Designing a Scent Garden
By Patty Smith, UC Master Gardener
Your garden can do more than just look good—it can be an entire aroma festival. Whether planting a new area or filling empty spots, consider the unique scent of each plant you choose. Purposefully incorporating aromatic leaves and flowers adds another level of sensory stimulation beyond visual enjoyment. As with any garden design, it is essential to group plants with similar sun, water, and maintenance needs.
Scent gardens can entice inquisitive children to linger and explore. With thoughtful placement, pleasant scents can waft through open windows, bringing the outdoors inside during the day and evening.
Scent Garden Considerations
Choosing the right plant for the right place is essential. Know whether a plant requires sun or shade, what climate it prefers, and how large it will grow. The plants listed below perform well on the Central Coast and are readily available. Always check plant specifications to ensure proper sunlight, water, and space.
Seasonality is another key consideration. Ideally, your garden provides year-round scent. Choose plants with varying bloom times and life cycles, including both annuals and perennials—evergreen and deciduous.
- Annual: Completes its life cycle in one season; must be replanted.
- Perennial: Persists for many seasons; may die back in winter and resprout in spring.
- Deciduous: Sheds leaves annually.
- Evergreen: Retains green foliage year-round.
Plant scent may come from flowers or leaves. Flower fragrance releases naturally into the air and can be placed anywhere in the garden. Leaf fragrance usually requires touch to release aroma. Plant scented foliage near walkways, driveways, open windows, or patios for maximum enjoyment.
Reliable Central Coast Choices for Your Scent Garden
This list is not all-inclusive but highlights plants that are relatively easy to grow and perform well in San Luis Obispo County.
| Plant | Scent Source | Growth Habit | Size | Life Cycle | Sun | Water | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agastache* | Both | Bush | 3’, varies | Perennial | Full | Low | Attracts pollinators |
| Butterfly Bush | Flower | Bush | 4–10’, varies | Perennial | Full | Moderate | Prune hard in winter; cut flowers |
| Chocolate Cosmos* | Flower | Upright | 18–24” | Tender Perennial | Full | Moderate | Dig up tuber to overwinter |
| Dianthus* | Flower | Bush | 6–18” | Varies | Varies | Moderate | Wide variety of colors |
| Freesias* | Flower | Upright | 8–12” | Perennial (corm) | Full | Low | Cut flowers |
| Heliotrope* | Flower | Bush | 1–3’ | Annual (unless protected) | Partial | Moderate | Many varieties |
| Honeysuckle | Flower | Twining Vine | 10–20’ | Perennial | Full to partial | Moderate until established | Vigorous; train as needed |
| Jasmine | Flower | Twining Vine | Up to 12’ | Perennial | Sun to partial | Moderate | Trainable |
| Lemon & Orange Trees* | Flower | Tree | Up to 25’ | Perennial | Full | Moderate; drought tolerant | Frost tender when young; fruit |
| Lemon Verbena* | Leaf | Bush | 5’ | Perennial | Full | Light | Culinary uses |
| Mint | Leaf | Spreading | 6–12” | Perennial | Full or partial | Moderate | Spreads readily; culinary uses |
| Paperwhite Narcissus | Flower | Upright | 14–16” | Perennial (bulb) | Full | Low | |
| Pelargoniums (Geranium)* | Leaf | Bush | Varies | Annual | Full | Moderate; drought tolerant | Wide variety |
| Rosemary | Flower | Bush or ground cover | Up to 4’ | Perennial | Full | Light once established | Culinary uses |
| Sage (varieties) | Leaf | Bush | Varies | Perennial | Full | Moderate; drought tolerant | Some culinary varieties |
| * See these plants at the Garden of the Seven Sisters: Welcome to the Garden of the Seven Sisters | |||||||
References
- Try Growing Fragrant Plants to Mask Dog Odors in the Yard. UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County. Try Growing Fragrant Plants to Mask Dog Odors in the Yard
- Brenzel, K. (2007). Sunset Western Garden Book. Menlo Park, CA: Sunset Publishing.