On a crisp, still winters day in Aberdeenshire, a surprising scent can transform a wander around your garden into a moment of pure magic. You don’t have to wait for spring or summer for fragrance in your outdoor space.
“Could your garden in winter captivate more than just the eye?”
The Unique Challenge & Opportunity of Winter Scent
> Strategic Placement is Key: Get the best from your winter scented plants by placing them near paths, doorways, and sheltered spots to maximise enjoyment.
> A Boost for Wellbeing: Winter scent can have a powerful effect and help boost your health and well-being during the short winter days. Cold air carries fragrance differently, often making it purer and more noticeable.
> Early Season Pollinator Support: Strongly scented winter blooms attract scarce winter bees and other insects, offering vital food sources for them when other flowers are absent.
>The North East Scotland Factor: Depending on your garden situation, select plants for their hardiness (ideally H5 or above) that will be able to withstand coastal winds, frosts, and lower light levels.
> Extend Garden Enjoyment: Fragrant winter flowers extend the seasons of interest in your garden, making stepping outside a pleasure in winter.
Top Tier Winter Scented Plants for Aberdeenshire
Deciduous Shrubs
- Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) is a fully hardy large shrub growing to 4 metre height and spread with spidery flowers with a spicy, citrus scent which are borne on bare branches. It comes in a variety of hot colours. Popular varieties are ‘Jelena’ (coppery-orange), ‘Pallida’ (sulphur-yellow) and ‘Diane’ (deep red). Prefers a full sun or light shade in an open position. Great for a woodland garden.
- Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ is a medium sized shrub growing to 3 metres in height and 2 metres in spread. It has dense clusters of pink, richly scented flowers on bare stems from November to March. It is perfect for perfuming winter walks around the garden. It prefers a moist, well-drained border in sun or partial shade. To fully appreciate its scent, plant close to an entrance or path in your garden.
- Chimonanthus praecox commonly known as ‘wintersweet’ – this large shrub has sulphur-yellow flowers stained purple inside which form on bare branches throughout the winter months. A vigorous shrub, it will usually flower within a few years of maturity making a beautiful feature plant in a sunny, well-drained border. Highly prized by floral arrangers, a stem of these unusual, bowl-shaped blooms makes a wonderfully fragrant indoor winter display.
Evergreen Scented Shrubs
- Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata‘ has intensely fragrant, pale pink flowers which open from purple-pink buds in winter with evergreen dark green leaves with yellow margins. The flowers are followed by spherical red fruit. Growing to 1.5 metres height and spread it requires a sunny and sheltered spot. Its evergreen foliage and scented blooms will brighten up a winter border.
- Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Winter Gem’ (Winter Box) has glossy evergreen foliage with highly scented white flowers in winter. These are followed by glossy, red berries that ripen to black. Tough and tolerant of most conditions, it is especially useful for shadier areas. Growing to 1 metre height and spread it is a low maintenance shrub.
- Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ is a large evergreen shrub with spiky, holly-like architectural foliage with honey-scented yellow flowers between November and March. Great for early pollinators, the blooms have a fragrance reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley, and glow in the wintry sunlight. They are followed by bunches of highly ornamental, round, deep purple berries. This shrub makes a lovely focal point for a shady spot in the garden.
- Skimmia japonica ‘Kew Green’ is a compact, dome-shaped evergreen shrub with dense clusters of fragrant, creamy-white flowers, which open over several weeks in late winter and spring. Growing to 1 metre in height, it is a perfect low maintenance plant for illuminating a shady shrub border or woodland garden. After blooming it produces red berries continuing its interest in your borders.
Climbers
- Jasminum nudiflorum ‘Winter jasmine’ is a hardy, fast-growing deciduous shrubby climber that thrives on sunny walls which produces bright yellow, scented flowers from January to March. Strong growing it reaches a height of 2.5m but can easily be restricted by pruning after it has flowered.
Bulbs
- Galanthus ‘Magnet’ is one of a few snowdrops noted for their special scent. It has a honey scent which is at its most noticeable on sunny days. An elegant snowdrop, its large flowers have an inverted green ‘V’ on the inner petals, hanging from distinctive long, arching stems. It grows to a height of 20cm.
- Crocus sieberi ‘Bowles’s White’ has pure white flowers fading to gold in the throat of the flower with the vivid contrast of orange-red anthers. Flowers from January and best grown in a pot of gritty compost in a sunny position.
Scented Foliage for Crushing
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an evergreen herb with aromatic scented leaves. It thrives in a well-drained, sunny spot.
- Lavender Cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) is a small evergreen shrub with narrow, silvery fragrant leaves and long-stalked, button-like bright yellow flowerheads in summer. It prefers a sunny, sheltered position.
- Evergreen in all but the coldest winters, common garden sage (Salvia officinalis) releases warm aromatic oils when you brush against the foliage. Give it a spot in full sun in moist but well-drained multi-purpose compost.
Planting & Care for Success
- Carefully read the care instructions of your chosen scented plant and if your conditions allow, place them at strategic points near paths, doorways and over pergolas so that you get the maximum fragrant impacts from your new purchases.
- Ensure proper soil preparation and conditions for your scented plants.
- Protecting your plants in their first winter is key to ensure they survive the colder periods going forward.
- Understanding that many flower on previous year’s growth or only after they have flowered in winter.
How Gerbera Designs Weaves Winter Scent into Gardens
We identify suitable areas in your garden according to aspect, soil conditions and position in your garden perfect for precious winter fragrance. In addition, we select the hardiest, most reliable stock for your local conditions in your borders, ensuring fragrant winter plants are supported by a beautiful backdrop throughout the year.
Ultimately, we design the garden so that scent is discovered as you move through your outdoor space, even in winter.
Ready to Add Winter Fragrance to Your Garden?
Read more about designing a garden that looks beautiful in the winter, or let Gerbera Designs create a garden that delights in every season.
Enquire about our garden design and planting design services in Aberdeenshire, or book a consultation to plan a space that celebrates winter structure and sustains wildlife.
