Beth, you could plant fragrant sweet pea along a fence. They are gorgeous. Smells heavenly but it doesn't last the entire summer, in my experience.

Another might be Four O'Clocks, and they make a little tuber, so they always came up again and again for me.

There's nicotiana, (sweet flowering tobacco) and Helen could tell you about that. I've only grown it a couple of times and they were the tall ones which eventually flopped over. I think there's a better, shorter variety now.

I grow sweet basil everywhere around here because I love to smell it when it is brushed against. It makes a lovely "green" in bouquets as well and might just root in water in your bouquet.

Nothing, but nothing says I'm in the Right Place at the Right Time doing the Right Thing than smelling hot petunias in my garden. I just love their scent.

Sunny

My nose got old or many plants are not fragrant now that used to be fragrant. I do have fragrant shrubs and invasive honeysuckle vine. Hyacinth smells wonderful. Some petunias especially blue or purple ones smell good; the one called Laura Bush stinks and I'm not being political. If you go to the fragrance forum there are people who will post long long lists of fragrant plants. This is cruel because I have tried so many and been disappointed. Mock orange for one needs to be smelled in person. I have gone to the nursery when they bloom to pick them out. Lilies are supposed to be poison to cats. Star gazer lilies are so strong even I can smell them; some people think they are overpowering. My wild looking tall four o clock is fragrant in the evening, but it opens late. I don't know if it would open in the house. These are also supposed to be poison; sometimes these cautions get overblown. They have many big seeds I don't know if they would be a danger to a small child or not. I also like the foliage smells of some herbs and anise scented agastache.

I'm like Helen, I can't seem to get any smell out of lots of plants they call fragrant these days. Maybe we do lose our smell as we get older.....

Here are the ones that come to mind,

peonies, garden heliotrope (shatters badly, but smells heavenly)botanical name is valeriana officinalis. You can grow it from seeds and it will reseed. It is pretty tall.
roses, lilac, lilies (certain kinds), lots of the miniature daffodils (plant in fall). I have a small bouquet now and it smells wonderful, but is not overpowering.

I can't think of any annuals except sweet peas.

I am going to plant four o'clocks this year that are supposed to be fragrant (from seeds). I also plant a purple basil that would work, Queen of Siam. I don't know if I have ever used it in bouquets or not, smell like licorice.

Hope you find some you like.

A shrub that is easy to grow and grows fast is butterfly bush. Black Knight is fragrant. It can get a little scraggly looking, but it beats cactus. I like it. Iris are fragrant but they don't bloom long enough to suit me. If you gardened with grandma, you may know about iris.

Cleome is an annual that I like to smell. It's kind of citrusy. It self-seeds like crazy if allowed to make seed though. I love Tuberoses although they bloom late-Aug to Oct for me here in z6b. They are a bulb and have multiplied for me. But gophers can damage them. The old fashioned petunia that has been selfseeding around my garden for years is fragrant. Moonflower vine is fragrant but only opens in the evening. Oriental lillies, but they have a short bloom time and gophers love them. Summer phlox is fragrant, but the plants are prone to mildew,especially in shady areas. They will put out side shoots that will bloom after the main blossom is cut.

Mulberry tell me more about your tuberoses. I put oriental lilies in pots or voles eat them. Beth, phlox is something your neighbors may have and be willing to share. The common ones spread and multiply fast. If you have the money, David, a white one is nice. Go for a walk with your little toddler and admire people's flowers. Sometimes they will give you a start.

THANKS everyone! Lots of good suggestions! Now I'm going to make a list of them all and look them up, so I know what they all look like.

I DO have a few Iris' in that cactus garden, I forgot to mention that. Only one blooms now, but it's pretty when it does. The garden is also full of my husband's collection of petrified wood, so whatever I put in there will just be in spots.

I do live in a fairly decent neighborhood to walk around and admire gardens... might be a good way for me to finally get to know my neighbors too! My three year old has been dying to get outside, but we've both had an upper respiratory infection the past few days... so we'll wait on that.

Now I gotta get rid of the cactus! That's not gonna be an easy job, but luckily it's all mainly at one end of the "patch". I get stuck every year, clearing out the leaves and branches that get in there... it'll be nice to get rid of it finally!

Thanks for the ideas everyone! I sure do appreciate it!

Beth

Helen, my tuberoses are the single ones. I bought them several years ago from a mailorder firm, forgot which one. They multiplied and got too crowded and I separated them a couple years ago. The bloosoms arise on a tall stalk and I pick the blooms one at a time until the stalk only has a few left and then I cut the whole stalk. So far mine have escaped the gophers, but the ones I planted at my daughters disappeared and we think it was gophers.Don't know what else to say about them. Oh except that they come up so late in the spring that if you don't mark the area you could dig them up trying to fill the hole. Guess how I know that?

Beth, here's a tip for dealing with those cactus. I dealt with some a few years ago. I loosened the roots up with a shovel then used kitchen tongs to grab the cactus. Even wearing gloves I was still getting those tiny invisible thorns in my hands. The tongs took care of that.

One of my favorites for fragrance that does fantastic in our acidic soil is Gardenia jasminoides. I have a huge shrub in the backyard (Mystery cultivar, I think). I've seen it take 14 degrees without a hint of trouble. It smells wonderful, and you can cut the flowers, I think. It is easy to root in water in the summer. If you want a rooted cutting, email me in July or August to see if I have one.

Others that smell good out there: Lily of the Valley (convalaria majalis?), agree with buddleia butterfly bush and some iris, some azaleas (but not most azaleas), roses such as Angel Face, Mr. Lincoln.

teeandcee,

OH THANKS FOR THAT TIP! That's GREAT... I was really wondering the best way to get rid of those things. I didn't wanna use any chemicals, but I didn't wanna be a pincushion afterwards!

pinkspoonbill,
I might take you up on that! Thanks for the suggestions!

Beth