If for no other reason, plants that provide fragrance should be included in the landscape because of the memories they can envoke. The scent of black locusts in bloom might instantly transport you to a summer visit to your grandparent's farm in Tennessee. Or just a hint of the delicate fragrance exuded by sweet peas might bring to mind working in the garden with your mom. There is no arguing the power that fragrance has in our lives. Not only does it greatly influence our enjoyment of plants and flowers, it is integral to our enjoyment of food and provides us with all sorts of keys to our environment. In the plant world, fragrance is a survival mechanism. By producing a scent, a plant will attract the essential pollinators. The types of fragrances that appeal to people tend to be either sweet or spicy. There are plants that produce unpleasant scents both to attract specific pollinators such as carrion flies and to repel animals and other insects that might cause damage.

It is their nature that some plants are delicately scented and some can perfume the whole yard. But other factors can influence the intensity of fragrance too. For instance, when a plant is grown with a little less moisture, it tends to be more fragrant than it would be if it had received more. High temperatures also tend to intensify fragrance, and humid air holds fragrance better than dry air.

In the garden, there are lots of plants with very pleasing scents that can enhance your enjoyment of the garden. If you are selecting specific plants because of their fragrance, be sure to plant them where they will be most effective and enjoyed. Consider planting the smaller varieties in groupings to increase their impact. Full sun produces more fragrance than shade. In Victorian gardens, the walkways would be lined with plants such as scented geraniums. When the people walked by, their long skirts and coats would brush the plants, releasing their fragrance.

The following are lists of some of the many plants grown for fragrance. It certainly isn't a list of everything, but it's a good place to start.