The 5 Pretty Garden Plants Look Great, but Actually Lack Scent — What to Pick Instead for a Fragrant Patio
These lush alternatives will make your garden smell invigorating and look beautiful
Sometimes even the most beautiful garden with colorful florets and trailing vines falls short on account of a lack of scent. A well-rounded backyard is meant to look lush and smell invigorating, too.
So, instead of losing out on precious outdoor space to cultivars that look good but don't smell much, prioritize fragrant plants for patios that check your boxes. Plants like hydrangeas, tulips, camellias, boxwood, and laurustinus might look pretty, but they aren't adding to the scentual ambiance of your home.
So, here's what to plant instead. Or alongside your current garden for a burst of fragrance.
1. Hydrangeas
DO INSTEAD: Keep these elegant Hydrangea Paniculatas from Crocus, but introduce some scent through citrus.
Natalie Derosa, landscaping expert at Crown Pavilions, tells me that hydrangeas are among her favorite plants. However, most popular varieties don't offer much in the way of fragrance.
"I’ll often plant fragrant flowers like mock orange nearby because the citrusy scent works beautifully alongside hydrangeas," she says. "And it creates a much more sensory feel in an outdoor garden."
This Philadelphus 'Snowbelle' Mock Orange from Crocus is a lovely choice. The elegant white blooms paired with the crisp citric notes will make for a pleasant ambiance.
Natalie Derosa is the head of interior design and landscaping at Crown Pavilions. She designs gardens for RHS flower shows, focusing on the use seasonal planting to show people how beautiful a garden can be throughout the year. She specializes in designing gardens that feel calming and immersive, especially around outdoor living spaces.
2. Tulips
DO INSTEAD: Plant these beautiful Tuscan Tulips from Sarah Raven alongside some fragrant hyacinths.
According to Natalie, tulips are another common flower grown in most modern gardens. However, they offer little to no scent. "I absolutely love them visually, especially in more architectural gardens, but they don’t really add fragrance," she says.
"I often mix in hyacinths because the scent instantly makes a garden feel more welcoming in spring." For a splash of color, I recommend The Jewel Hyacinth Collection from Sarah Raven. Or, for a minimalist outdoor space, this Hyacinth 'White Pearl' is a timeless choice.
3. Camellias
DO INSTEAD: Save these red Camellias from Plants For All Seasons for visual appeal and introduce a nice wave of perfume through gardenias.
"Camellias are gorgeous and very elegant, but again, they’re not a plant I’d personally choose for scent," says Natalie. "I prefer gardenias if the climate allows, because they have that same glossy, luxurious look but with a beautiful perfume. I especially love using them around outdoor entertaining spaces."
And if you're working with limited space, then the good news is these are some of the best patio plants for pots. This Gardenia 'Deluxe' Cape Jasmine from Thompson & Morgan is so chic.
4. Boxwood
DO INSTEAD: Use this Buxus Sempervirens Hedge from Gardeners Dream for structure, and introduce scent through lavender.
Boxwood is one of the best drought-tolerant privacy hedges. Not to mention it makes an outdoor space look especially luxurious. However, Natalie points out that it's the best example of a plant that adds no fragrance.
I tend to plant lavender nearby because you still get definition and shape, but there’s also movement, softness, and fragrance when you brush past it. This Lavender Light Blue from Plants For All Seasons is a dreamy way to infuse your garden with natural perfume.
5. Laurustinus
DO INSTEAD: Plant this Laurustinus from Crocus in a low-impact area and sow scented daphnes in a high-profile space.
Lastly, another plant that looks lovely but doesn't actually smell much is laurustinus. "It’s reliable and useful structurally, but not particularly memorable for its scent," says Natalie.
"Daphne, on the other hand, is one of those plants people always stop and enquire about because the fragrance is so strong, especially in late winter when you’re not expecting it." Consider planting this Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' from Gardeners Dream for a memorable al fresco ambiance.
If you're introducing fragrance through container gardening, bring this gorgeous brown planter be in the mix.
Ferm Living's collection of plant pots are so chic, but this Staffa Planter might be one of my new favorites.
Speaking of planters I'm obsessed with, just take a look at this stylish sandy planter from Westwing.
If you're looking for other ways to round out the sensory appeal of your outdoor space, take a scroll through our guide to things that make a garden smell expensive. And for more fragrance dos and don'ts, like garden plants that smell too strong, sign up for the Livingetc newsletter.
