Scented plants for baskets

Scent in a hanging basket has one advantage and one problem. The advantage is that the flowers are at nose height. The problem is that they are also in the wind.

Position matters more than the plant

The point to settle first, because the best scented plant in an exposed spot smells of nothing.

Scent needs still air to accumulate. A sheltered porch, a doorway, a corner by a seating area or beside an opening window will do far more than upgrading the planting - the brackets range covers getting a basket where you want it.

Height

Lower than you would hang a display basket. Scent has to reach you, and a basket well above head height sends most of it upward.

Head height beside a door, or slightly below eye level next to a bench, is where a scented basket earns its place.

Scented petunias

The most reliable choice, and the scent is strongest in the evening.

Not all petunias are scented - the older purple and white varieties tend to carry more than modern bright ones, so it is worth checking the description rather than assuming, and the basket range covers what to plant them in - the flowers guide covers varieties.

Heliotrope

Deep purple flower heads with a distinctly sweet, vanilla-like scent, and one of the few plants where the scent is the main reason to grow it.

It is upright rather than trailing, so it works as the centrepiece with trailers around it rather than as the whole basket - the plant numbers guide covers the proportions.

Nemesia

Small flowers in quantity, a light sweet scent, and it flowers for months.

Some varieties are far more scented than others, and it copes with part shade, which makes it useful where the sheltered spot is not the sunny one.

Trailing thyme and herbs

Different kind of scent - released when brushed rather than carried on the air.

That suits a basket beside a door or path where people pass close. Thyme trails well, and herbs generally want free drainage rather than constant moisture, so go easy on water-retaining granules with these - the liners range covers the free-draining options.

Scented-leaf geraniums

Lemon, rose and mint scents from the foliage rather than the flowers, released on touch.

The flowers are modest, so treat these as a foliage plant that happens to smell wonderful. They are also drought-tolerant, which suits a sunny sheltered wall.

Sweet alyssum

Honey-scented, low, spreading and cheap. It works best as an edge plant spilling over a rim rather than as the main event.

It flowers heavily and continuously, which means the scent is there all season rather than in flushes.

Evening scent needs stillness

Many scented plants are strongest at dusk, because they are pollinated by moths rather than bees.

That is exactly when people sit outside, which makes a scented basket over a seating area a better decision than one by the front gate. But evenings are also when a breeze picks up in an exposed garden.

Do not mix too many scents

Three scented plants in one basket compete and the result is muddled rather than richer.

One scented plant carried by unscented foliage and flowers is the better arrangement - which is also the better-looking one - the trailing plants guide covers foliage partners.

Feeding affects scent

Worth knowing. High-nitrogen feed pushes leafy growth at the expense of flowers, and fewer flowers means less scent.

A high-potash feed from about six weeks keeps flowering heavy, which is what keeps the scent going - the compost and feed guide covers it.

Deadhead to keep it coming

A plant that sets seed slows down, and slowing down means fewer flowers and less scent.

Deadheading scented petunias and nemesia in particular keeps the display going considerably longer - the low-maintenance guide covers the self-cleaning alternatives.

Watering and scent

A stressed plant stops flowering, and a plant that is not flowering is not scenting.

Scented baskets in sheltered spots often sit in a warm still corner that also happens to be dry, so check them by weight rather than assuming shelter means less water. Lift the basket - light means water - the moisture guide covers stretching the interval.

Bees and wildlife

Scented flowers are generally good for pollinators, which is a reasonable second reason to plant them.

Single flowers are more accessible to bees than heavily doubled ones, so a simpler-looking variety often does more good than a showy one.

What we sell and what we do not

The baskets, liners, brackets and watering kit. The plants themselves come from a nursery or garden centre, where staff can tell you which varieties are actually scented locally.

The basket range covers our side, with free UK delivery over £20 and 30 days to return anything.

The short version

• Shelter matters more than plant choice - wind removes scent before it reaches you.
• Hang scented baskets lower than display ones; scent above head height goes upward.
• Not all petunias are scented, and the older purple and white types carry best.
• Herbs and scented-leaf geraniums release on touch, so put them where people pass.
• One scented plant carried by unscented partners beats three competing scents.

Frequently asked questions

Which hanging basket plants are scented?

Scented petunias, heliotrope, nemesia, sweet alyssum, trailing thyme and scented-leaf geraniums. The petunias and heliotrope carry on the air; the herbs and geraniums release their scent on touch.

Where should I hang a scented basket?

Somewhere sheltered and at roughly head height - a porch, a doorway, beside an opening window or over a seating area. Scent needs still air to accumulate, so an exposed wall wastes it.

Why can I not smell my scented basket?

Usually wind, which removes scent before it reaches you, or height - a basket well above head height sends most of its scent upward. Both are position problems rather than plant problems.

Are all petunias scented?

No. Scent varies a great deal by variety, and the older purple and white types generally carry more than modern bright ones, so it is worth checking the description rather than assuming.

Can I mix several scented plants?

Better not to. Three scents in one basket compete and the result is muddled rather than richer. One scented plant carried by unscented foliage and flowers works better and usually looks better too.