A patio is the perfect spot to grow scented plants because it’s the one place in the garden you are sure to pause and sit for long enough to really appreciate the perfume.

Watch Alan create a fragrant seating area, an inspiring project that you can enjoy all summer long.

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Make the most of fragrant flowers by planting a combination of scents you really like, and consider the flowering times of each plant so that you can orchestrate a succession of scents throughout the summer. The height of release is also worth bearing in mind. For example, fragrant climbing roses and honeysuckles scrambling over a trellis or a wall at the back of a patio will release their fragrance at nose level as you walk past; while plants such as lavender and most aromatic herbs that cascade over the edges of paving will release fragrance at ground level when you brush past the foliage.

Some plants such as Hesperis matronalis (sweet rocket)and Oenothera biennis (evening primrose) produce their best fragrance in the evening to attract night-flying insects that pollinate their flowers. Planting one or more of these in a border next to a patio will add a new dimension to summer evenings and alfresco meals.

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