The scent of Summer

For an olfactory treat, sniff out plants with aromatic leaves and fragranced flowers – they’ll lift your mood, invigorate the garden and conjure up happy memories…

DID you know that plants can smell? Of course, we all know that they can be fragrant – many will fill the summer air with perfume and are as valued for their aroma as their looks. But despite not having a nose, plants have the ability to detect certain odour molecules, resulting in genetic changes that can be vital for their survival strategies.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have discovered that not only can plants detect and react to smells, helping them to attract pollinators and birds, deter pests and protect themselves against disease in nearby plants, they can also discern far more different odour molecules than we can.

Rich variety of smells

The human nose has about 400 olfactory receptors, and the garden offers a rich variety of smells to keep them busy – and, more importantly, keep us happy. Because scent is so heavily linked to mood and memory, plants that smell as good as they look can always be relied upon to give an emotional boost. Whether it’s the smell of the roses that surrounded you while playing in a grandparent’s garden as a child, or the aroma of lavender or lemon groves that filled the air on a favourite holiday in the Med, fragrant plants can instantly transport you back to your happiest times. And there are so many of them.

Scented shrubs like philadelphus or lilac, climbers such as honeysuckle and jasmine, night-scented stocks that weave their olfactory magic after dusk and, of course, roses – the list of contenders is massive. It also includes some less-obvious choices, so there’s no excuse for relying on just one or two familiar plants to ignite your senses.