Fragrant Perennials
You also have to take into account the lawn chair you use in the fall because if you sit next to the extremely fragrant fall blooming Hosta plantaginea, you might very well be overcome with ... well, I'll let you figure out what you'll be overcome with when smelling this romantically-inclined perennial flower.
Not difficult to grow
These plants are no more difficult to grow than other kinds of perennials. While the lavenders are grown as container plants because the tender varieties do not overwinter well, other plants survive and thrive in colder climates. Dianthus and geraniums do quite nicely in my sandy soils and the scent of the dianthus flower and leaf of the geraniums are wonderful - each in their own garden season.
Here is a list to get you started. Please understand that not every variety is fragrant just because the species is listed here. It is like roses - some are more fragrant than others. It is the same with fragrant perennials. Some viola will turn your head and others will be scentless.
And stay tuned as I write descriptions and web pages for each of these plants.
Fragrant Perennials
Achillea
Acorus
Actinidia
Agastache
Alyssum
Arabis
Artemisia
Asclepias
Aurinia
Buddleia
Calamintha
Campanula
Cardiocrinum
Caryopteris
Centaurea
Centranthus
Chamaemelum
Cimicifuga
Clematis
Convallaria
Corydalis
Cosmos
Cyclamen
Dianthus or are great little rock garden plants as well as good border plants.
Dictamnus
Erodium
Erysimum
Eupatorium
Euphorbia
Fallopia
Geraniumare quite hardy and easy to grow
Hemerocallis
Hesperis
Hierochloe
Hosta belong in your shade garden
Houttuynia
Iris
Lavandula is the fragrant lavender plant
Lilium
Lonicera
Malva
Melissa
Mentha
Monarda or beebalm has marvellously fragrant leaves.
Myrrhis
Nepeta or catnip belongs in every garden
Origanum
Paeonia are garden classics.
Perovskia or Russian Sage is good for dryland and hot sun gardening.
Phlox
Polemonium or or Jacob's Ladder belongs in your shade garden.
Polygala
Polygonatum
Primula
Pycnanthemum
Santolina
Silene
Rosmarinus
Salvia
Tanacetum
Thymus
Tiarella
Viola
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