Sensory Garden ideas - smell!

Mother Nature is clever. Did you know that plants tend to have a scent for a reason? The strong smell of marigolds detracts insects from eating them (hence why they are good companion plants to plant near tomatoes) whilst in contrast lavender’s sweet scent attracts bees and butterflies to aid pollination!

Certainly for our senses, scent is perhaps one the greatest joys of any garden. To help you get the most from your garden follow our top tips:

1. Do you want your garden to invoke certain feelings? The use of essential oils goes back to ancient civilisations for therapeutic reasons and since all aromatherapy oils are derived from plants, your garden can be equally therapeutic. For example lavender is known to make you feel calm and relaxed while jasmine is a more exotic scent that can make you feel more awake. If you plant these plants near paths you are more likely to brush past them and release their perfume.

2. Rub flowers between your fingertips to really release the smell.

3. Plants herbs. Not only do they smell nice in the garden but they can be used in meals too!

4. Plant some roses. Even if you don’t have a big garden, roses can be planted in containers successfully just choose small compact varieties and use a deep pot as roses like to go down with their roots. The scent of roses can vary greatly from old fashioned musk to myrrh and fruity perfumes. Come to one of our rose field tours in July to have a good sniff at the hundreds of different varieties we grow and choose your favourite.