There’s nothing quite like a garden in full bloom, ripe with the sweet smell of summer petals. Not only do fragrant plants add to the experience of enjoying your garden, but they can also help to encourage beneficial insects in your yard, giving you even more reason to plant some of these garden superstars.

There is a wide variety of perfumed plants available in Australia that thrive in our soils, and here are some our top picks at Jim’s Mowing:

Star Jasmine

(Trachelospermum jasminoides)

This stunning, white-flowered plant has a sweet fragrance that carries through the air. The star jasmine blooms during the spring months, and its flowers resemble small five-pronged stars. If not pruned, the star jasmine can grow into a large, dense bush. This plant can either be grown in a pot or directly in the ground, and is a hardy plant that can be grown all across Australia. The Star Jasmine likes well-draining soil and can be grown in either full sun or partial shade.

Lavender

(Lavandula)

Lavender is a well-known flower with a recognisable fragrance that’s often found in Australian gardens. With vibrant purple flowers that attract bees and butterflies, lavender plants are wonderful for planting in areas that receive a lot of full sun. These plants can make a wonderfully fragrant hedge, and the flowers can be harvested and turned into homemade potpourri. Lavender can also be grown in pots, so you can keep their perfume wherever in your home you please.

Lemon Myrtle

(Backhousia citriodora)

After a fragrant Australian native for your garden? The lemon myrtle has both scented leaves and cream-coloured flowers that bloom in the autumn. The perfumed leaves have a citrus-like scent and can even be added to meals for an extra hint of lemon flavour. Lemon myrtle tends to grow best in rainforests and coastal regions, and is native to southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. These plants tend to grow to between two and four metres tall. In hot climates, these fragrant native shrubs should be planted in partial shade, while in milder climates, they can be planted in full sun.

Roses

(Rosa)

Roses are some of the most well-known fragrant plants that grow in gardens. While not every rose is fragrant, some rose varieties are heavily-scented and can add a beautiful aroma to your yard. Varieties of fragrant roses include Perfume Passion, Heritage, and Madame Plantier. Roses tend to like a full-sun position with well-drained soil. They should be pruned at the start of spring to encourage more blooms. When flowering, you may either choose to leave the flowers on the rose bush or cut a few off to place in a vase inside for a beautiful, fragrant decoration.

Frangipani

(Plumeria)

The frangipani tree has a delightfully sweet scent, with flowers that can help bring a touch of tropical paradise to your garden. From December through April, the scented flowers of the frangipani can be found in the tree or sprinkled across the ground below. Frangipani trees like sunny spots with well-drained soil and can be grown either directly in the ground or in pots. These trees grow tall, offering great shading for your garden. Want to learn more about growing frangipanis? Check out our article on How to Take a Frangipani Cutting.

Lilac

(Syringa vulgaris)

Lilacs are another sweetly-scented blossom to incorporate into your garden. These typically grow best after a cold winter, but newer varieties like Josee have been cultivated specifically for those in warmer climates to enjoy. The plant’s flowers bloom in large clusters of pinks, purples, whites, and other pretty pastels, with the flowers growing to cover the shrub. Lilac’s thrive in full and partial sun in well-drained soils with a touch of moisture.

Mock Orange

(Murraya paniculata)

Just as the name suggests, mock orange plants produce flowers that smell just like orange blossoms. The dainty white petals come out in the springtime, sharing their citrus smell with passersby. The plant itself can easily grow up to well over two metres tall when it’s planted in well-drained soil in full or partial sunlight.

Fragrant Tea Olive

(Osmanthus fragrans)

Staying with refreshing citrus scents, the fragrant tea olive is another pretty garden addition with an inviting aroma. This evergreen shrub doubles as a privacy screen year-round, growing three to four metres in height. Its lightly coloured flowers emit a smell similar to an apricot or peach, perfect for a mediterranean-inspired garden haven. If your fragrant tea olive will be growing in a hotter climate, it’s best to plant it somewhere with some shade, but full or partial sun spots are ideal otherwise.

Cheesewood

Pittosporum

Another native Australian grower, this hedge plant stems from the country’s east, and can easily withstand the region’s colder winter months. The pittosporum can be grown in multiple ways, with the most common being either small round balls or dense hedges. This plant produces flowers decorated with purple or white petals and a soft, sweet aroma that can be smelled strongly in the evening time.

Gardening Experts

At Jim’s Mowing, our team are experts in the field, and are here to help with any of your gardening queries. Contact us to find out more about how we can help you achieve the yard of your dreams.