Your favourite flowers for scent? Not roses, lavender or sweetpeas

[Koulibiak]

I’m looking for recommendations for scented flowers for my garden, beyond the usual roses, lavender and sweetpeas. Last year I sowed nicotianas, which smelled divine of an evening. Can anything top that? Or would provide similar scent but in the morning? Ideally something I can grow from seed, but I am open minded. I already have star Jasmine, brugmansias, a daphne, sweetpeas and scented leaf pelargoniums. Thank you 🙏

Stocks. The are joyous.

My favourite smell isn’t a plant but a tree. I love the scent of Lime trees when they flower usually at the end of June early July. Not much help to you!

It’s probably already been suggested, but I find that the smell of dianthus is mesmerising

honeysuckle and lilac, I also really like marjoram when you brush past.

It's a glorious scent isn't it! I remember walking my dog and think what is that gorgeous smell! Also known as Linden.

I was going to suggest night scented stock, and happy to see so many other fans. I grew it for the first time this year and wow, beautiful scent at night.

Winter flowering box is another good scent.

Mahonia. I'm not keen on how it looks but the smell makes up for it and bees love it.

Winter flowering honeysuckle.

Wisteria. A really lovely fragrant almost peppery scent.

I grow this but have never detected much scent. Love the smell of (most) lilies but I appreciate not everyone does.
Lunaria rediviva - scents the whole garden and I've never met anyone who doesn't love it.

Lots of amazing summer suggestions already, but if you are looking for winter scent then these are incredible:
Viburnum bodnantese dawn
Winter honeysuckle
Christmas box
Daphne - I have a variety that flowers in February/ March but can't remember the name of it.

Has anyone already suggested phlox for summer?

Thank you so much for all the suggestions! I’ll be doing some research over the next few weeks based on this thread, so I’m armed for spring planting.

I’m not really sure about winter flowering scented plants yet - I don’t spend much time in the garden in the winter, so I think I’m going to focus on higher reward, spring/summer/autumn perfume for now.

Agree with loads already upthread so just to add a couple I don't think have been mentioned - skimmia and iris reticulata.

Nemesia wisley vanilla in a pot during summer months. The scent is glorious to me.

I’m surprised about your Holboellia @MaxandMeg - ours can be enjoyed from halfway down the road! It has crept its way up one of our very tall trees so there is a lot of it.

Another one for jasmine and also honeysuckle - love those evening scents.

Jasmine and fresias

Hyacinth

Most of my ideas have been said already. The scent of broad bean flowers is absolutely incredible. I couldn't keep away when mine were in flower. The variety "crimson flower" is pretty as well

Wild primroses and bluebells
Jonquils
Chocolate Vine | Akebia quinata

Stock and freesias are lovely.

Heliotrope.

This is what I came here to say! Some other nemisias also have a lovely vanilla scent too - I get them as annuals and put them in pots on walls and the table so if we're sitting outside of a summer's evening you get wafts of scent. I did manage to get one to overwinter last year. Honeysuckle is also gorgeous once established, you can get them v cheaply as young plants from Morrison's in the spring.

Wallflowers. I wish someone would make a wallflower perfume.

Azalea Luteum has a lovely sweet honey scent in Spring.
I have an amazing rhododendron - a strong sweet smell of vanilla unfortunately I have lost the name. I thought it was Rhod Fragrantissimum (?sp) but then saw a picture of this and it was tiny, mine is 15+ foot and flowers in July.

my lemon tree smells the best of everything in my garden

I’ve moved DHs lemon tree into the greenhouse and there is always a flower or two giving it a sweet smell

Freesia
Lilac
Philadelphus
Heliotrope
Narcissi
Honeysuckle
Wallflower
Jasmine
Some Vibernum varieties
Daphne
Evening primrose
Phlox

Viburnum for winter fragrance. A low rosemary hedge. Christmas box. Wisteria. Paper white narcissi. Jonquil. Lilacs.