Gardening transcends making beds, planting, and weeding. With the right skill and knowledge of gardening, you will be amazed at how much there is to gardening and as the famous saying goes; there is more to gardening than meet the eyes. Having said that, unless you are new to gardening, you would have come across the word “fragrant garden” and are yet to wrap your mind around it or grasp its meaning.
If you are still at sea about discerning what a fragrant garden is, not to worry. We have got you covered. We shed light on the subject and give you pointers on how to get started creating a fragrant garden.
What is a fragrant garden?
As the name implies, a fragrant garden or scented garden is one where good smelling flowers are growing instead of the regular herbs and vegetables that most people are used to. With the selection and combination of flowers, a scented garden can stir emotions and evoke powerful memories that will impact and promote positive wellbeing.
In addition to helping remember and get in touch with memories, creating a fragrant garden can enhance your outdoor experience and give you a different perspective of the individual flowers or plants in your garden.
If you are not sure why creating a fragrant garden is causing so much buzz and how it affects you, it may interest you to know that certain fragrances have been found to improve both emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Also considered as a form of aromatherapy, spending time in fragrant gardens have the potentials of reducing mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. And this explains why using a combination of aromatic plants makes one feel at peace and relaxed.
Creating a fragrant garden at home
Whoever said you need a massive lot of land for your scented garden? You don’t need a large expanse of land for a scented garden. You can make do with that little space in your home somewhere in the backyard, the patio, or your seating area where you can relax and inhale the blissful smell of nature. Having a fragrant garden at home allows you to harness the full benefits of nature through its gift of good smelling flowers.
Fragrant gardens are also common sites close to windows where they serve as a transition between the indoor and outdoor environment. Another advantage of siting your fragrant garden close to your house is that it makes harvesting the flowers much easier and floods your home aromas that will lift your spirits and soot your mind.
Fragrant gardens and your memory
As we mentioned earlier, good smelling flowers promote positive wellbeing by uplifting your mood and relieving you of stress. You will be surprised at what the tender and delicate aroma of pansies can do to your memory a whiff can take you back in time to childhood memories of your neighborhood garden.
Have you ever wondered why brushing against a scented plant in the walkway creates a powerful effect that stops you in your track to inhale the “soothing and nerve-calming” aroma before tagging along on your task? That powerful effect is a typical illustration of how fragrant plants impact our sense of wellbeing.
Regarding where siting of a fragrant garden, the factors to consider while choosing the location for your scented flowers are sunlight (ensure that the plant is getting enough sunlight) and shelter. Siting scented flowers in enclosed spaces protect the plants’ delicate bloom while also concentrating the plants’ fragrances to heighten the overall effect. Imagine have a collection of flowers and they combine to saturate the air with a blend of their fragrances.
What are the benefits of fragrant gardens?
Earlier we mentioned how fragrant gardens (also known as aromatherapy gardens) can uplift your mood and reduce depression and anxiety. It doesn’t end there. Another benefit of creating scented gardens is that it deters pests and attracts pollinators.
About deterring pests, the aroma from scented plants can keep garden predators at bay. As such, including aromatic plants in your vegetable garden will deter pests from ravaging your garden. Some scented or aromatic plants can ward off garden pests including but not limited to peppermint, thyme, and wormwood. Interestingly, there are claims that scented plants like sage and rosemary will keep deer out of your garden.
Fragrant pants encourage pollination
It’s common knowledge that insects like bees which are regarded as pollinators have a specially modified sense of hearing that helps them locate nectar and pollen. That way, you can use aromatic plants or flowers to attract pollinators to your garden to encourage pollination and boost the yield.
Before we round off on creating a fragrant garden, here bloom times for fragrant plants to help you get your timing right. Jasmine, freesia, and Paperwhites), February ( sweet box, witch hazel, Freesia, and winter Daphne), March (Hyacinths and daffodils), April (Muscari, hyacinths, and daffodils), May (Tulips, Lilly of the valley, sweet shrub, wisteria, bearded iris, and azaleas), June ( roses, peony, mock orange, sweet asylum, and stock), July (lavender, garden phlox, yucca, and Oriental lilies).
In August we have oriental trumpet lilies, heliotrope, nicotiana, and clethra. Tuberose, snakeroot, roses, and ginger lilies bloom in September while sweet olive and variegated silver berry blossom in October. Last but not least, Basalm fir and Paperwhites blossom in November and December respectively. Although, Basalm fir is common to the eleventh and twelfth months.
Conclusion
Creating a fragrant garden is an excellent way to adding flavor to your food. How? Aromatic plants are the most common source of essential oils which offer countless health benefits when ingested. Not to mention the role they play in aromatherapy.
While using essential requires you to consult with your doctor, planting a fragrant plant in your culinary herb garden allows you to enjoy and savor the flavors of aromatic plants in your meals. Thankfully, you don’t require distillation equipment to enjoy the fragrance of your scented garden.
All you have to do is take a stroll or sit for a while to breathe in the freshness and pristine fragrances. While you are creating your fragrant garden, always keep the season of mind and remember to plant according to bloom time. Also, be mindful of “sensory overload” ( be reasonable with the number of flowers you want to plant and their variations or mix). The location should also be on your checklist of factors to consider while creating your fragrant garden. You may decide to use hanging baskets, table plants, or raised garden beds ( depending on the height you want them)