A sense of achievement

I have seen and experienced some superb sensory gardens, both in this country (I seem to remember a very early one in the gardens at Sewerby Hall, near Bridlington) and on the Continent, and each has been a revelation in planting.

But just where did the planners start? What plants did they leave out, and why did they include what they did?

There are so many plants which deserve to be grown in a sensory garden, but space and climate will prevent their inclusion. Personal taste also dictates why a certain plant will be given root room while another, equally meritorious, is crossed off the list.

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But here are a few which I think would go down well – with one or two suggestions as to how and why to grow them – in any garden.

Size and situation, soil and the ability to maintain plants will obviously need considering, but there will always be room for at least a handful.

Lavenders are wonderful to scent and touch – but they are best grown together, in one bed, because otherwise they can overpower fellow plants. There are loads from which to choose, but plant only the hardy varieties.

Choisya is a wonderfully-scented shrub, as is Santolina, with its grey foliage and yellow blooms.

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For scented flowers (other than roses) there are numerous honeysuckles (including a winter-flowerer, Lonicera fragrantissima). Mahonia ‘Charity’ is also fragrant and interesting in the colder months.

The mock orange (Philadelphus virginalis) is superb and there are several scented viburnums, particularly V carlesii. Summer jasmine (Jasminum officinalis) is unforgettable. The Dianthus family (pinks, sweet williams, carnations) are musts, not only for their wonderful scent, but also because of their lovely all-year-round foliage.

Then there are the herbs – so many that it’s impossible to grow them all. Hyssopus officinalis (hyssop comes from the Hebrew word azob, meaning holy herb) is evergreen and bushy, growing to 2 ft tall and 1 ft wide, with spikes of blue flowers in summer and early autumn. The leaves are aromatic. Hyssop grows well in sun or a little shade; it can be used to make a low hedge. Most herbs prefer sunny, poor soil – the fragrance is accentuated by these conditions.

Mints – ginger, Corsican, spearmint, apple etc etc – should be grown in pots to stop them taking over. You can bury said pots in the soil and lift them every year, split the plants and repot them. Great for both scent and touch.

Then there is thyme (low-growing, scented) lemon verbena, wormwood (tallish, very fragrant and silver-leaved) parsley, marjoram, even coriander.