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HEAVEN SCENT There are many reasons behind why we choose to grow certain plants, including colour, size, flowering time and length, or suitability for the conditions, but what about scent?  The many different sweet scents provided by plants add an extra diversion to the garden.  The individual smells also make many of them especially attraction to bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Early summer scent can be provided by any of the following shrubs: - Cytisus – commonly known as ‘Broom’ available in a variety of colours including ‘Praecox’, creamy yellow; ‘Allgold’ golden yellow; ‘Lena – fiery red and yellow; ‘Boskoop Ruby’, deep ruby red.  These are narrow leaved evergreen shrubs which benefit from having their flowering stems pruned after flowering to maintain a neat compact rather than woody habit. Syringa or ‘lilac’ is a large shrub or often described as a tree, available in white, yellow or various maroon and purple shades. It is deciduous and so loses its leaves in winter.   Philadelphus or ‘mock orange’ are all white flowers and can be anything from 3 feet to 8 feet tall depending on variety.  Manteau d’Hermine is the shortest and double flowered. Microphyllus and Mrs E L Robinson are medium sized with single flowers. Virginal is large with double flowers and Belle etoile has single flowers containing a deep maroon central blotch.  Coronarius and coronaries aureas both have single flowers but the latter has golden leaves.  All varieties are deciduous.    The many members of the herb family provide distinctive scents and if allowed to flower are invaluable additions.  They include common examples such as Lavender, Rosemary and Catmint but can be supplemented by monarda (bergamot), origanum (marjoram), calamintha, chives, thyme, mint and lemon balm.   The herbaceous blue flowering salvia has a hint of blackcurrant in it’s scent.  There are several varieties including the early flowering Viola Klose, and Mainacht plus black stemmed Caradonna.  White and pink forms are available too. The various forms of Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium), some of which have been flowering since March are also scented. Iris germanica or bearded iris, are probably the best of all herbaceous perennials for scent and are available in every imaginable colour, many have more than one colour in their flowers.  They need a sunny site and well drained soil. Add to this range, the roses, including climbing varieties plus beautiful honeysuckle to clothe either wall, fence or other structure and your aromatic garden should be almost complete.  It leaves winter flowering shrubs such as Mahonia and early spring flowerers such as Skimmia and Viburnum or snowball tree.    Lastly don’t forget that many late flowering narcissi are also scented including Geranium, Winston Churchill, Pipit, Sailboat, Reggae and many more. Nothing beats natures own scents, perfumes simply can’t compete. Phil Dunnett