Gardens may wilt under the scorching summer sun, but creating vibrant hideouts in the shade remains feasible, asserts Isabel Bannerman.
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In the twilight period, gardens take on a cooler hue as shadows lengthen and the air becomes crisp. This is the perfect time to enjoy the fragrant blooms that fill the air, and renowned British garden designer, Isabel Bannerman, has a new book to help you do just that.
Published earlier this year by Pimpernel Press, A Wilderness of Sweets: Making Gardens with Scented Plants offers a comprehensive guide to fragrant flora. Bannerman, who was granted the Royal Warrant of His Majesty King Charles III in 2024, shares her recommendations for a mix of unusual, often wild-looking plants that fill the garden with evocative scents throughout the seasons.
One of Bannerman's favorite plants is the mallow, especially singles like alcea (hollyhocks) and lavatera. She favors these over double varieties for their scent. Another plant she recommends is the perennial hybrid alcalthaea suffrutescens 'Parkallee', a cross between hollyhock and marshmallow, which is somewhat elusive but worth seeking out.
Gladiolus murielae is another plant that Bannerman recommends. This annual has an orchid-like appearance and fragrance. For those who prefer a somewhat controversial scent, cleome spinosa offers a "sweaty guava cannabis" aroma.
Umbelliferous plants like selinum wallichianum (Himalayan cow parsley) provide late-season bloom and fragrance. Climbing clematis such as clematis rehderiana, with primrose-colored waxy blooms that smell like cowslip, and clematis viticella ‘Caerulea Luxurians’, with its lavender blue flurry and evening scent, are also recommended.
Bannerman's focus is on layering scent through varied flower forms, fragrance profiles, and flowering times to create a rich sensory garden experience. Her approach is both practical—such as noting some plants as annuals or tricky to source—and poetic in imagining the atmospheric qualities they impart to a garden space.
If you're looking for a comprehensive and poetic guide to scented plants for gardens, A Wilderness of Sweets appears to be a well-regarded resource dedicated specifically to this subject.
In addition to her book, more of Bannerman and her partner Julian's work can be seen at bannermandesign.com.
As the dog days of summer approach, why not take a stroll through a fragrant garden and enjoy the intoxicating scents of these beautiful plants?
References: [1] Bannerman, I. (2025). A Wilderness of Sweets: Making Gardens with Scented Plants. Pimpernel Press. [2] Bannermandesign.com [3] John Singer Sargent.org
- The British garden designer Isabel Bannerman's new book, "A Wilderness of Sweets: Making Gardens with Scented Plants," published by Pimpernel Press, offers insights into creating a home-and-garden lifestyle that focuses on the use of fragrant plants, such as mallow, gladiolus murielae, and umbelliferous plants, for garden design that appeals to the senses.
- To enhance your gardening experience and lifestyle, consider exploring various scented plants suggested by Isabel Bannerman in her new book, such as alcea (hollyhocks) and lavatera, and creating your own home-and-garden space filled with delightful fragrances from these plants.
