Plants with scented flowers or foliage: for near a terrace, a doorway or a window, where the scent can be enjoyed. Each plant page gives the flowering time.
148 plants from our verified database, by name. A plant is only listed when the data this list relies on is not in doubt. How our data is made
Prunus serrulata 'Amanogawa' 4.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A narrow, columnar flowering cherry with stiffly upright branches: it reaches 4 to 6 metres but stays barely 1 to 1.5 metres wide for many years, so…
Tilia americana 7 m × 4 m after 10 years
A large, fast-growing lime with strikingly big dark green leaves, up to 20 cm long, and fragrant pale yellow flowers in early summer that bees visit…
Mentha suaveolens 60 cm × 1 m after 10 years
A mint with soft, woolly, rounded leaves whose mild, fruity, apple-like scent is good in teas, lemonade, salads and on desserts. The cultivar…
Prunus armeniaca 4 m × 4 m after 10 years
A fruit tree that covers itself in white to pink blossom in early spring before the leaves, then gives fragrant fruit from early to midsummer that…
Actaea simplex 1.5 m × 80 cm after 10 years
A tall perennial for shade that carries long, white, strongly scented bottlebrush spikes from late summer into mid autumn, when most shade plants have…
Salvia greggii 75 cm × 75 cm after 10 years
A small-leaved, aromatic subshrub that carries red, pink, white or purple lipped flowers from early summer until frost and copes very well with heat…
Iris × germanica 80 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
The large-flowered, often scented star of late spring and early summer, in almost every colour and colour combination, with sword-shaped leaves held…
Kolkwitzia amabilis 3 m × 3 m after 10 years
A large deciduous shrub with arching branches that are smothered in pale pink, yellow-throated bell flowers in late spring. It is very undemanding:…
Monarda didyma 1 m × 90 cm after 10 years
In summer its shaggy red, pink or purple flower heads draw bees and butterflies, and the leaves smell spicy and minty when rubbed. It belongs in…
Geranium macrorrhizum 40 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
A perennial that slowly spreads on thick rhizomes into a dense, weed-smothering carpet; its soft, lobed leaves are strongly aromatic when rubbed and…
Prunus padus 6 m × 3.5 m after 10 years
A native, fast-growing small tree or large shrub that is covered in drooping, strongly scented white flower racemes in April and May, just after the…
Sambucus nigra 4 m × 3.5 m after 10 years
A native, very fast-growing, spreading shrub or small tree that carries large, creamy white, strongly scented flower plates from late spring and…
Juniperus scopulorum 'Blue Arrow' 3.5 m × 60 cm after 10 years
A very narrow, steel-blue column that takes up little ground yet draws a vertical line you can see from across the garden. It wants full sun and…
Caryopteris × clandonensis 90 cm × 1 m after 10 years
A low, mounded deciduous shrub with aromatic grey-green leaves that covers itself in a haze of blue flowers in late summer and early autumn, when…
Viburnum × bodnantense 2.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An upright deciduous shrub 2 to 3 m tall that carries strongly scented pink flowers on bare branches from late autumn to early spring, when little…
Lonicera nitida 1.2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
Box honeysuckle is a small-leaved, glossy evergreen shrub that grows fast and takes clipping at almost any time, so it is used for low hedges,…
Viburnum × burkwoodii 1.8 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
A dense, semi-evergreen shrub whose white flower clusters open from pink buds in April and carry a sweet scent a long way, so plant it near a terrace,…
Buddleja davidii 3 m × 3 m after 10 years
Its fragrant summer flowers attract butterflies and work well at the back of a sunny border. Give it freely draining soil, prune in spring, and remove…
Geranium × cantabrigiense 25 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
A low cranesbill that knits into a dense carpet of glossy leaves, spicily aromatic when rubbed, with pink or white flowers from late spring to…
Amelanchier canadensis 3 m × 2 m after 10 years
An upright, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub or small tree that is covered in white flower clusters in April before the leaves open, ripens edible,…
Calycanthus floridus 1.8 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An unusual, dense shrub whose maroon, strap-petalled flowers open from late May into early summer and smell of strawberry and pineapple; the bark…
Nepeta × faassenii 50 cm × 80 cm after 10 years
A loose mound of grey-green, aromatic foliage that carries clouds of lavender-blue flowers from May to September and is a favourite of pollinators.…
Nepeta × faassenii 'Walker's Low' 75 cm × 90 cm after 10 years
This grey-green catmint brings lavender-blue flowers and plenty of pollinators to sunny borders, path edges and rose plantings. Once established it…
Vitex agnus-castus 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A loose, spreading shrub with a Mediterranean feel: grey-green, aromatic, hand-shaped leaves and fragrant lilac flower spikes from midsummer into…
Dianthus gratianopolitanus 20 cm × 45 cm after 10 years
It forms a dense, blue-grey, grassy cushion with clove-scented, mostly pink flowers above it in late spring. It belongs in rock gardens, on walls,…
Prunus laurocerasus 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A fast-growing evergreen with glossy leaves and one of the most popular hedging plants: it grows in sun and shade alike and takes hard pruning well.…
Prunus laurocerasus 'Novita' 4.5 m × 3.5 m after 10 years
For a fast-growing screen that stays leafy all year, 'Novita' offers large, glossy leaves, but needs regular clipping and watering while establishing.…
Prunus cerasifera 4.5 m × 3.5 m after 10 years
In gardens it is grown almost only in its purple-leaved forms: a small ornamental tree with a rounded crown that is covered in pale pink, scented…
Paeonia lactiflora 90 cm × 90 cm after 10 years
A long-lived, bushy perennial with large, scented flowers in late spring and foliage that makes a good backdrop in the border until autumn. Plant it…
Wisteria sinensis 10 m × 8 m after 10 years
Its fragrant, hanging flower clusters suit a sturdy pergola or a substantial support beside a sunny wall, while the summer foliage provides shade.…
Allium schoenoprasum 45 cm × 45 cm after 10 years
A kitchen garden perennial that forms dense, grassy clumps: you can cut its hollow, onion-flavoured leaves from spring to autumn, and the purple globe…
Akebia quinata 8 m × 3 m after 10 years
Chocolate vine is a fast twining climber with delicate five-fingered leaves that stay on in mild winters and chocolate-purple spring flowers with a…
Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 5 m × 3 m after 10 years
A deciduous climbing shrub for a shady, north or east facing wall: it clings by itself to brick, stone and tree trunks with aerial roots and bears…
Leucothoe axillaris 50 cm × 70 cm after 10 years
A low, slow evergreen with glossy leaves for shady spots on acidic soil; the forms on sale turn red to maroon in autumn and hold that colour all…
Cytisus scoparius 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An upright shrub of whippy, almost leafless green stems that disappear under pea flowers in May: the species is yellow, while the hybrids sold by…
Crataegus monogyna 4 m × 3 m after 10 years
A thorny large shrub or small tree that is covered in scented white blossom in May and loaded with red haws in autumn, much loved by birds. It makes…
Lonicera periclymenum 5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A twining deciduous climber whose cream, yellow and purple-red flowers open from early summer into autumn and smell strongest in the evening, so it is…
Juniperus communis 2.5 m × 80 cm after 10 years
A native, slow-growing evergreen with prickly needles and blue-black berry-like cones, planted in gardens mostly as its slender columnar cultivars for…
Syringa vulgaris 3 m × 2 m after 10 years
A large, long-lived deciduous shrub grown for its strongly scented flower clusters in spring. It copes well with sun, heat and limy soil, and with…
Salvia officinalis 60 cm × 80 cm after 10 years
An aromatic subshrub with grey-green, velvety leaves that works both as a kitchen herb and as an ornamental, and whose bluish-purple flowers draw bees…
Thymus vulgaris 30 cm × 40 cm after 10 years
Common thyme is a low, evergreen, strongly scented subshrub that works as a kitchen herb, a bee plant and an edging for sunny, dry beds all at once.…
Achillea millefolium 80 cm × 80 cm after 10 years
A tough native perennial with finely cut, aromatic foliage and flat flower heads that bees and butterflies visit all summer; garden cultivars also…
Heuchera sanguinea 45 cm × 35 cm after 10 years
A low perennial with a mound of leaves that stays green through winter, topped from late spring to early summer by airy sprays of tiny coral-red bells…
Cornus mas 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A slow-growing, long-lived large shrub or small tree that covers itself in tiny yellow flowers at the end of winter, before the leaves, and is one…
Dianthus plumarius 30 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
An old cottage garden favourite: its grey, grassy leaves form a dense cushion all year, and in early summer it is covered in fringed, clove-scented…
Santolina chamaecyparissus 50 cm × 90 cm after 10 years
An evergreen subshrub with silver-grey, finely cut, strongly aromatic foliage that grows into a tight little dome and carries yellow button flowers in…
Primula veris 25 cm × 20 cm after 10 years
A low, rosette-forming perennial of meadows and wood edges that opens nodding, fragrant, egg-yellow flowers in April on stems held above the leaves.…
Thymus praecox 10 cm × 30 cm after 10 years
An evergreen, aromatic mat only a few centimetres tall that is covered in summer with pink, lilac or, depending on the variety, white or reddish…
Helichrysum italicum 60 cm × 90 cm after 10 years
A silver-grey evergreen subshrub with needle-thin leaves that give off a strong curry scent in sunshine and after rain, and mustard-yellow flower…
Narcissus × hybridus 40 cm × 30 cm after 10 years
Daffodils are among the most dependable spring bulbs: they return every year, the bulbs multiply by offsets so a handful thickens into a dense clump…
Iris pallida 90 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
A bearded iris with sweetly scented, pale lavender-blue flowers and grey-green sword leaves that stay tidy after flowering; the striped forms are…
Thuja occidentalis 'Danica' 40 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
A dwarf arborvitae that forms a regular, dense, slightly flattened globe without any clipping, with bright emerald green sprays held vertically. It…
Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro' 40 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
A low, dense daylily that keeps producing lightly scented golden yellow flowers in flushes from early summer to autumn, so it is rewarding as an…
Leucothoe fontanesiana 1 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A low evergreen shrub with arching stems and glossy pointed leaves that turn bronze-red and burgundy in autumn and winter, with small white bell…
Elaeagnus × ebbingei 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A vigorous, dense evergreen shrub with leathery leaves that are glossy dark green above and silvery beneath, bearing tiny, barely visible but strongly…
Lavandula angustifolia 60 cm × 80 cm after 10 years
An evergreen, grey-leaved, scented subshrub covered for weeks in early summer with purple, blue, pink or white flower spikes that bees and butterflies…
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' 60 cm × 1 m after 10 years
'Hidcote' forms a compact mound of silvery foliage topped with fragrant, dark-purple flowers that attract bees. It works well along sunny borders,…
Viburnum farreri 2.2 m × 1.7 m after 10 years
An upright, open-branched shrub that flowers on bare wood before the leaves: clusters of white, almond and vanilla scented flowers opening from pink…
Achillea filipendulina 1.2 m × 75 cm after 10 years
A tall, stiff-stemmed perennial whose flat, golden yellow flower plates last all summer and keep well cut or dried, while its spicy-scented, ferny…
Deutzia scabra 2.5 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
A tall, upright shrub with arching branches that is covered for about two weeks in early summer with lightly scented flower clusters, white or flushed…
Lupinus polyphyllus 1 m × 50 cm after 10 years
A cottage garden classic: tall, dense spikes in blue, purple, pink, red, white or yellow rise above hand-shaped leaves in early summer, and most…
Phlox paniculata 1 m × 80 cm after 10 years
A classic of the summer border: stiff stems carry large, scented flower heads in white, pink, purple or red that butterflies love. Plant it in sun…
Agastache × hybrida 80 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
An upright perennial with anise and mint scented leaves that carries dense flower spikes from midsummer to the frosts and is among the best plants for…
Abelia × grandiflora 1.2 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
A semi-evergreen shrub with arching branches and glossy leaves that carries small, white, pink-flushed, scented bell flowers from early summer until…
Lonicera × heckrottii 4 m × 2 m after 10 years
Goldflame honeysuckle is one of the longest-flowering climbing honeysuckles: its fragrant flowers, pink outside and yellow inside, open from early…
Muscari armeniacum 20 cm × 10 cm after 10 years
A low spring bulb with small grape-like clusters of mostly cobalt blue flowers (pale blue, white or pink in some cultivars) from late March to May;…
Santolina rosmarinifolia 60 cm × 80 cm after 10 years
A Mediterranean subshrub with bright green, thread-fine aromatic foliage that forms a dense cushion and is covered with pale yellow button flowers…
Actinidia arguta 9 m × 6 m after 10 years
A vigorous twining climber that bears grape-sized, smooth-skinned kiwis you can eat whole in early autumn, while giving dense green shade over a…
Osmanthus heterophyllus 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green, spiny leaves that look like holly, bearing tiny white flowers in autumn whose scent carries a long way…
Gleditsia triacanthos 7 m × 5 m after 10 years
A large tree with a loose crown and fine, fern-like foliage that casts only dappled shade, so lawn and other plants still grow underneath. It copes…
Hyacinthus orientalis 25 cm × 10 cm after 10 years
A spring bulb with dense, waxy flower spikes in April whose scent fills the whole garden; sold in blue, purple, pink, red, white and yellow cultivars.…
Hyssopus officinalis 60 cm × 45 cm after 10 years
A low, aromatic, woody-based subshrub that draws bees and butterflies with spikes of blue, or less often pink or white, flowers from early summer into…
Catalpa bignonioides 6 m × 5 m after 10 years
A fast-growing tree with a wide, open crown, huge heart-shaped leaves, fragrant white flowers in upright panicles in early summer and long, cigar-like…
Paeonia Itoh Group 80 cm × 90 cm after 10 years
A group of hybrids between herbaceous and tree peonies ('Bartzella', 'Cora Louise', 'Julia Rose', 'Hillary', 'Kopper Kettle'): it dies back to the…
Styphnolobium japonicum 6 m × 4 m after 10 years
A large shade tree with a rounded crown that flowers in the height of summer, when few other trees do, with creamy white, scented panicles that bees…
Pieris japonica 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A slow-growing evergreen shrub with scented white or pink sprays in spring that recall lily of the valley, and new shoots that are bright red or…
Pachysandra terminalis 30 cm × 1.5 m after 10 years
A low evergreen ground cover that knits a glossy green carpet under trees and shrubs, even in deep shade where lawn gives up. It is slow to start,…
Wisteria floribunda 8 m × 5 m after 10 years
A long-lived climbing shrub with long, scented, hanging flower clusters in spring, at its best on a pergola or a sturdy arbour. It climbs by twining…
Ziziphus jujuba 4 m × 3 m after 10 years
A small, open-crowned tree with zigzag branches and glossy leaves that copes well with hot, dry summers and limy soil, and whose tiny fragrant flowers…
Cercidiphyllum japonicum 5 m × 3 m after 10 years
An elegant, often multi-stemmed ornamental tree with heart-shaped leaves that open purplish, turn blue-green in summer and colour yellow, apricot…
Actinidia deliciosa 6 m × 3 m after 10 years
A vigorous, fast-growing vine with large heart-shaped leaves that bears the fuzzy kiwifruit known from the shops and also shades a pergola. Most…
Viburnum carlesii 1.3 m × 1.3 m after 10 years
A slow-growing, dense, rounded shrub that carries snowball-like clusters of white flowers opening from pink buds in April, into early May; their…
Tilia platyphyllos 7 m × 4 m after 10 years
Large-leaved lime is a long-lived shade tree that grows very big and opens its strongly scented, bee-magnet flowers in early June, the first of the…
Viburnum tinus 2 m × 2 m after 10 years
A Mediterranean evergreen viburnum with dark, glossy foliage that flowers from late autumn in mild winters, otherwise from late winter into spring:…
Lavandula × intermedia 90 cm × 1 m after 10 years
A bigger, more vigorous hybrid than true lavender: a grey-green, aromatic subshrub that carries long-stemmed, strongly scented flower spikes in summer…
Melissa officinalis 60 cm × 75 cm after 10 years
A bushy, lemon-scented kitchen and tea herb: pick the fresh leaves for salads, syrups and tea, and leave the tiny flowers for the bees that love them.…
Thymus × citriodorus 25 cm × 40 cm after 10 years
A low, cushion-forming evergreen subshrub whose tiny leaves smell strongly of lemon when rubbed, so you can pick it for fish, poultry and tea. In a…
Calamintha nepeta 45 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
A low, bushy perennial that wraps itself in a cloud of tiny white or pale lilac flowers from midsummer until frost and is then one of the busiest…
Lilium × hybridum 1.2 m × 40 cm after 10 years
Garden lilies are the showiest flowers of the summer border and are also good for cutting and for large pots. Plant the bulbs in autumn or early…
Convallaria majalis 25 cm × 30 cm after 10 years
A woodland ground cover that carries strongly scented white bells (pale pink in some forms) in late spring and makes a dense carpet under trees and…
Levisticum officinale 1.8 m × 90 cm after 10 years
A huge, long-lived kitchen herb that can reach two metres, with leaves that give soups and stews a strong celery, stock-cube flavour. One plant is…
Magnolia 'Susan' 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A compact, slow-growing magnolia that opens its slender purple-red, paler-centred, lightly scented flowers before the leaves in April and early May,…
Dianthus deltoides 20 cm × 45 cm after 10 years
A low pink that forms loose evergreen mats and is covered for weeks from early summer with small magenta, pink or white flowers. Plant it in sun in…
Syringa patula 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A dense, slow-growing, compact lilac that flowers after the common lilac, in late spring to early summer: purple buds open to pale lavender,…
Fraxinus ornus 5 m × 3.5 m after 10 years
Manna ash is a medium-sized tree with a rounded crown that covers itself in creamy white, scented flower plumes around May and turns yellow to…
Syringa meyeri 1.2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A slow-growing, dense, rounded dwarf lilac with small leaves that is covered in strongly scented, pale lilac-pink flower clusters in late spring. It…
Oenothera macrocarpa 25 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
A sprawling perennial with trailing stems that carries huge, hand-sized, lemon yellow, lightly scented flowers for months from early summer; they open…
Philadelphus coronarius 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A large, upright then arching deciduous shrub grown for its white, intensely sweet-scented flowers in late May and June: plant it near a patio or seat…
Phlox subulata 15 cm × 90 cm after 10 years
A low, cushion-forming ground cover perennial that covers itself in flowers in late April and May, so the foliage almost disappears. It suits rock…
Clematis montana 8 m × 4 m after 10 years
One of the most vigorous clematis: it climbs by twisting leaf stalks, so it needs wires, a trellis, a fence or an old tree, and will not go up a…
Arabis caucasica 20 cm × 45 cm after 10 years
It forms a cushion of grey-green evergreen leaf rosettes that disappears in early spring under lightly scented white flowers, pink in some…
Acer platanoides 8 m × 6 m after 10 years
A large native shade tree with a dense, rounded crown that flowers yellowish green and honey-scented before the leaves open and turns golden yellow in…
Origanum vulgare 60 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
Oregano is a wildflower and a kitchen herb in one: from midsummer its pinkish-purple flowers are busy with bees and butterflies. It is happy in sunny,…
Mahonia aquifolium 1.2 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
A slow-growing evergreen shrub with glossy, holly-like, spiny-edged leaves that copes with shade and part shade under trees, where few other shrubs…
Ligustrum ovalifolium 3 m × 2 m after 10 years
An undemanding hedging shrub with glossy dark green leaves that thickens up quickly, grows in almost any soil and copes well with city air. It keeps…
Cornus alternifolia 2.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
The smaller cousin of the wedding cake tree: a multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree with horizontal, tiered branches, fragrant creamy white…
Mentha × piperita 60 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
A tea and kitchen herb with a strong menthol scent: the dark green, toothed leaves are good fresh or dried in tea, lemonade and baking, and its…
Albizia julibrissin 5 m × 4 m after 10 years
A small tree with a wide, flat, umbrella-like crown, finely divided fern-like foliage and pink, silky pompom flowers in midsummer that bees and…
Diospyros kaki 4 m × 3 m after 10 years
A small, round-headed tree with glossy leaves that turn orange-red in autumn, while the orange fruit hangs on decoratively long after leaf fall.…
Photinia × fraseri 'Red Robin' 3 m × 2 m after 10 years
Glossy evergreen leaves and bright red new shoots make this a colourful hedge or a striking standalone shrub. Give it sun or partial shade, shelter…
Ceanothus × pallidus 1.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A deciduous, summer-flowering ceanothus almost always sold as the cultivar 'Marie Simon': from midsummer to autumn its reddish shoots carry fluffy…
Prunus lusitanica 3.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A dense, elegant evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy dark green leaves that are narrower than those of cherry laurel, reddish young shoots and…
Viburnum × pragense 2.5 m × 2.2 m after 10 years
A fast-growing, dense evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green, veined leaves; in late May it carries flat heads of creamy white, lightly scented…
Syringa × prestoniae 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A large, upright then rounded lilac that flowers a week or two after common lilac, in late May and June, with big conical panicles in pink, purplish…
Lonicera pileata 60 cm × 1.5 m after 10 years
A low, wide-spreading, dense shrub with small glossy dark green leaves that makes a dependable ground cover in sun or shade, on banks, under trees…
Prunus × cistena 2.2 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
A small ornamental shrub with upright branches whose glossy reddish purple leaves keep their colour all summer, with pale pink, fragrant flowers in…
Cydonia oblonga 3.5 m × 3 m after 10 years
A small, spreading, often multi-stemmed tree with large felted leaves and big white or pale pink flowers in late spring, so it is attractive as an…
Centranthus ruber 80 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
A bushy perennial with fleshy, blue-green leaves that carries clusters of small, fragrant crimson, pink or white flowers from late spring to autumn…
Juniperus scopulorum 4 m × 60 cm after 10 years
Rocky Mountain juniper is sold as narrow, columnar, blue-green or silver-blue forms (Blue Arrow, Skyrocket): in ten years they reach roughly four…
Rosmarinus officinalis 1.2 m × 1 m after 10 years
An evergreen, needle-leaved culinary shrub whose strongly aromatic shoots you can pick all year, and whose pale blue spring flowers are covered in…
Arabis blepharophylla 15 cm × 30 cm after 10 years
A low rock garden perennial of evergreen leaf rosettes that covers itself in deep rose-pink to purplish, lightly scented flower clusters in early…
Perovskia atriplicifolia 1.2 m × 1 m after 10 years
A subshrub with silvery, aromatic foliage that carries a haze of lavender-blue flowers from midsummer into autumn and is very popular with bees. It…
Amelanchier alnifolia 3 m × 2 m after 10 years
An extremely hardy, multi-stemmed fruiting shrub: white flower clusters cover it in spring, sweet, dark blue, blueberry-like berries ripen in early…
Magnolia × soulangeana 4.5 m × 4 m after 10 years
A broad, multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree that covers itself in huge, lightly scented goblet flowers, pink or purplish outside and white…
Tilia tomentosa 7 m × 4 m after 10 years
Silver lime is a large shade tree with a regular crown; its leaves are dark green above and felted silvery white beneath, so the canopy shimmers in…
Deutzia gracilis 1 m × 1.2 m after 10 years
A low, tidy deciduous shrub with arching stems that is almost hidden under pure white, lightly scented flower clusters in late spring. It suits the…
Tilia cordata 8 m × 6 m after 10 years
A long-lived native shade tree with heart-shaped leaves that grows large. Its strongly scented flowers open in late June and early July and are…
Scabiosa columbaria 60 cm × 45 cm after 10 years
Small scabious forms a low mound of grey-green, divided leaves and carries lilac-blue, pink or white pincushion flowers on long, thin stems from…
Saponaria officinalis 70 cm × 1 m after 10 years
An old cottage-garden perennial with pale pink or white flowers from midsummer into autumn that are strongly scented in the evening and draw moths. It…
Diervilla sessilifolia 1.2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A low, tough deciduous shrub that spreads slowly by suckers and grows in almost any soil, taking drought and even dry shade under trees, so it is…
Magnolia grandiflora 4 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
An evergreen tree with large, glossy, leathery leaves that are rusty and felted beneath, bearing huge creamy white, lemon-scented flowers in summer.…
Mentha spicata 60 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
One of the best-flavoured kitchen mints: its fresh, sweet-scented leaves go into tea, cold drinks, salads and meat dishes, and bees and butterflies…
Magnolia stellata 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A slow, compact small tree or large shrub that covers itself in white, star-shaped, scented flowers in early spring before the leaves appear. It…
Prunus avium 4.5 m × 3.5 m after 10 years
Sweet cherry is covered in white blossom in spring and gives the first fresh fruit of summer from late May to July. It is sold grafted and the…
Artemisia dracunculus 75 cm × 45 cm after 10 years
A bushy herb with narrow leaves that comes in two very different forms. French tarragon has a strong anise flavour, hardly ever flowers and sets no…
Cupressus sempervirens 'Totem' 3.5 m × 50 cm after 10 years
An extremely slim, dark green form of the Mediterranean cypress that needs hardly any ground yet instantly gives a garden a southern feel. It wants…
Paeonia × suffruticosa 1.2 m × 1 m after 10 years
Tree peonies are slow-growing, very long-lived deciduous shrubs that carry flowers up to 20 cm across, often scented, in late April and May, in white,…
Thuja plicata 5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A fast-growing evergreen with glossy dark green, scale-like foliage that smells of pineapple when crushed. For hedges it is mostly planted as the…
Buddleja × weyeriana 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A vigorous, arching butterfly bush that swaps the usual purple for yellow, apricot or yellow and lilac scented flowers packed into ball-shaped…
Abies concolor 3 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
You can tell it by its long, soft, upcurved blue-grey needles, which smell of citrus when crushed. It takes heat and drought better than any other…
Ligustrum vulgare 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
Wild privet is a native, undemanding and very drought-tolerant shrub and the classic material for a clipped hedge: it grows fast, takes any amount…
Thymus serpyllum 8 cm × 45 cm after 10 years
A scented subshrub only a few centimetres tall that roots as it creeps into a flat mat and is covered in pink and purple flowers, and bees, in summer.…
Berberis julianae 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A dense evergreen barberry with glossy spiny-edged leaves and three-pronged thorns 2 to 4 cm long: clipped or left free it makes a practically…
Mahonia × media 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A sculptural, upright evergreen with long, fern-like spiny leaves that carries sprays of fragrant yellow flowers from late autumn to the end of…
Satureja montana 40 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
A low, woody-based, semi-evergreen herb with glossy, narrow, peppery-scented leaves that you can use fresh or dried in the kitchen. From midsummer its…
Salvia nemorosa 60 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
A tough perennial of dry loess grasslands whose garden cultivars carry dense, upright spikes of violet, blue, pink or white in early summer, always…
Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' 60 cm × 50 cm after 10 years
Deep purple flower spikes and almost black stems work well in sunny borders, alongside ornamental grasses or in larger pots, and attract…
Lavandula × chaytorae 50 cm × 60 cm after 10 years
A hybrid of woolly and English lavender with silver-white felted leaves that look good all year and deep violet, scented flower spikes in summer…
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