Sow our top annuals in a sunny spot now and you can look forward to being enveloped in sweet, flowery fragrances when you step outside this summer Look through any seed catalogue and you ll see lots of summer annuals that are claimed to be scented. It s a tempting prospect the air around you filled with delicious fragrance but it doesn t always work out that way. Just because a plant is scented it doesn t always mean it actually smells pleasant. Similarly, a sweet scent is only any good if you can detect it without having to bury your face in the flower. Of course, having even the best scent is no use if the plant itself is a dud. To save disappointment, last summer we compared nearly 40 different scented annuals at our Capel Manor College gardens. We rated them according to which had the strongest, sweetest scents and gave the best display. Top 10 scented annuals 1Sweet pea Sweet peas are renowned for their scent but Fragrantissima is especially blessed. Its sweet fragrance seems to fill the garden, especially on still, sunny days. If you plant it near the house with something to climb, you ll certainly notice it through the open windows. This variety is very freeflowering and produces large blousy blooms on long sturdy stems. Like all sweet peas, you must cut the flowers frequently to enjoy a prolonged display. Height: 1.8m Flowering period: June to August Uses: Border or large container Latin name: Lathyrus odoratus Fragrantissima 38 l April 2008 www.which.co.uk/gardeningwhich
SCENTED ANNUALS 3Bird s eyes For a small plant, this colourful charmer packs a fragrant punch similar to that of oriental lilies. Its dainty flowers are fairly small but they re produced in abundance. The plant has a lax, spreading habit and looks best growing up though neighbouring annuals, which hide its leggy stems. Height x spread: 45 x45cm Flowering period: Jun to Sep, containers or baskets Latin name: Gilia tricolor 4Tobacco plant If you re after impact as well as rich perfume, this tall-growing annual is for you. Although it flowers throughout the day, its powerful sweet scent is only apparent in the evening. It flowers abundantly over a long period, although you need to deadhead it periodically. It s ideal for dotting at the back of your borders and looks amazing in large drifts if you ve got plenty of space. Height x spread: 1.5 x 1m September Latin name: Nicotiana sylvestris 2Angel s trumpet This beautiful plant only releases its wonderful scent when the sun goes down. The perfume is sweet and lemony, and makes a fantastic backdrop to summer evenings spent in the garden, especially when you re entertaining. Each bloom is short-lived but the plant produces plenty of them, although rarely more than three or four at once. This is a large, shrubby variety that deserves a prime spot. Height x spread: 1 x 1m October or large containers Latin name: Datura meteloides Evening Fragrance 5Cherry pie It might seem hard to believe, but as its common name suggests, this plant really does smell like a sweet cherry pie. It s truly scrumptious and when it catches the wind, it s enough to make your mouth water. With its dark flowers and foliage, cherry pie is equally good to look at. It flowers constantly for weeks and forms an attractive, low mound of colour. It s ideal in borders or containers and is great for rockeries. Height x spread: 40 x 30cm October Uses: Borders, containers, rockeries Latin name: Heliotrope arborescens Marine www.which.co.uk/gardeningwhich April 2008 l 39
6Tobacco plant This is a very elegant summer annual and has a gloriously rich and pervading bouquet which gets stronger towards twilight. Plant it in small clumps around your garden and you ll savour its sweet spiciness at every turn. As it s a tall plant, it s best planted towards the back of your borders, although even there, you ll still be able to enjoy it to the full. Height x spread: 90 x 25cm October or large containers Latin name: Nicotiana affinis 7Petunia It s easy to forget just how fragrant petunias are. The perfume isn t as strong as some flowers but stand near them on a sunny day and you ll certainly notice their honey-like scent. To appreciate it fully, raise your petunias up by growing them in window boxes or hanging baskets and choose darker-flowered varieties as these have the strongest scent. Height x spread: 30 x 30cm October Uses: Beds, containers and baskets Latin name: Petunia x hybrida Rainbow F2 40 l April 2008 www.which.co.uk/gardeningwhich
SCENTED ANNUALS 9Lupin Lupins are best known as hardy perennials but this is an attractive shrubby annual form. Its neat flower spikes have a delicate primrose scent that you clearly notice as you walk by. Compared to our other recommended scented annuals, it isn t quite as free-flowering but it s still well worth growing. Deadhead it regularly to keep it flowering and watch out for greenfly. Height x spread: 30 x 30cm Flowering period: June to August Latin name: Lupinus elegans Dwarf Fairy 8Mignonette Get close to this plant and it doesn t seem particularly fragrant. It s only when you stand back that you realise it s the source of the honeyed spiciness all around you. Its perfume is hard to beat but it s not very showy so plant it with bright annuals. Height x spread: 50 x 30cm Flowering period: July and August Uses: Beds or larger containers Latin name: Redesa odorata Grandiflora As the name suggests, primrose this scented plant is 10Evening strictly for evening enjoyment. Its flowers don t even open until early afternoon and only later on do they release their musky, primrose-like perfume. This variety is very free-flowering and gives a blaze of colour, albeit best from lunchtime onwards. Being tall with slender stems, it s ideal for planting at the back of the border where it can be supported by neighbouring plants. Height x spread: 100 x 30cm September Latin name: Oenothera odorata FREE Information \ The following articles on annuals are available for download from www.which.co.uk/gardeningwhich \ Unusual annuals (Jan 2006) \ Hardy annuals (Sep/Oct 2006) PHOTOGRAPHS: HOWARD RICE www.which.co.uk/gardeningwhich April 2008 l 41