rose
fragrance
culinary
edible flowers
tea
medicinal
astrological
Shakespeare
Bible
Mary
Medieval
wild
crafting
potpourri
physic
color
dye
hummingbirds
butterflies
bees

The list is way too long for me to include all of the herbs that can be used in each garden, but if you are interested, I have found one of the best books for herb growing in the south is: Southern Herb Growing by Madalene Hill & Gwen Barclay. They have lots of information on herbs for the above mentioned theme gardens.

Mrs Emily, because of where you live you could probably grow brugmansia as a perennial. I really want one or two but would have to bring them inside for the winter and I already have so many coming in now.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here is a link that might be useful

Theme gardens are fun for 'pocket gardens', or for those public areas in your outdoor living space. I'm writing articles about blue gardens and moon gardens and both of those 'themes' are intriguing.